The Government is not happy about building a fence along the Hungarian-Serbian border, but cannot wait; it must guarantee the security of the country, which includes the protection of its borders, János Lázár, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said at his press conference „Governmentinfo 13. What does the Government do and why?” held jointly with András Giró-Szász, State Secretary for Government Communications.
Mr Lázár reiterated the decision adopted by the Government on Wednesday, based on which Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér is required to make the necessary preparations for sealing the Hungarian-Serbian border. This would involve the construction of a four-metre-tall temporary fence, the Minister told the press, and he stressed in justification of the decision that, as far as illegal migration is concerned, Hungary is worse-off than Italy.
The head of the Prime Minister’s Office said: the decision on the closure of the border „was not conceived as a means of amusing ourselves, or for fun”; however, Hungary cannot wait as the transit of 150,000 illegal migrants through the country poses a major security threat to Hungary.
Mr Lázár also said that they are ready to engage in constructive talks with the Serbian party at the Hungarian-Serbian joint government meeting to be held on 1 July.
The Minister further pointed out that lawful entry into Hungary will be guaranteed also in the future.
The Curia adopted an untenable decision in the case of László Magyar
The Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office described the decision adopted by the Curia in the case of László Magyar’s actual life sentence without the possibility of parole as untenable.
Mr Lázár was critical of the fact that, based on the judgement, the man who tortured old people to death and committed a number of robberies and other crimes may be released after 40 years.
In the Minister’s evaluation, the Curia’s decision goes beyond the judgement of the Strasbourg European Court of Human Rights, is contrary to the Hungarian Penal Code, and as a result, a dangerous criminal may be released back into society. He added: this decision will open the way to the perpetrator of every serious crime against human life, which is unacceptable. Mr Lázár pointed out: Prime Minister Viktor Orbán requested Minister of Justice László Trócsányi to initiate consultations with the Curia.
The Curia dispensed with the provision relating to actual life imprisonment without parole in the case of a convicted criminal on account of a former decision of the Strasbourg European Court of Human Rights last Thursday. At the same time, it ruled that the man’s conditional release may be reviewed in 40 years’ time, at the earliest.
The Government to assume debts from Budapest and to provide guarantees
The Government will assume debts amounting to HUF 52.3 billion from the metropolitan municipality which served to finance the former operations of the Budapest transport company BKV, and will at the same time issue guarantees worth HUF 60 billion in the interest of the refurbishment of Metro Line 3, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said as part of his account of the Cabinet’s decisions concerning Budapest.
Mr Lázár said: a decision was adopted on the funding to be provided for BKV in the next few years. Based on this, the transport company will receive HUF 40 billion in 2016, HUF 37 billion in 2017 and HUF 33 billion in 2018. These figures indicate, he added, that after the assumption of the debts, the amortisation of loan debts amounting to HUF 3 to 5 billion annually will no longer be required.
At the same time, the Government is asking István Tarlós, Mayor of Budapest and the metropolitan municipality to grant the State ownership of the Dagály swimming complex and the designated development site for the purposes of the implementation of the World Aquatics Championships.
János Lázár: Ferenc Gyurcsány to reveal identities of consortium members
The Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office called upon former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány to reveal the identities of the members of the consortium in the EU project awarded to Altus Zrt.
Mr Lázár is of the opinion that Ferenc Gyurcsány misled the European Commission; at the same time, he requested the Commission to disclose to the public all documents related to the engagement.
The Minister said: he would like to hear from the President of DK (the party Democratic Coalition) whether any of the consortium partners of the company in his ownership has been involved in bankruptcy proceedings, any kind of malpractice or other proceedings, and whether he or his business has ever been blacklisted by the European Anti-Fraud Office due to fraud.
(Prime Minister's Office)
