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In a recent interview for the independent German news portal, Tichys Einblick, the Hungarian Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office spoke about his hopes for a right-shift in the European institutions after next year’s elections, and about his views concerning reporting in Hungary in the German media.
In this, Gergely Gulyás emphasized that the EU election in June 2024, will set the direction for the future and predicted that conservative MEPs could have a “much stronger voice in parliament” in the future. In his view, the main dividing line is no longer between left or right, liberal or conservative, but between federalists and the forces that adhere to the voluntary cooperation of European nation states, governed by EU treaties.
Gulyás then expressed his belief that the European Conservatives and Reformists faction will strengthen and that the Identity and Democracy group can also expect gains next year.
To what extent and which parties of the European People’s Party are still conservative must be examined individually,
he said. He also labeled strong criticism against the Manfred Weber-led European Peoples Party faction, of which Fidesz is a former member, saying that today it very often takes its cue from the Greens and Liberals, especially on social issues and the expansion of pan-European competences. This is a sad loss of identity, maintained the minister.
The EPP had strongly shifted to the left under the leadership of Manfred Weber. Photo: Facebook Manfred Weber
In his view, conservative MEPs will have a much stronger voice in the next European Parliament. However, he also added that in the Hungarian government’s view, the European Parliament is a consultative body that cannot pass laws on its own, and it should stay that way.
On migration, the minister explained the Hungarian position, which has consistently stood for external border protection since 2015, in order to protect the Schengen area. In his view, illegal mass migration weakens individual states and leads to cultural and economic challenges that are increasingly difficult to bear by European societies.
Hungarians are tolerant towards the governments and states that want to live together with mass migration, but they also expect tolerance towards their way of life, which means that Hungarians themselves want to decide with whom they will live.
As far as concerns towards a mass migration from the Gaza strip is concerned, Minister Gulyás thinks it mostly depends on Egypt. If a mass exodus from Gaza becomes a reality, then the whole EU will have to make an agreement with Egypt that we are ready to provide all forms of humanitarian and financial assistance if we get guarantees that Egypt will grant asylum to the refugees from Gaza and not let them travel further.
To the journalist’s question whether the image of Hungary in German politics and media reflects reality, Gulyás replied by saying that the German media’s deliberate misinformation about Hungary is notorious. There are countless known examples to demonstrate this.
Last year, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a speech: “For our part, we want to keep the European Union together, and that is why we have repeatedly tolerated Brussels and Berlin’s stance.” Based on this statement, the German press agency DPA wrote the following as a headline: “Orbán hints at the possibility of Hungary leaving the EU.” This kind of charade (deception) is commonplace. This is not journalism, this is falsifying information.
Featured Image: Facebook Gergely Gulyás