According to the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister’s Parliamentary State Secretary, the statement attacking the National Consultation by head of the European Parliament’s liberal group Guy Verhofstadt are just part of the usual application of pressure. “The goal of the offensive statements is also obvious; they want Hungary to change its immigration policy”, Csaba Dömötör told Hungarian news agency MTI on Wednesday evening.
“The fact is that the liberal politician who ‘regularly talks down to Hungary’ clearly supports the proposals that are the subject of the National Consultation”, Mr. Dömötör said. Prior to last year’s national referendum Guy Verhofstadt made a clear request to Hungarians, asking them to vote yes to resettlement. To then deny that the plans mentioned in the Consultation exist is “grossly impertinent”, he said, pointing out that since then the European Parliament had begun the implementation of the resettlement programme.
According to the State Secretary, the attitude of the liberal leader, which “lacks all respect”, also goes against the right to freely express one’s opinion. Every Hungarian has the right to express what they think about “these totally irrational and risky resettlements plans”, he added. “Verhofstadt’s offensive remarks provide yet another reason for as many people as possible to take part in the national Consultation”, Mr. Dömötör said.
“If Guy Verhofstadt truly cared about democratic values, he would also ask the people of Europe what they think about illegal immigration and the resettlement quota”, he pointed out.
Guy Verhofstadt shared his comments criticising the Hungarian Government and the National Consultation on several social media sites, asking Brussels to declare that the Consultation goes against the fundamental principles of the European Union, or in other words asking for it to ban the National Consultation. On his social media page, the EP’S liberal parliamentary group leader wrote of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán: “Another outrageous development in Orban’s populist quest to reinforce his autocratic rule by generating fear”. Mr. Verhofstadt said the claims made by the National Consultation on the Soros Plan were a “pure lie”, and that in his opinion: “Mobilising citizens against an alleged external threat, just months ahead of parliamentary elections, targeting Mr Soros in person, is disgusting”.