“The Hungarians know what it means for others to decide their fate, and for this reason they feel it is indispensable to take their lives into their own hands and control it themselves; the right to self-determination is extremely important to them”, Minister of Human Capacities Zoltán Balog declared in an interview on Swiss public radio SRF.

“Hungary does not agree with the mandatory relocation quota determined by Brussels, but it is caring for people who arrive in the country legally”, the Minister stressed, adding that “Hungary is not accepting economic migrants, only political refugees who do not arrive from safe third countries”.

Mr. Balog declared that Hungary would like to decide who it would like to live with in accordance with its right to self-determination. “According to the Hungarian standpoint the current migration situation cannot be solved simply be admitting people; the causes of local conflicts must also be examined”, he said.

The Minister also said that it is the state’s responsibility to protect and secure its borders.

“Hungary is participating in several aid programmes, is providing assistance in Ukraine, is taking part in the construction of a hospital in northern Iraq, and the Government is also working on the inclusion of the Roma minority”, he pointed out.

“Hungary does not want everyday life to change as radically as it has in France or Germany”, he stated.

According to Mr. Balog, Europe can also be strong by having strong Member States. “Hungary does not want to leave the European Union, but it does want to change it”, he said.

“The question is, how can we make the EU stronger and more capable of action while it is becoming increasingly weak as a result of migration and the conflict between Russia and the United States”, he said.

With reference to the history processing of 1956, the Minister spoke about the fact that under socialism history was usually lied about and kept secret, but today people are usually apathetic when it comes to history. “Today’s generation does not understand that the legal system, a state that operates according to the rule of law, and freedom could not have come about without 1956. This is why the government is striving to help those who took part in the Revolution speak out and tell young people about what they had to live through”, he said.

Mr. Balog also took the opportunity to express Hungary’s thanks to Switzerland for having welcomed some 14 thousand fleeing Hungarian following the Revolution.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)