A lawmaker of ruling Fidesz on Friday accused the foundation that represented families of Roma children who had been segregated in a school in northern Hungary’s Gyöngyöspata of “playing the race card” in the case.
Speaking to public broadcaster M1, László Horváth said the lawsuit filed by the foundation, in which the local council was ordered by a court to pay 100 million forints (EUR 297,000) in compensation to the families, was an effort to “prove” that Hungary was rife with racism and a dictatorship where Roma faced prosecution.
Gov’t Finds Court Ruling on School Segregation of Romas ‘Unfortunate’, Refuses to Pay Compensation
“Segregation is just an excuse, the Roma families are tools and Gyöngyöspata is the battlefield,” Horváth said.
He added that the business interests of the “foundation backed by the Hungarian Soros Foundation and the Open Society Institute” concerning the compensation payment were also unclear.
Horváth said he did not believe that children at the school in question had been segregated based on ethnic background but rather separated into classes based on academic performance.
Meanwhile, a European Commission spokesperson on Friday said all European Union member states had a fundamental duty to comply with court rulings.
Responding to a question regarding Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s recent comments on the case that the court ruling was “unfortunate”, Christian Wigand told a news conference that it was the responsibility of member states and their authorities to ensure that fundamental rights are respected and protected.
Featured photo via László Horváth’s Facebook page