“We must listen to the people and stand up for European interests in a more pronounced manner”, Antal Rogán Head of Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister said in an interview with Hungarian political weekly Demokrata.
The Minister agreed that 2017 would be the year of mutinies, and explained this by the fact that many people around the world have revolted “against the liberal political elite locked away in their ivory towers”.
According to Mr. Rogán, this was what both the American presidential election and Brexit were about: the political elite didn’t bother about what the people thought about immigration, the economy and protecting their national interests.
Hungary is in a unique position, because it has been in opposition in Brussels for a long time. While the Hungarian Government professes that people in the EU must be asked their opinion, Brussels is practicing abstract, ideological politics that differs totally from the values of the European People’s Party”, the Minister added.
“The old, liberal Europe is condemned to miserable failure”, he said, explaining that if Brussels does not change its tune then the people will turn against it.
“In 2017, only those European governments that listen to the people will be able to retain power”, Mr. Rogán said in summary.
During the interview, the Minister also spoke about the fact that both Jobbik and the MSZP had misled the people with regard to the constitutional amendment and said that in his view the two parties are no different. “Prior to the referendum the President of the MSZP promised to vote in favour of the anti-quota measures, while Jobbik was just looking for an excuse to say no to the constitutional amendment, because it had previously not raised any objections to the residency bond for years”.
With relation to the fact that Jobbik is not putting up an independent candidate in the Szentendre by-elections, the Minister said this was further proof that what is most important to the party is power.
“If principles were important to Jobbik they would never team up with Ferenc Gyurcsány or anyone involved with him”, he said, pointing out that the case was a warning sign for right-wing voters.
“It is clear what they can expect in future”, he said.
Mr. Rogán also mentioned that in his opinion Hungarian news channel Hír TV is no longer affiliated to the right, because in addition to Jobbik, Ferenc Gyurcsány has also appeared there and in February news anchor Olga Kálmán, who is currently head of news at left-wing television station ATV, will also be switching to the station.
The Minister told the paper that one of the Government’s most important goals was to make it worthwhile for everyone to work. This required a reduction in taxes, he said, indicating that personal income tax has been cut in several phases, but the burdens on employers must also be reduced to enable them to increase wages. The Government has created almost 600 thousand new jobs and there are now more people working in Hungary than at any time since the regime change in 1989, he said.
The Cabinet Chief also said it was important to stop the reduction in the country’s population, and it is to this end that the Government has taken a stand against immigration and in support of families.
Mr. Rogán was also asked about why the Government had supported the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (DAHR) at the recent general election in Romania. In his reply, the Minister said Hungary had stood by Hungarian unity, not the DAHR, explaining that it was in the interests of the Hungarian peoples for there to be more Hungarian MPs in the Bucharest Parliament, and the Hungarian Government regards it as its duty to stand up for the will of the majority.