“The Hungarians must decide on how and in what manner Hungary’s European Union resources are utilised”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó declared on Kossuth Radio’s “Sunday Paper” show.

In the telephone interview on Sunday morning, Mr. Szijjártó said: “We will not accept anyone subjecting us to any kind of political blackmail, and anyone attempting to blackmail the Hungarian people with relation to the utilisation of European Union resources. This is what the so-called rule of law mechanism provides an opportunity for: blackmail and political influencing”.
“The debate currently ongoing in Brussels is about more than what the internal structure of the recovery fund should look like. The debate is about who can decide about how European Union resources are utilised, and in what manner that decision is arrived at”, he stated. “European Union funding is also our money, and its spending cannot be influenced by blackmail and unclear procedures that are based on unfounded accusations”, Mr. Szijjártó emphasised. “European Union funding is not humanitarian aid and has not been created thanks to the generosity of the Western European countries, but thanks to the performance of the European people, including the Hungarians”, he said, adding: “It is therefore based on this that EU funding is due to us”.

“Hungary has conformed to and fulfilled all European treaties based on which we can rightly expect the fair, equitable and non-political distribution of EU resources”, Mr. Szijjártó highlighted. According to the Minister, the European Council could achieve a decision that is favourable for the whole European Union by “stepping onto a foundation of rationality”. “Meaning if it were to not make a decision that would result in the inequitable distribution of European Union resources, and in poorer countries receiving less from certain resources than richer ones. And additionally, if they were to refrain from creating a situation in which countries that have handled the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic better are punished, and if they were to not reward policies that lead to uncertainty and indebtedness”, Mr. Szijjártó said.

“The European Council will be making a good decision if it removes the possibility of any and all political blackmail from the system”, the Minister stated. “Because currently, the rule of law mechanism could bring about a situation in which European Union resources could be taken away from us if, for instance, someone in Brussels doesn’t like Hungary’s migration policy”, Mr. Szijjártó said, highlighting the fact that this is “scandalous”, something we cannot allow, and goes against European interest and values.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade / MTI)