Csaba Dömötör, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister, has told the Hungarian weekly “Magyar Demokrata” that the Government seeks to make Europe strong by openly speaking about misguided decisions. This practice clearly shows that Hungary is interested in the future of Europe.
In the magazine’s latest edition on Wednesday, the Minister of State explained that a number of voices in the EU can be heard responding to Brexit by saying that “more Europe” is needed. Mr. Dömötör believes that this must not be seen as blank cheque for leaders in Brussels, however. EU cooperation can only be deepened if citizens also support this; and the aim of the national consultation in Hungary is to “table issues which are subjects for debate with Brussels”.
Referring to Brexit, Mr. Dömötör said that it is much better to debate individual issues rather than see people questioning the whole idea of EU cooperation. “We want a strong Europe […] By speaking about misguided decisions, we are doing nothing more than proving that we have an interest in the fate of Europe”, he said.
With regard to the reinforced legislative border closure, the Minister of State said that the evidence of its initial days have been positive: it has had a considerable “displacement effect”. This, however, does not eliminate the potential for an increase in migration pressure in the months ahead, he said, and to avoid this we must make sure that strengthened defence of the EU’s external borders is seen as the responsibility of every Member State; this should not remain a solely Hungarian approach.
Speaking about the Bill on the transparency of foreign-funded non-governmental organisations, Mr. Dömötör said that specialists drafting the proposal are also taking into consideration best Western practice. For instance, in the USA the registration of foreign agent organisations has been mandatory since the 1930s, and they also have to submit reports from time to time.
When asked about the 2018 election, the Minister of State said that it “cannot be ruled out” that it will be the toughest election campaign since the fall of communism, as the opposition will try to cover their “lack of ideas and their own disunity” with brutality and lies. He added that this must also be “taken into account” by the Government.