Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó has responded to statements by Foreign Minister of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn which appeared in the Tuesday edition of the German daily “Die Welt”.

Mr. Asselborn urged Hungary’s expulsion from the EU, because “exclusion is the only way to retain the unity of the EU”. He cited Hungary’s treatment of refugees. The Socialist politician said that the “massive violation” of EU fundamental values is unacceptable, and any state which “builds fences against war refugees” or breaches press freedom and the independence of the justice system should be expelled from the EU temporarily – or permanently, if necessary.

In a press release to Hungarian news agency MTI, Mr. Szijjártó stated that Hungarians have the right to make their voices heard: they – and only they – have the right to decide who they wish to live with and who they do not wish to live with.

In this regard, Mr. Szijjártó said that “In the past Jean Asselborn has already shown himself to be an intellectual lightweight”, and that from his words one can easily tell that this “sermonising, pompous and frustrated” individual lives just a few kilometres from Brussels. He wants to exclude Hungary from the EU, the Minister said, while he long ago excluded himself from consideration as a serious politician, and, being a “classic nihilist”, Mr. Asselborn works tirelessly to destroy Europe’s security and culture. In stark contrast, Mr. Szijjártó said, over the course of its history Hungary has always defended Europe – as it is doing now.  On 2 October Hungarians will express their opinion on illegal migration, Brussels’ quota package, “Jean Asselborn and his ilk”, the Minister added, saying that “This is how things are in a state under the rule of law”.

He pointed out that Hungarians have the right to make their voices heard: they – and only they – have the right to decide who they wish to live with and who they do not wish to live with. No Brussels bureaucrat – nor the Foreign Minister of Luxembourg – can deprive them of this right, he added.

According to Mr. Szijjártó, “It is somewhat curious that Jean Asselborn and Jean-Claude Juncker – who both come from the country of tax optimization – speak about jointly sharing burdens. But we understand what this really means: Hungary should take on the burden created by the mistakes of others”. The Government of Hungary rejects this, and on 2 October Hungarians will express their opinion, the Minister’s press release states.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)