The prime minister held talks with his counterparts from Croatia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovakia, and Sweden.Continue reading
The suggestions contained in the EU’s budget proposal are frivolous and would put Hungary in an even more disadvantageous position than it currently is, Zoltán Kovács, Secretary of State for International Communications and Relations of the Prime Minister’s Office, said in a video interview published on Pestisracok.hu on Wednesday.
According to the State Secretary, Hungary has been feeling the injustice of being singled out for 11 years without any objective basis. He added that since the beginning of the migration crisis in 2015, Hungary has spent more than 600 billion forints (EUR 1.6 billion) on border protection, but the European Union has not given a single euro cent to safeguarding Europe’s borders.
❗️The EU budget proposal unfairly disadvantages Hungary with frivolous suggestions, and we’ve been unjustly targeted for 11 years without valid reasons already.
❗️The rule of law condition is mere political punishment as Hungary has used EU funds effectively, but ideological… pic.twitter.com/Ohlto7sJD9— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) June 28, 2023
Zoltán Kovács pointed out that now, by circumventing the previous decision of the European Council, a proposal has been presented which puts Hungary in an even more disadvantageous position than it is now, with mandatory quotas on welcoming illegal migrants and the imposition of registration obligations.
At the same time, the EU is withholding resources that would be of benefit to the country, he underlined, adding that this is not a gift or a donation, but compensation in the common market of European states.
Last week, the European Commission asked the 27 Member States to add €66 billion to the budget for the period up to 2027. In connection with that, the State Secretary pointed out that the EU has already spent more than €70 billion on helping Ukraine, and is asking for further billions, adding that Brussels has not accounted for the money spent so far. “Where is the money?”, asked Kovács, who recalled that since the EU is asking for more money in large tranches, the suspicion is growing that the money, destined for Hungary, is no longer there, and has already been spent.
On the migrant quota, he said that illegal migration has been supported in every way since 2015, and that no better idea or solution had been proposed by Brussels in the last eight years. He confirmed that Hungary’s solution is clear: the EU’s legal system and values must remain intact, which can only be achieved by protecting the external borders. This position is also shared by the Central European countries, he pointed out.
The Hungarian government’s every move is based on the representation of Hungarian interests,
Kovács emphasized, adding that the growing disagreements are not because Hungary has become more conflictual, but because the European Commission and the European Parliament are trying to regulate and make recommendations in an increasing number of areas which are not the EU’s concern. This stealthy transfer of competences and powers will not get us very far; it will tear apart rather than strengthen the fabric of cooperation between Member States, he concluded.
Featured photo via Facebook/Zoltán Kovács
