During the coronavirus crisis, the European Parliament was part of the problem, not the solution, and attacked a member of the European family in a situation which was difficult as it was, Justice Minister Judit Varga said in an interview published on the online portal of the French weekly Valeurs actuelles.
Ms. Varga described the attacks that Hungary had to endure due to the introduction of extraordinary measures as shocking. The Justice Minister stressed that, in addition to resolving the virus situation, Hungary was also required to open another front as it was compelled to deal with the attacks of the media and European institutions.
The European Parliament committed a historic betrayal against Hungary, and meanwhile failed to adopt a single specific measure to help in the fight against the virus. She highlighted that these international attacks were completely unfounded and unnecessary, and the main messages of liberals were based entirely on fake news.
“We have a two-page law, but no one bothered to read it. Additionally, as regards the practical application of the law, there were no material differences between other Member States of the EU and Hungary. The measures of our government proved to be swift, extremely effective and adequate,” Ms. Varga said.
The Minister highlighted that, in contrast to the European Parliament, the European Commission did read the law, and acknowledged that there was no “clash” between Hungarian law and the Treaties of the EU.
The European Commission claimed that it would scrutinise the measures of all countries during the crisis and prepare documents allowing for comparison and analysis; however, these documents have never been published. We did this job and prepared a comparative table which we sent out to Member States, requesting comments, Ms. Varga pointed out.
She said we need mutual respect, solidarity and assistance, while at this time we must abstain from criticisms causing division. In her words, every government did what they deemed to be best for their citizens. This must be respected. “At the same time, in general, I believe that this is also a lesson in the exercise of democracy,” she stated.
Regarding the protection of the external borders, the Minister said the protection of the European borders and the halting of illegal migration should become a norm to be followed in European politics. According to the long-held Hungarian position, if Europe fails to protect its borders, it risks losing the welfare it has created, she said.
“We have always held the view that we must concentrate on Hungary as our number one priority. This does not stop us from being a faithful member of the European Union as we have defended the borders of Europe for centuries,” Ms. Varga added.