The Government regards the bid to host the Olympic Games as closed, and asked State Secretary for Sports Tünde Szabó to provide information regarding the progress of the preparations for the projects related to the Olympic Games, János Lázár, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office announced at the press conference Governmentinfo 79 which he held jointly with Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács.
The Minister reiterated that the Government proposed to the Metropolitan Municipality and the Hungarian Olympic Committee on Wednesday to withdraw the Budapest Olympic bid. The reason for the proposed withdrawal of the bid is the lack of national unity, as without this, not a single country is able to organise Olympic Games, and without this the bid does not stand a chance, he said. In his words, national unity is inconceivable in Hungary without left-wing parties. However, MSZP which originally supported the Budapest bid changed its position. If only the Government and the government parties support the hosting of the Olympic Games, they simply cannot be organised.
He remarked that, in his view, with the campaign and debate that would necessarily take place in the event of a referendum, Hungary would „embarrass itself”, and those opposed to the Olympiad would probably be in the majority in the referendum. The request of those who collected signatures for the referendum has been granted: there will be no Olympic Games, he added.
In answer to a question, the Minister said that it is the country’s failure that we did not succeed in creating or preserving national unity. As he said, in his view, Hungary will not host the Olympic Games within the foreseeable future.
Mr Lázár indicated that Balázs Fürjes, the head of Budapest’s Olympic bid, will render an account of all the expenses incurred to date in connection with the bid. At the same time, the report of State Secretary Tünde Szabó will also have to state which projects will be required for sports purposes in the next few years, which developments planned in conjunction with the Olympic Games will have to be abandoned, and which ones will have to be modified.
Upon speaking about other sports issues, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office told the press that the Dagály swimming complex completed for the 2017 Budapest World Aquatics Championships cost HUF 48 billion, gross, and this sum is within the planned budget.
The Government has further approved the commencement of the construction of the new Puskás Stadium. The relevant public procurement procedure has been closed, the result will be announced within days, and the Government has approved HUF 190 billion, gross, for the project, he said.
Government decided on construction of new border fence
The Government has decided on the construction of a second line of defence behind the technical border fence on the Serbian-Hungarian border section, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office announced.
Mr Lázár said in justification of this decision at the press conference that a significant number of illegal immigrants may arrive in 2017. Due to the reinforcement of the border fence, the budget of the Ministry of Interior will be raised by HUF 38 billion.
The Minister also told the press that they will erect multiple border entry points where the staff members of the Immigration and Asylum Office will take delivery of asylum requests. In the first round, a facility for 400 persons will be constructed, and the some 600 immigrants who are currently in closed or open camps in the territory of the country will also be taken back to the border guarding points, he said. Immigrants cannot move around the country freely, he confirmed.
National consultation to begin in March
Mr Lázár said at the press conference that the national consultation which Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced regarding the five sources of threat that Hungary is facing in the Government’s view will begin in March. These are the prohibition by Brussels of the reduction of household utility charges, the issue of illegal immigration, the centralisation of fiscal policy in the EU, the forfeiture of the right to provide job protection grants, and the accountability of organisations funded from abroad, he listed.
The Minister criticised Brussels on account of the fact that regarding the issue of foodstuffs of poorer quality intended for Hungary, the EU shares the position, in his view, that „products of inferior quality can be sold to the poorer Hungarians”.
Mr Lázár mentioned several products and brands, in the case of which the Hungarian authorities observed that their counterparts on the shelves of Austrian stores are of superior quality to the quality of the products sold in Hungarian stores. According to their experiences, he said, there were aromas of better quality in the Coca-Cola purchased in Austria, and the sugar content was also lower. There was less cocoa powder in the Nesquik product purchased in Hungary. There was 2 per cent less tuna in the product Rio Mare, and the quality of Nutella, too, was different. The content of the Knorr packet soup sold in Austria was 12 grammes more. From among the stores involved in the investigation, he mentioned Aldi, Lidl, Metro and Spar.
He indicated that there will be further inspections, and Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas will be required to draft a report in cooperation with the Ministry of National Economy and the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the issues of consumer protection and food safety.
The Minister further rendered an account of the government decision based on which those affected by the avian flu, including both producers and slaughter houses, will receive compensation. The Government has already awarded HUF 3 billion to the former, and another HUF 2.7 billion will be allocated to compensate for the losses of the slaughter houses concerned.
EC to take energy dispute to court
Regarding his talks in Brussels on Tuesday, Mr Lázár said that the European Commission (EC) will take the issue of price regulation by the Hungarian authorities in the field of energy to court. As he said, the European Commission would like to leave pricing to businesses, while the Hungarian position is that the State and the authorities have to decide on prices based on the relevant considerations of the people. In the Minister’s evaluation, electricity and gas would be 30 to 40 per cent more expensive if pricing was left to the market. The Government, however, stands by prices which are affordable for members of the public.
The Minister also informed the press that the infringement procedures related to the regulations concerning pharmacists and multinational companies will, as expected, be closed with a compromise. However, regarding the restrictions imposed on the acquisition of landed property by foreigners, further consultations will be necessary. He highlighted in the context of the latter: according to the Hungarian position, land is a finite resource, and must be governed by special rules which depart from the general rules governing services and products.
Mr Lázár told the press that the EU negotiations on the case of Paks, too, are „promising”, but did not wish to disclose any further details.
The Minister also said that Hungary will nominate Mrs Pelczné, Ildikó Gáll to the European Commission as the Hungarian delegate to the European Court of Auditors. The MEP for Fidesz meets all relevant conditions and requirements, and there is a realistic chance that she will be appointed shortly for a term of six years, he added.
In answer to a question, he said: the position in question is subject to rules regarding conflicts of interests, and once Mrs Pelczné, Ildikó Gáll – who also holds the office of Vice-President of Fidesz, in addition to being a Member of the European Parliament – is appointed to the post, she will be required to resolve these conflicts.
The Minister was also queried about the Wednesday comments of central bank governor György Matolcsy, who associated the broker scandals with activities „directed from the Budapest embassy of a large NATO ally country with a view to bringing down the government and the central bank” which were launched in the autumn of 2014. Mr Lázár said in reply that he had no knowledge of this. He has knowledge, however, of the fact that in the autumn of 2014, André Goodfriend, the US Chargé d’Affaires in office at the time directly and wilfully intervened in Hungarian internal political processes. „The then head of the US Embassy seemed to find it important to voice his opinion and state his position on Hungarian internal political events, to intervene, and to control and organise internal political affairs on a daily basis”, he said.
The Minister was further asked as to whether Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called Jobbik President Gábor Vona „queer” when he told him in reply in Parliament that it is not him who hides behind other men’s skirts. He said in answer: this is not what he had in mind when he heard the reply, but a specific person. „I thought that this comment of the Prime Minister’s referred to Lajos Simicska”, he said.