Those who wish to diminish Europe’s strength and various terrorist groups have hijacked the modern-day mass migration, János Lázár, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said at his press conference.
Level of security must be enhanced in Hungary
The Minister said: the Government has adopted several decisions regarding the threat of terrorism. The Cabinet has decided, for instance, on setting up a counter-terrorism coordination centre, an organisation to coordinate the work of Hungary’s internal security agencies, as was announced earlier. As the Islamic State has intentions in the Balkans as well, Hungarian internal security will have greater responsibility during the period to come, he remarked.
Secret service reports have underlined the Government’s determination to enhance the level of security in Hungary, Mr Lázár said, indicating: more and more secret service intelligence confirms the correlation between illegal migration and the perpetrators of acts of terrorism.
At the same time, he stressed that, thanks to its immigration policy, Hungary is one of the safest countries among the Member States of the European Union. However, as the European Union is unable to guarantee the security of the people, the Member States themselves, including Hungary, must take action, he added.
He further said: Germany has the right to invite immigrants, but this can only take place within controlled boundaries, and cannot impose an obligation on Hungary.
At the same time, the Minister called upon Brussels to review the decision on the mandatory relocation quotas as, in his view, it spreads the threat of terrorism.
In answer to a question concerning the attacks in Paris, Mr Lázár pointed out that if a request for assistance is received from France, Hungary is ready to help, even in the form of military personnel.
He said: at present, there are 473 asylum-seekers in the country at the open reception centres in Vámosszabadi, Nagyfa and Bicske, and there are asylum-seekers in almost the same numbers in guarded facilities in Békéscsaba, Nyírbátor and Debrecen. Those undergoing the asylum procedure are given three meals a day. So far approximately 480 persons have been granted international protection of some kind, in the status of refugee, subsidiary protection or tolerated person.
Some seven hundred judgements have been passed in accordance with the regulations which entered into force in August and September; the deportation and expatriation of the individuals concerned to Serbia is ongoing, even if not in the numbers we would like to see, he remarked.
The Minister also pointed out: the Government has secret service intelligence, based on which territories in the Balkans, in Bosnia are among the expansion targets of the Islamic State. This may be a projection regarding the security situation in Hungary as well, he said.
Concerning human trafficking, Mr Lázár said: 1,100 persons have been prosecuted this year. They continuously organised illegal migration in Hungary or towards Hungary.
Hungary has the right to reach agreements with countries outside the EU
Mr Lázár stressed at his usual Thursday press conference: Hungary is ready to take the case to court, but is also willing to engage in consultations regarding the project worth EUR 12 billion in the next two months.
“It is perfectly natural that there is a lot of jostling when it is about EUR 12 billion”, he remarked in the context of the institution of infringement proceedings, stating: this is a mere trade dispute, it is about whether the Member States of the EU have access to this sum. He also remarked: he regards the issue of the business model or prohibited state aid as more important than the case in dispute.
He further highlighted: Hungary guarantees that Hungarian and other EU businesses will also be able to join the project in tender procedures up to 60 per cent of the value of the project. He pointed out at the same time: the dispute in the EU does not affect the Russian party’s position. “What we agreed on with Russia we shall observe”, he said.
Mr Lázár said: Hungary did not grant exclusive rights to a single Russian business. The Russian Government engaged Rosatom to implement the agreement. Hungary and Rosatom will conduct the tender procedures in the territory of the EU together, as part of which other businesses will also be able to join the project.
He reiterated: the Hungarian Government informed the European Commission in November 2013 that it is seeking to enter into a bilateral agreement with Russia. However, the European Commission only started proceedings twenty-four months later. During this period, it consented to the agreements related to fuel procurement or the technical specifications, as well as to the conclusion of the bilateral agreement in January 2014. Based on these facts, Mr Lázár refuted the assumption that the EU is opposed to the project.
In his view, the Commission is now asking questions, and the Hungarian party is ready to answer them. As the authorisation of the project will take two years, the Minister took the view that the dispute with Brussels may be brought to a conclusion during this period.
He also added: there is no atomic energy development in Europe at present which was put out to tender, and he cited Finnish, British and French examples.
Hungary’s primary objective is, as the Minister said, to be able to generate cheap electricity.
The European Commission started infringement proceedings against Hungary due to the violation of EU regulations relating to public procurement in connection with the enlargement of the Paks atomic power station.
Review of land lease contracts continues to remain on the agenda
It continues to remain our goal that new land owners should be permitted to review the land lease contracts concluded earlier, for instance, regarding the issue of rentals, Mr Lázár said.
Parliament passed the amendment of the Land Sale Law requiring a simple majority on Tuesday, based on which the rentals of land given on a lease may be reviewed. At the same time, Parliament rejected the cardinal passages which would have permitted the review of earlier land lease contracts.
Mr Lázár said: the Government has not given up its former goal, and wants to open the way to the review of earlier land lease contracts as well. A new proposal will be submitted soon.
Upon speaking about the sale of state-owned land which is ongoing also at present, the Minister said: the auctions are taking place in a regulated manner, and farmers have already requested credit worth HUF 60 billion from the Hungarian Development Bank.
Thousands of hectares of land have been sold; the hammer price or bid price is around HUF 5 billion, he said.
He added: based on their names, approximately one half of the 222 foreign farmers who are eligible to bid at the auctions are Hungarians. However, the identities of these 222 farmers cannot be disclosed to the public, based on the information received from the president of the data protection authority, the Minister remarked.
At the same time, Mr Lázár told the press that the state land sale programme will continue next year.
Regarding the systemic irregularities uncovered by the State Audit Office at state forestry corporations, the Minister said: the Government will wait until the conclusion of the investigation of the Government Control Office, and will then place the two reports on its agenda.
Government wishes to consult with Banking Association
In the context of the Tuesday decision of the Constitutional Court which annulled certain parts of the law on the compensation of the wronged customers of Quaestor, the Minister told the press: the Government wishes to consult with the Hungarian Banking Association on the Quaestor case, which may go back to legislation thereafter.
Mr Lázár said: based on the Cabinet’s construction, the Constitutional Court approved the involvement of banks in the bearing of the related burdens.
Budapest and Pest County may be separated as of 2020
The head of the Prime Minister’s Office additionally informed the press of a number of decisions adopted by the Government on Wednesday.
He announced: the Government approved the separation of Budapest and Pest County for the purposes of developments as of 2020. He stressed: the Cabinet did not decide on the method of demerger. The localities of Pest County and the people concerned will have a say in that. Among the possible options, he mentioned the simple division of the two units, but it is also possible for the localities of Pest County to join the neighbouring counties.
Mr Lázár further informed the press: the Government approved HUF 24 billion for the funding of the Budapest Transport Company BKV, and the Minister of National Economy will engage in further negotiations regarding metropolitan public transport.
The Ministry of Human Resources will shortly invite a call for ideas for the establishment of a new national library, the Minister said, adding that its block may be built in Budapest, behind the National Museum, in the Palace Quarter. He further said: the buildings of the Hungarian Radio will also be involved in the implementation of the project, for the purposes of which HUF 30 billion will be allocated.
The Government is ready to establish a new agricultural research centre in Martonvásár and will provide funding worth HUF 10 billion for the purpose, according to consultations conducted with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to visit China and Iran
The Minister was asked at the press conference about Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s international programme. He informed the press that the Prime Minister will visit China and Iran in the next few days, and the conclusion of several economic agreements is also on the agenda.
In answer to a question regarding the internal affairs of the National Roma Self-Government, Mr Lázár pointed out: the Government’s top priority is for the Hungarian Roma community to have a strong interest representation, because if there are disputes, they debilitate the Roma community. At present, the Roma self-government is in a paralysed state, which is to some extent its own doing as well, he said, adding that the Cabinet wishes to distance itself from the internal disputes of the self-government.
Mr Lázár further informed the press: he will propose that Parliament should discuss the conclusions of the first seven-year EU development cycle. Regarding the payment of EU funds, he remarked: from the total available HUF 9,000 billion, HUF 900 billion was paid to beneficiaries between 2007 and 2011, almost HUF 4,000 billion in 2013, and the remaining almost HUF 5,000 billion had to be disbursed in just a year and a half.
Mr Lázár confirmed in answer to a question: the Prime Minister requested András Giró-Szász to act as senior advisor on internal policy, and will rely on his contribution at the decision-making forums which determine the political strategy of Fidesz and the Government.
(MTI)
