Speaking in the program “Mokka” of TV2 channel on the morning of Friday, 25 March, the Minister of Defence stated that all means must be used against terrorists. Dr. István Simicskó also underlined that the counter-terrorism action plan of the government does not include any baseless measures that violate the principle of proportionality.

The minister noted that the government had earlier warned that mass migration gave terrorists “a good opportunity” to enter Europe, and also drew attention to the fact that this process increases the threat of terrorism in Europe. The Paris terror attacks in last November and the Brussels bombings this week also support this claim, István Simicskó explained, adding that Europe must prepare itself for the occurrence of similar acts of terrorism in any other capital city on the continent.

István Simicskó noted that in the above-mentioned cases, the secret services were criticized for not sharing all information among themselves. For this reason, the government has made a decision to establish a much-needed coordinating organization. The staff of the Counter-Terrorism Information and Crime Prevention Center will include members sent from every civilian and military secret service.

The Minister of Defence said that the centre would be similar to the Coordination Centre Against Organized Crime. The government intends to establish this new organization as soon as possible, because, as the minister noted, an event like the Brussels bombings may occur any time.

Speaking about the proposed counter-terrorism measures announced by the government on Thursday, he said that the legislation authorizes the government to take the necessary measures and introduce certain restrictions in the event of terrorist threats. At the same time, it must inform about these measures the National Assembly and its competent special committees, the National Defence and Law Enforcement Committee and the National Security Committee.

The Minister of Defence noted that similar decisions had already been made in other countries. He pointed out that security is one of the most important values, which requires sacrifices. In response to the reactions of opposition parties standing up for values of freedom, he said that there is a need for rules and norms of coexistence. He added that there are also traffic regulations that we comply with. István Simicskó said that there will be another discussion during which the parliamentary group leaders of opposition parties will also be informed about the elements of the package of measures.

The Minister of Defence pointed out that the government will not compromise the security of Hungarians. He stated that there is a new situation, adding that all opposition parties are requested to revise their position in consideration of this new situation.

(Ministry of Defence)