Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will engage in battle at the EU summit to be held in Brussels on Thursday and Friday against the mandatory resettlement quotas and in the interest of the introduction of voluntary quotas, János Lázár, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The position of the Hungarian Government is clear: „we would not like to settle anyone in Hungary”, the Minister stated, adding: „if the quotas are mandatory, we shall very much need to acquaint ourselves with the view of the Hungarian electorate in the referendum”. In his view, the referendum may be held sometime between September and November, and it is a reasonable proposition under any circumstances.

Mr Lázár also told the press that no migrants have been arriving since the closure of the borders in the Balkans, and concluded that it was not an EU-Turkey agreement that stopped the migrants, but the protection of the borders. The Balkans have protected the EU, and the Hungarian border closure served as the model, he said.

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No fence being built on Hungarian-Romanian border at this point in time

At the same time, the Minister informed the press that the Government has decided: no fence is being built on the Hungarian-Romanian border at this point in time. The next steps are dependent upon the situation in Greece, and the potential penetrations of the closed borders. Readiness must be maintained, as a situation may arise at any time when a border fence must be built on the Hungarian-Romanian border section within ten days.

He further remarked that the Cabinet did not have a fence built on the southern border because that was what took its fancy, but because it was required.

The head of the Prime Minister’s Office takes the view that Greece must be given help now in the interest of providing care for the migrants stuck in its territory.

Regarding the issue of illegal migration, the politician pointed out: they are offering 400 public works scheme participants the opportunity of entering the contracted staff of the defence forces.

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Hungary insists on its sovereignty

In the context of the planned reform of the Dublin asylum system, Mr Lázár said: Hungary insists on maintaining its sovereignty, and on keeping the guarding of its borders and internal security within national competence.

The Minister described the announcement made in Brussels regarding visa-free travel for Ukrainians as an achievement that Hungary, too, may take credit for.

Mr Lázár told the press that the Government has authorised Interior Minister Sándor Pintér to close the reception centres in Hungary, and it is now his duty to consider whether there is a need for them in the future.

The head of the Prime Minister’s Office further stressed: no reception centres will be built either in Szentgotthárd, or in Körmend. In these localities they will create „safe custody points” for the event that Hungary should be required to provide accommodation for migrants in larger numbers than at present.

The Minister described the German state elections as Germany’s internal affair, and did not wish to comment upon them. He remarked: Hungary is interested in maintaining a strategic partnership with Germany. As he said, there have been differences in recent weeks between the positions of the two countries regarding the issue of relocation, and he sincerely hopes that Germany, too, will realise that certain Member States must be offered the option of voluntary participation.

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Extended housing opportunities

The regime of national housing communities will increase the support available to those who would like to create a home by three million forints, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office highlighted. Mr Lázár described the new housing option as supplementary to the family housing benefit and the VAT refunding option, and it has been initiated with a view to supporting the construction industry and families.

He argued: the construction industry must be given new orders, and the more new homes are built, the higher the economic growth rate. He further remarked that while some 130,000 people die annually, only 90-92,000 babies are born, and it is therefore necessary to facilitate the births of second and third children in families.

He pointed out: the National Bank of Hungary will issue the licences to the housing communities and will monitor their activities. In his view, financial supervision has never been as stringent in Hungary as it is now. Everything is legitimate and fully transparent, he added.

The Minister described the draws as a means of scheduling the disbursement of the available housing support. In his words, some may be „in the hands of good luck”, but eventually everyone will receive the support they are eligible for.

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Mr Lázár also spoke about the new system for the assessment of proposals submitted for EU grants. He said: the Government decided to set up a list of assessors who will be state administration workers and other workers active within the state sector, and these assessors may earn minimum double their salaries for this job. Each proposal will have to be evaluated by two assessors, and following this a committee will be set up, comprised of the representatives of three ministries – the sector-specific ministry, the supervisory ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office –, for the preparation of the decision. As a result, assessment will no longer be outsourced, the conditions will be more transparent and fairer, and the risk of corruption will also be reduced, he said.

The Minister further pointed out that the process of the settlement of EU grants disbursed between 2007 and 2013 will be closed within a year and a half, with a surplus of HUF 400 billion. At the end of this process, the absorption rate will be full, he highlighted. The Minister also informed the press that during the period between 2014-2020 awarded bidders will be able to draw 50 per cent of their contracted grants immediately, and the State will be ready to pre-finance the drawdown of funds with loans in the interest of boosting economic growth.

In answer to a question, Mr Lázár said: as expected, the bill regarding next year’s budget will be submitted to Parliament „sometime around” 6 May, and they are planning to approve it in mid-June. The Cabinet will discuss the „tenets” of the budget at its meeting next week as anticipated.

In this context, the Minister was asked about the planned changes in cafeteria benefits. In his reply, he indicated that the „SZÉP card is not a target of the reforms”, and neither are the free holiday schemes, or the other welfare services of the Erzsébet programme.

Mr Lázár said in answer to a question regarding the support institutions proposed to be abolished: the list will be presented to the meeting of state secretaries for public administration on Monday, and as expected the Government will decide on Wednesday.

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The Minister also informed the press about the government decision, based on which the estate of Otto von Habsburg will be deposited in the Buda Castle. He added: the Government signed a declaration of intent on Thursday with Karl von Habsburg, son of Otto von Habsburg.

He further told the press that the reconstruction of the Carmel Convent, which will house the Prime Minister and his office, has begun.

He further said that the idea of the reconstruction of the former building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the corner of Hunyadi út has emerged, but even if this plan were implemented, the Ministry would not move there from Bem tér, but the building would be given a new governmental function. At the same time, it has already been decided, he reiterated, that the Ministry of National Economy will move to Szentháromság tér, while the Ministry of Interior will move to Országház utca and Úri utca. They are planning to use the current buildings of the ministries on a commercial basis.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)