The European Commission wants to put pressure on Hungary with the infringement procedure instituted in the quota case, János Lázár, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said at the press conference Governmentinfo 92 which he held jointly with Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács.
The Brussels body wants to force the Hungarian Government and Parliament to change its position on the issue. This is, however, not possible as the position of the electors is absolutely clear, Mr Lázár said.
Hungary has not taken in anyone for resettlement so far, and does not wish to do so in the future either, he made his position related to the quotas clear, adding: Hungary has taken its fair share of European solidarity as it is largely thanks to Hungary that immigration in the direction of Austria and Germany has stopped on the Balkans route. “We are unable to bear any additional burdens”, he stated. In his view, the European Commission is applying double standards: instead of recognising Hungary’s achievements, it continually punishes the country.
“They would like to distribute 98,225 immigrants in Europe on a mandatory basis. This fits well into the plan that György Soros dictated to the leaders of Europe”, the Minister said, remarking that so far 20 thousand people have been relocated. In other words, the programme has failed, and not on account of the resistance of the Visegrád Four, but Member States which – an exception or two aside – fail to implement the decision.
While according to the European Commission, immigration should be organised, the Hungarian Cabinet takes the view that it must be stopped, the Minister stressed.
European left-wing groups idealise a convicted terrorist
According to Mr Lázár, the Ahmed H. case is another form of the exertion of pressure. He said: Ahmed H. is an alleged political refugee with seven passports and a villa in Cyprus who committed an act of terrorism on the Hungarian-Serbian border, attacked the border and the police with his associates, and he was convicted by the Hungarian court. European left-wing groups decided to side with this man, are attempting to place him on a pedestal, and want to present him as the idealised refugee, he said.
He remarked that the decision of the European Parliament which condemned Hungary also featured this case as yet another act of the Hungarian Government that should be condemned within the framework of its operation. Mr Lázár did not wish to comment on the approaches adopted by Hungarian political parties.
The Minister further told the press that the position of the Government was also clear in another case before the Strasbourg court, the case of the Bangladeshi asylum-seekers. The Minister reiterated that the court ruled in favour of two immigrants who did not appear before the court in person and have disappeared since. He indicated: the Government started preparations for the proceedings at second instance, and submitted an appeal.
Had the judgement been accepted, Hungary would have been obliged to pay damages, a large part of which would have gone to the group of attorneys who are working in Hungary with a view to helping illegal immigrants to enter Europe and who are collecting engagements in the transit zone at the border, Mr Lázár said.
German public service media engaged in smear campaign against Hungarian police that also protect the Germans
The politician was asked about allegations that, according to press reports, the police were tapping the phones of the people smugglers in whose truck 71 refugees died in Austria, but the conversations were not translated in time.
Mr Lázár refuted the allegations, and said: the German public service media – he sincerely hopes that not in response to encouragement from the German Government – are pursuing a smear campaign against Hungary because it is not willing to take in illegal immigrants from Germany.
All this despite the fact that “not only Germany would have reason to criticise Hungary – as the world has changed in the past 70 to 80 years – but Hungary, too, would have a thing or two to say on this issue”, he added.
According to the Minister, the German public service media are pursuing a smear campaign against the Hungarian police serving at the border, also protecting the Germans. They should say instead: there would be more immigrants in Germany if Hungary had not erected a fence and had not instated legal closure.
The Hungarian police did indeed carry out phone tapping, but the conversations tapped into are not analysed real-time, he explained, adding that translating the language used by the perpetrators did pose a problem, and additionally, the police had a great deal of extra workload at the time on account of the elimination of the Balkans route. He stressed: the perpetrators would never have been found without the Hungarian police. In Mr Lázár’s opinion, no professional error was made.
Hungarian V4 Presidency to focus on four topics
The Government intends to focus on four fundamental topics within the framework of the Hungarian Presidency of the V4 beginning as of 1 July, Mr Lázár said. He told the press: they would like to review what the EU will mean to the V4 countries in the next few years.
The planned topics further include the cooperation of regions, possible infrastructure projects, determining how digitisation may contribute to the enhancement of economic competitiveness, and the role that these countries may play in the global arena, he detailed.
The Minister said: they reviewed the related programmes and discussed them in detail at the meeting of the Cabinet. The Hungarian Presidency will extend from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018, he indicated.
He also told the press that the fiscal negotiations regarding the period beyond 2020 are ongoing with the EU. He added: they are open to reviewing financial issues concerning Hungary. They believe that Hungary is a sovereign State which cooperates with the EU in the spirit of partnership, meets its obligations, exercises its rights, but does not yield to blackmail of any kind. There is only scope for agreements which serve the country’s best interests, he laid down.
Mr Lázár said: at the Wednesday Cabinet meeting, they reviewed the programme Without Borders, as part of which more than 170 thousand elementary school pupils have visited territories beyond the borders within the framework of school trips, as well as the activities of the Bethlen Gábor Fund through which Hungarians beyond the borders received funds worth HUF 62 billion last year.
The head of the Prime Minister’s Office further spoke about health care issues, informing the press: most units of the Sports Hospital will be relocated to the building of a former clinic in the 11th district by the end of June, while its surgical unit in August. They additionally had a first-reading discussion of the programme For a Healthy Budapest and the development programme of the Semmelweis University.
Revision of family housing benefit system is inevitable
Mr Lázár believes that the revision of the system of the family housing benefit, csok, is inevitable. In his view, the Government should consider that the State should conduct the administration related to these housing subsidies, rather than banks.
The Minister said: the family housing benefit csok must be placed repeatedly on the agenda in September, at the latest, and the experiences gained so far must be reviewed as, on the one hand, those planning to start a home often find the application process bureaucratic and cumbersome, and on the other hand, banks do not necessarily offer csok to applicants, but they tend to offer their own products instead.
Consultation to be held with participants of Modern Cities Programme
In answer to another question, he indicated: in September they will invite all the localities participating in the Modern Cities Programme for a consultation. As far as he can see, there are some setbacks because there are legal uncertainties. He mentioned as an example that the European Commission has only recently approved that state-owned industrial sites should also be eligible for EU funds.
Regarding reports that Jobbik President Gábor Vona turned to the Banking Association in a letter because they were unable to take out a loan from the banking system, he said: he does not follow the finances of the parties, as a Member of Parliament, he expects them to be transparent and lawful.
The law on party financing is one of the most stringent in Europe, it must be observed by everyone, and should anyone fail to do so, they have to face consequences, he said. He remarked: his conscience is clear, they had a proposal which, however, did not get the required majority in Parliament.
Regarding the feedback coming from the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union and the Helsinki Committee in the wake of the passage of the law concerning organisations funded from abroad and the contemplated civil disobedience, the Minister said: there is democracy, everyone is free to do a great many things if they are prepared to bear the consequences. Hungary is a country where the laws apply to everyone and they must be observed by everyone, he stated.
He said in response to the criticism of the Embassy of the United States in Budapest: they respect the Embassy’s position, this is an issue that does not affect bilateral relations. In his view, it is out of the question that the legislation should deter anyone from establishing autonomous organisations.
The Minister was also asked about the fact that, according to press reports, civil disobedience training was provided in secret for radical activists where left-wing activist Márton Gulyás was the lecturer and participants were trained in how to provoke the police in order to ensure that they intervene in a demonstration.
Mr Lázár said in reply: other than during the years of the Gyurcsány Government, the police have internal procedures and extensive experience regarding the handling of mass events and demonstrations. He is expecting a rough election campaign, we may indeed expect provocations as of September all the way to the elections in the spring, but the essence of the matter is that the police are able to guarantee sobriety and legality. He added: he has had positive experiences so far.
Regarding the issue of the Csillebérc camp site, he said: the goal is to come to an agreement with the current owners, and to create a sports facility on the premises.
In answer to a question regarding reports published in the press in connection with the housing property affairs of Gábor Tamás Nagy (Fidesz-KDNP), Mayor of the 1st District, he said: in his view, mayors must on every level distance themselves from any municipal housing affairs. He summed up his view regarding the specific case as follows: “I don’t like it”.
He said at the same time that the Prime Minister’s Office has 9 residential properties in the Buda Castle which he disapproves of, given that in his view they are not required, and he would therefore sell them in a public auction.
In response to a comment that Zsuzsa Hegedűs, the Prime Minister’s chief advisor criticised him in an interview, the Minister said: “whatever is not working in the government, whatever is defective, or anything that has been cancelled is always all my responsibility. And whatever is good is the Prime Minister’s achievement.”
(Prime Minister’s Office, MTI)
