The Hungarian government will not participate in next week’s European Parliamentary debate on the rule of law in Hungary, Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, told a regular press conference on Thursday and argued that there is no reason for the discussion.
The debate is set for January 30 in Brussels on recent developments concerning the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary.
The rule of law issue is just a “pretext for sanctioning Hungary because it was the first country to state clearly its refusal to take in migrants”, Gulyás said.
Govt Refuses to Take Part in EP Debate Concerning the State of Hungarian Democracy
The mandate of the current European Parliament will expire in May, Gulyás noted, adding that the government is seeking an “anti-migration majority” to replace “the current, pro-migration majority” in the upcoming EP elections.
Gulyás said EP had exceeded its powers and was seeking “new ways to support migration”. European institutions should remain “within the scope of the treaties”, he said. Plans to tie EU funding to the observance of the rule of law, he added, was “blackmail”.
He said US financier George Soros had met European Commission leaders 21 times in the current cycle, and insisted that “it is an illegitimate attempt” to influence it. The commission’s policies reflect Soros’s intent, he added.
Commenting on remarks by US political advisor George Birnbaum concerning the government’s Soros campaign, Gulyás said that neither the government nor ruling Fidesz had contracted Birnbaum and he had not provided any advisory services.
featured photo by Zoltán Máthé/MTI