“Hungary is in a major dispute with the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) with relation to illegal immigration, which is a key determining issue from the perspective of the continent’s future”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at the body’s session in Brussels on Thursday.
“The Government rejects illegal immigration and mandatory settlement quotas, and will continue to fight for the interests and security of the Hungarian people”, Mr. Szijjártó stressed at the hearing on the state of the rule of law in Hungary. He also underlined the fact that the link between George Soros’s speech and the inclusion of the reform of the Dublin regulations among the negotiation mandates adopted by the EP cannot be a coincidence.
The Hungarian Government does not want to avoid the dispute, but our standpoints on the majority of issues are extremely distant from each other; “our thoughts with regard to the nation, respecting traditions, border protection and security are totally different”, he added.
“When people attack Hungary, they are attacking a country that has moved from becoming part of the problem in Europe to being part of the solution through its own efforts”, he said.
“Hungary has an interest in a strong European Union, and this requires debates on the future of Europe to by conducted within the boundaries of rationality”, the Minister said, citing the fact that “debates are beginning to be ruled by hypocrisy and political correctness” as one of the EU’s greatest problems.
Nobody is claiming that all migrants are terrorists, Mr. Szijjártó emphasised, but voiced his opinion that illegal immigration represents a major risk, as proven by the events of recent years. The EU “is facing the most serious threat of terrorism ever”, and accordingly the continent’s security must be put in order as soon as possible, and Hungary is already performing its fair share of these efforts, he explained.
Green Party MEP Judith Sargentini, who has been entrusted with preparing the special report on Hungary, will be drawing up the document partly on the basis of this hearing, and is expected to put the report before the members of the LIBE Committee in March, who will in turn vote on the issue in June. According to experts, the report will be put before the EP’s plenary session in September, based on which the body may launch Section 7 proceedings against Hungary if appropriate.
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)
