“We cannot be the weakest link in anti-terrorism”, Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér stressed on Tuesday at his usual annual hearing before Parliament’s National Security Committee.
“International experience indicates that terrorists are attempting to target events that involve large numbers of people and are preparing to apply all kinds of methods from suicide attacks to drone attacks”, he said, adding that “The terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels are warning signs among the series of acts of terrorism committed within the European Union”. Threats have been made involving the Hungarian flag and in which terrorists later specifically marked Hungary as a possible target.
At the same time, Mr. Pintér stressed: even if Hungary is perhaps not a specific target, “the weakest link is always in danger”. Accordingly, over 2 billion forints (EUR 6.4M) in additional funding has been made available for this purpose: the Counter-Terrorism Centre had been further developed and there have been staff increases at both the Constitution Protection Office and the National Security Service. Thanks to developments at the Constitution Protection Office we are now able to provide “more accurate, more focused and more targeted responses” to problems that arise, he said.
In reply to a question from a member of the Committee, the Interior Minister said that in preparation for the upcoming European Football Championship both the National Police headquarters and the secret services are in continuous contact with their partner organisations in France. There is as yet no information concerning a concrete terrorist attack planned at the event, he added. Also in reply to a question, Mr. Pintér said he felt the Government had succeeded in providing an optimal level of financing with relation to the threat. Emergency improvements were required and the required funding was duly provided, he said.
The Minister was also asked about the Minister of Interior’s package of counter-terrorist measures, which according to some sources has been delayed because the question of who is to supervise the new Counter-Terrorism and Criminal Intelligence Analysis Centre (TIBEK) led to internal debate within the Government. In reply, Mr. Pintér rejected the suggestion, indicating: the proposal is already within Parliament’s sphere of competence. He also reported on the results of the national security vetting of the current Government Commissioner for the Development of the Hungarian Film Industry: According to the information available Andy Vajna does not pose a security risk to Hungary.
In his annual report, the Minister of Interior recalled that the career model for law enforcement employees had been successfully launched, within the framework of which staff received an average pay increase of 30 percent from 30 July of last year and a further 5 percent from January of this year, in addition to which the draft of the 2017 budget also includes available funding for next January’s increase of 5 percent. In addition, separate performance assessment, life insurance and accommodation subsidy systems have also been developed. Of last year’s achievements, Mr. Pintér highlighted the fact that by 2015 the number of crimes committed had fallen to 60 percent of the 2010 level. In addition, the National Protection Service has also achieved promising results in reducing corruption, he added.
With relation to IT development projects, Mr. Pintér said with relation to the issuing of electronic identity cards that some 500 thousand people now have such identification. In the next phase, health insurance cards and tax cards will also developed in a similar fashion, he said. Mr. Pintér was also asked by several opposition MPs, including Zsuzsanna Szelényi, who is not a member of the Committee, about press allegations concerning the collection of information and monitoring of non-governmental organisations.
In his reply, the Minister of Interior stressed: According to Hungarian law nobody is exempt from possibly being legally observed, monitored or having their activities investigated. No complaints have, however, been received with relation to the fact that police or secret services, who have the right to perform such surveillance, have breached any laws.