Hungary always stands up against decisions and measures which are contrary to the country’s best interests, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said on the programme Deadline of the Danish television channel DR.
The Government Spokesperson highlighted: when Hungary presents arguments against measures, plans or policies originating from Brussels, it seeks to find an outlet for expressing its dissatisfaction in connection with certain matters. Hungary cooperates with the EU in respect of most common issues and common values, but identifies the issues with which it disagrees as this is inevitable and necessary for voicing a candid opinion, he explained.
He reiterated: during the decades of communism, Hungary experienced what it was like when others tried to impose a policy on it from abroad. The country has recently expressed its disagreement in the context of illegal migration, certain economic measures and the methods of decision-making in the EU, he pointed out.
Mr. Kovács took the view that when Hungary is pursuing a political campaign, in actual fact, it merely frankly identifies all the issues in connection with which it is less than satisfied. At the same time, seeking to stop Brussels does not mean stopping the European Union, he said.
In answer to a question relating to the criticisms levelled at Hungary and the Fundamental Law earlier, he said: Hungary does not state its opinion on the internal affairs of other countries as each country has its own historical, social and economic traditions, and Hungary believes it is wiser not to criticise a decision, the background of which it is not entirely familiar with. At the same time, Hungary expects everyone to respect the country’s traditions, to listen to Hungary’s position regarding what is behind a specific decision, and not to seek to impose on it some biased opinion, he said.
Regarding the NGO legislation, the Government Spokesperson highlighted: in recent years "so-called NGOs” (non-governmental organisations) started acting in a network-like fashion in order to influence politics. In the process of specific political decision-making, one needs a democratic mandate, and these NGOs have no such mandate, he said. He added: there are more than 62 thousand non-governmental organisations in Hungary, and the Government has problems with perhaps two to three dozen of them.