Hungary is standing in the way of immigration which is contrary to the ideas of quite a few European great powers and the United States, Lázár János said at the press conference Governmentinfo 50 which he held jointly with Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács.
The Minister said that American businessman of Hungarian origin György Soros may be behind the US statements condemning Hungary. The American President recently stressed the importance of immigration in Europe. At the same time, György Soros is one of the principal „flag-bearers” of Obama’s conviction as the businessman stated several times in the past that immigrants should be settled in Europe, Mr Lázár said. The Hungarian Government is convinced that György Soros, an influential supporter of the Democrats and a sponsor of the Clinton family, will do everything in his power „to clear space” for his views, the Minister added.
Mr Lázár therefore believes: we may expect during the period ahead that György Soros will be prepared to actively engage in the battle against one of his most dangerous European political opponents, the Orbán Government. „When influential American figures speak out who are Mr Soros’s friends, allies and comrades, one may always find him in the background”, he said, adding that „this is not far from the theories which claim that immigration is an organised affair”. Former US President Bill Clinton spoke about Hungary in critical terms at the weekend when he said: the Poles and the Hungarians would not have become free, had it not been for the United States and the victory in the Cold War, yet now they have decided this democracy is too much trouble and want Putin-like dictatorships.
In answer to the question as to what he expects should Hillary Clinton become the next President of the United States, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said: the Hungarian Government has a vested interest in strong Hungarian-US relations, and Hungary is a reliable ally, for instance, in military or economic affairs. There are issues, however, on which there is no agreement. „There are circles in the United States which believe that Europe needs immigration. (…) We do not agree with these Americans”, he said, adding: he would not claim that the US Administration coincides with these interest groups.
He also told the press that the Government is preparing for the quota referendum, and as the initiator of the referendum, it will attempt to draw the attention of the electorate to the significance of the matter. The Minister further reported that, according to the latest data, 11,840 people have entered Hungary illegally this year; 11,697 of them came via the Serbian border section. On Wednesday 2,472 migrants were in the territory of the country, and 221 people have received international protection in total this year.
The Minister reiterated that the purpose of the bill which currently lies before Parliament is to stop illegal border-crossers within eight kilometres of the border and to transport them to an official border crossing station. Based on experiences, these people usually move on, rather than opt for the possibility of entering legally and officially, he added.
The Minister was also queried about the wounded Kurdish soldiers who are currently receiving medical attention at the military hospital Honvédkórház. He said: a part of the hospital is a NATO-accredited priority unit, and it fulfils the obligations which stem from that status. Regarding the risks of terrorism which may arise from this, he said that the Defence Minister should also be consulted; however, the secret services have not indicated particular risks.
Viktor Orbán to start consultation regarding election of head of state in February 2017
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will start wide-ranging consultations in February 2017 as to whom to propose as President of the party for the presidential candidacy to the parliamentary group of Fidesz, Mr Lázár said.
The Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office pointed out: pursuant to the Statutes of the parliamentary group of Fidesz, the President of the government party as at any time has the right to make a recommendation to the parliamentary group. This does not mean that that person will necessarily become the President of the Republic, but merely means whom the parliamentary group should nominate, he explained, adding that each parliamentary group has the right to nominate candidates.
Mr Lázár stated with reference to the fact that he was the head of the parliamentary group of Fidesz at the time of the election of two Presidents of the Republic: both nominations were preceded by long, thorough and careful consultations, and this will be the case on the next occasion as well.
In answer to the question as to whether there is any truth in the rumour regarding the nomination of Minister of Human Capacities Zoltán Balog, he said: he is not aware of any discussion where this emerged in any form. At the same time, he expressly refuted the allegation being discussed at any formal or informal consultation that it would not be the best idea for the prospective head of state to come from a Reformed Church background.
The Minister was also asked about the words of Christian democrat politician György Rubovszky, who – according to the footage of Hír TV – was talking to a fellow Member of Parliament about the re-election of János Áder and said: „they said, there is no way for him to be re-elected, Viktor would not allow it”. According to Mr Lázár, this is not a well-founded statement, but a mere „cafe rumour”. He also denied that Mr Orbán was for some reason cross with János Áder. He said: „no one is cross with anyone, cooperation between the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the House is splendid”. They have been political allies and personal friends for 30 years.
Government to decide on metropolitan railway stations next week
The Government will decide on the fate of the Western, Southern and Kelenföldi Railway Stations at its meeting next week, Mr Lázár said. The Minister pointed out: the goal is to make transportation by rail better and safer, and to increase the percentage of green areas. Regarding the Western Railway Station, he reiterated that based on the plan of the „Western Park”, a substantial green area would connect the railway station and the zoo together.
In the case of the Southern Railway Station, the Cabinet will explore the option of closure. Regarding this, he said last week that it can only be closed down if additional capacity is made available elsewhere, for instance, through the development of the Kelenföldi Railway Station. The Government will also decide on the use of the funds raised at the land auctions to date – some HUF 240 billion – next Wednesday, the Minister said.
Regarding further agricultural matters, the Minister informed the press that the Government has decided on the proposals submitted in response to the agricultural and environmental programme: applications worth HUF 448 billion were received for the call allocation of HUF 159 billion. There are 9,536 awarded farms: every second applicant will receive grants, and an increased allocation of HUF 190 billion will be distributed among them. He stressed: the awarded winners conform to the Government’s farm policy, the essence of which lies in supporting small-holders and medium-sized farms. Large farms have not been awarded funds, he added.
Mr Lázár further spoke about the result of the call for proposals regarding the rehabilitation of the City Park Városliget, confirming that the Government will allocate HUF 15 billion for the horticultural revitalisation of the area. One thousand new trees will be planted, the percentage of green areas will increase from the current 60 per cent to 65 per cent, the percentage of built-up areas will increase from 5 per cent to 7 per cent, while the percentage of asphalt-covered areas will decrease.
In answer to the proposition that in the European Commission’s view the Government should implement austerity measures worth HUF 300 billion, Mr Lázár said: there is no need for fiscal austerity measures, the budget is stable. None of the European Commission’s projections regarding Hungary have come true in recent years, he added.
Concerning the wage talks in health care, he said: an agreement is about to be reached with health care workers involving a significant pay rise, and the talks with physicians, too, are nearing conclusion. He further told the press that the Government will repeatedly review the budget proposed for 2017 at its next meeting and will finalise the Government’s position regarding the tabled motions of amendment. Parliament may approve the budget at the beginning of June.
The Minister said regarding the expected GDP figures for the second quarter: a decrease of a similar nature is not expected for the second quarter as the number of people in employment and the percentage of construction industry orders have increased, and additionally, the disbursement of EU funds will also intensify.
The Minister was asked as to whether the detention of Mateusz Piskorski, the leader of the Polish pro-Putin party Zmiana (Change) was in any way related to the case of Béla Kovács. He said in reply that he was, at this point in time, unable to answer this question, but he cannot rule this possibility out.
In answer to a question regarding the costs of the World Aquatics Championships, Mr Lázár said that they reckon with a total expenditure of HUF 75 billion. At the same time, the refurbishment of the facilities in question and the upgrading of transport would have been timely even without the organisation of the sports event.
Mr Lázár was additionally queried about the future of European health insurance cards in the context of the elimination of the National Health Insurance Fund. He said: all documents will be kept in effect.
(Prime Minister’s Office)
