An interview with Justice Minister Judit Varga entitled ‘Two politicians have visions for Europe – One of them is Viktor Orbán’ was published in the Wednesday edition of the conservative German newspaper Die Welt.

Regarding the new European Commission, the Minister said the entry into office of the body led by Ursula von der Leyen “is a chance to start again” and while conflicts are expected to continue to emerge, the new commission president is open to the interests and problems of  Eastern and Central European countries.

“Rather than lecturing us,” the German Christian democratic politician “would like to understand where we come from historically, and why we are different in some respects from the European mainstream,” Mrs Varga said.

She added that it is good news that the body’s Hungarian member Olivér Várhelyi was given the enlargement portfolio. This is a success for the Hungarian government, and confirms its readiness to cooperate.

She highlighted that they supported Ursula von der Leyen because she is very different from her predecessor Jean-Claude Juncker; she is a woman, a mother of seven from Central Europe. Her first statements are “highly promising,” the Minister said.

She said reasoning and debates are essential elements of European democracy, and the new Commission offers a better starting point for debate than the old one because it does not divide Europe into good and bad countries. During Jean-Claude Juncker’s term most of the trust was destroyed, and this trust will now have to be rebuilt on the foundations of respect. This is just what Ursula von der Leyen stands for.

In the context of the migration crisis, she pointed out that Hungary has always stood up for solidarity. The protection of the EU’s external borders and the solution of problems in the countries of origin also form part of solidarity, and in these Hungary supports a number of projects financially, including the construction of hospitals and schools in the Middle East, the development of infrastructure, and border protection in Serbia and Libya.

Migration is a challenge which will be present for decades more to come, and “it does not serve anyone’s best interests if Brussels dictates short-term solutions from above,” Mrs Varga said, mentioning as an example the quota for taking in refugees which is, in her words, “an invitation to people smugglers”, contributes to maintaining their “business model” and fails to prevent tragedies in the Mediterranean.

“When we joined the European club, we did not surrender our right to decide independently whom we wish to live together with,” the Justice Minister underlined.

Regarding European concerns about institutions in Hungary, she said the government is engaged in an ongoing dialogue about the rule of law with the EU and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission, and implements the decisions of the competent courts and the recommendations of the Venice Commission.

She pointed out that “there is an appropriate European framework for discussing issues related to the rule of law, without telling Hungary to stand in the corner on a general basis”. She added that the concept of the rule of law has no general definition. She mentioned as examples that in Britain there is no Constitution, in Finland there is no constitutional court, and in the Netherlands they have done away with the institution of referendum.

Speaking about the state of the press, she highlighted that the vast majority of media outlets, in particular in the online press are “critical of the government in the extreme”. Thanks to changes in the Hungarian media market, both Christian-conservative and liberal views are represented in public life.

She added that conservative media outlets merely seek to provide more balanced information, and “the Hungarian press market is organised according to the rules of the market economy”.

She observed that the critical approach to the state of affairs in Hungary sometimes appears to be “obsessive” as Hungary is a relatively small country, and “there are other, much bigger problems in Europe that should be dealt with more”.

In the lengthy interview, the Minister also spoke about foreign policy issues. She indicated that Hungary does not support the proposal that decisions on foreign policy affairs should be adopted in the EU with a majority, rather than with the full consent of Member States. She also mentioned that in its economic and investment cooperation with China, the Hungarian government naturally pays attention to ensuring that Hungarian and European interests are not curtailed.

Regarding relations with Russia and the development of a common European defence force, Mrs Varga said, following from their stable internal political situations, there are two politicians in Europe who are able to provide visions for the continent and are able to do something for the implementation of their plans. One of them is Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, while the other one is French head of state Emmanuel Macron.

While they hold different views on some details, “they both believe that the EU must adopt a single, common position about how we should relate to China, Russia or the United States”.

“It should be welcomed that in Mr Macron’s person the head of state of a large EU Member State identifies problems and starts debates in order to prevent Europe from losing its political significance and economic influence,” Mrs Varga said.

(MTI)