While in Hungary the number of coronavirus cases is decreasing day after day, this is not true of the majority of neighbouring countries. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that, based on the recommendation of the Operational Group, the government might introduce tighter measures, even as early as in the coming few days, Gergely Gulyás, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said at the press conference ‘Governmentinfo’ held on Thursday.
The borders are open, people are free to go abroad, but it is safest here at home, he stated.
He added that wherever smaller epicentres have developed in Hungary, in every instance the virus has been introduced from abroad. He stressed that the goal is to ensure that the favourable processes that can be observed in Hungary should not be reversed.
Mr Gulyás stressed that in Hungary the number of active cases is still on the decrease, but as long as there is no vaccine, the infection will remain here with us.
At the same time, he also pointed out that in several countries case numbers are rising at an alarming rate. The Minister said since 22 June, in Croatia the number of active cases has risen from 87 to 934, and there are significant increases, among others, in Slovenia, Serbia, Slovakia and Austria as well. Mr Gulyás said in summary that the process has reversed in the region.
Regarding the tightening measures that the Operational Group might recommend, he said in the case of the countries mentioned, the free crossing of borders will have to be revised; however, he himself did not wish to comment on a possible decision in advance. In answer to the question as to whether they are planning to introduce tighter measures within the borders, he said the Operational Group and the government will look into all possible measures.
In answer to a question about the publicity of the contracts related to the ventilators procured, he said there is no data in connection with public funds that is not in the public domain.
According to end-of-May data, the number of people in employment is around 4.4 million which means that the number of those who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus epidemic has fallen from 125,000 to 130,000 to around 100,000, he said in answer to another question.
Mr Gulyás also announced that the government parties are planning to convene Parliament for next Monday and Tuesday in order for Parliament to give the government a clear mandate – in the form of a parliamentary resolution – regarding the issue of the EU credit package planned due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Minister said we need a package which is fair and just, which does not give richer Member States more money than to poorer ones, which focuses on economic growth and the recovery of the economy, and which is free from politics.
He said the European Council will meet next Thursday and Friday, and the stakes of the meeting are enormous as never before in the history of the EU has there been such a joint borrowing arrangement. The planned loan amounts to EUR 750 billion, and the name of the arrangement ‘Next Generation’ is nothing short of cynical as the current plans mean that the next generation will indeed have to repay the loan, he said.
The Hungarian government has always taken the view, he continued, that incurring debts is not a good way to handle a crisis, and therefore, it does not look upon the direction of the EU recovery plan favourably. However, there are Member States – primarily in the South – whose present fiscal situation is more serious than that of Hungary. Therefore, as a member of the EU – in the spirit of solidarity – Hungary is prepared to accept a crisis management method that is different from its own, but not without conditions, Mr Gulyás said.
The Minister expressed hope that the EU will be able to adopt a decision which might be able to help the Southern states in a grave fiscal situation, and which is at the same time able to give Central Europeans a chance to use the resources available for the restarting of the economy well.
The Minister was asked whether Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could exercise his veto in the case of the EU budget. He said this is naturally possible in the case of any head of government, including the Hungarian Prime Minister. There are fundamental expectations, and if these are not met, they are unable to consent to a successful outcome of the EU summit, he indicated.
Commenting on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s words – that they will not tolerate a breach of the rule of law, and Viktor Orbán is no exception – he said neither Viktor Orbán, nor Angela Merkel can be an exception when it comes to compliance with the requirement of the rule of law. At the same time, it is practical if minority political opinions are not punished in the disguise of the rule of law as has been attempted in recent years in the cases of Poland and Hungary, the Minister pointed out.
In answer to a question about Fidesz’s membership of the European People’s Party, he highlighted that the German political approach continues to remain fundamentally amicable.
Mr Gulyás further indicated that at its sitting to be held next week, Parliament could debate the issue of short-term housing rental. They are initiating a legislative amendment which will give local governments complete freedom in addressing the issue.
Settlements and districts must be given the opportunity to regulate the short-term letting of properties for tourism purposes, he said, stressing that the government’s proposed legislative amendment would allow regulation to extend from a complete ban to the authorisation of such arrangements without any restriction.
He recalled that in recent years the issue – which primarily concerns Budapest – has also emerged in connection with the rules of coexistence, and a large proportion of hotels have also complained on this score.
There is significant interest in the national consultation, the Minister said. So far, 232,000 questionnaires have been returned, he said.
Mr Gulyás underlined that the government also respects opinions contrary to its own. However, he is unable to comprehend why anyone should want to deprive people of the possibility of completing a questionnaire. He observed that anyone who gains unlawful access to personal data commits a crime.
The personnel and other conditions necessary for preventing illegal border crossings are available at the border, he said in answer to another question.
Regarding the fact that during the state of danger an attempted foreign disinformation campaign was conducted against Hungary and the opposition, too, released fake videos, he said he sincerely hopes that there is no connection between the two.
The head of the Prime Minister’s Office also spoke about the fact that we must do everything we can in the interest of the healthy spiritual and moral development of children, and if there is a need for more stringent penal measures, the government is ready to support the amendment of the Penal Code.
The Minister said in the context of the case of former Hungarian ambassador to Peru Gábor Kaleta – who has been given a suspended prison sentence due to the possession of pornographic materials involving children – that the government dealt with the issue of child protection, and reviewed the protection of minors under criminal law.
Mr Gulyás described the Kaleta case as disgusting and unacceptable which “cries out for the strictest possible sentence”.
He said in this regard the Penal Code is more stringent at present than it was earlier; however, the government is expecting further proposals from a task force to be set up under the supervision of head of Fidesz’s parliamentary group Máté Kocsis reviewing the current system of child protection, and if necessary, they are ready to support an amendment to the Penal Code. He indicated that he would wholeheartedly support a public list which Máté Kocsis proposed the day before.
“I don’t suggest that we step beyond the principle of compulsory prosecution,” he said in answer to a question, adding that at the time when the case erupted, the government expected the national security authorities to investigate whether any errors had been committed in the case, and to draw the necessary conclusions.
He also pointed out that the debate is not about the way the act is perceived, but about whether the judgment adopted is stringent enough. According to the government, it is not, he indicated. He added that it is not the government that adopts judgments, and neither does the government press charges; they are able to influence the judgment practices of courts in a single way, and if necessary they are ready to resort to it. They can tighten the Penal Code and the factual scenarios that concern child protection, Mr Gulyás said.
In this case, he does not support any classification, he said in response to another question.
Mr Gulyás said he finds it equally disgusting and unacceptable that the “hate centre called Párbeszéd” – of which the Mayor of Budapest is also a member – refers to members of the government as accomplices in paedophilia with images of the Prime Minister, the Justice Minister and the Foreign Minister. He would like to know Mr Karácsony’s opinion on this matter; according to the Minister, he would do well to tell “his little hate centre” that in politics there are certain boundaries that cannot be crossed, especially when the three members of the government concerned are raising ten children among them, he said.
In answer to the question as to whether Gábor Kaleta had undergone any national security screening, he said they do not know when this abnormal activity started. At the same time, for eight years he also served left-liberal governments. He observed that he must have undergone national security screening both between 2002-2010 and after 2010.
He added that they would like to have a family protection package which covers the entire system of child protection comprehensively. He also said they could adopt the amendment of the Penal Code within a few weeks, though any such amendment cannot be retroactive.
Mr Gulyás denied reports that the government had given the metropolitan municipality two weeks from Monday to publish a call for proposals in relation to the Chain Bridge. At next week’s parliamentary sitting, they are not planning any legislative act concerning the case of the bridge, he said.
They have a vested interest in the commencement of the refurbishment works within the shortest possible time with minimum periods of closure. There is no appreciable reason why after almost seven months the public procurement still has not been announced, and neither do they know what the capital wants, he said, indicating that as Mayor of Budapest Gergely Karácsony cancelled the June meeting of the Council of Metropolitan Public Developments, and at this point in time, this forum for dialogue is not available.
There is an alternative proposal for the flood protection of the Hajógyári Island, the Minister said, after there was a demonstration on Wednesday with a human chain against the planned flood prevention facility. He stressed that so far the government has only given its theoretical support to a sports academy planned to be constructed on the island; no plans have been presented yet to the cabinet.
Regarding the dispute between the EU and Hungary about metro line four, he said the Hungarian State will be required to compensate the EU for all the losses that were sustained in connection with the Demszky era’s malpractices related to the construction works. He stressed that they will do everything they can to minimise the amount to be repaid; the first adjustment involved around HUF 60 to 61 billion. There is no final decision yet, he said.
In the context of the public procurement for planning works relating to the refurbishment of the Szent János Hospital, he said the call for proposals has been published, and according to his information, the results of the procedure will be announced in the coming days.
The Minister was asked regarding the fact that according to MEP for Momentum Anna Donáth, the government is conducting an anti-Roma campaign.
Mr Gulyás said in response that Anna Donáth is a not particularly significant Brussels representative of the Left, during whose term in government there was mass unemployment among the Roma, and the chances of integration were non-existent.
“If we are to draw any conclusions about racism on the basis of the situation of the Roma in Hungary, then Anna Donáth should be looking for racists among her own people,” he said.
Regarding the raising of road tolls adjusted to the rate of inflation, he said a decision on this was adopted back in 2018, not during the crisis. A considerable part of this amount is paid by foreigners, and toll revenues are used for the refurbishment and construction of roads.
In answer to the question as to whether the police have the authority to ban demonstrations during the state of disease control preparedness, he said there is no scope for the restriction of fundamental rights. If anyone reports the organisation of a demonstration, it can be held; however, precautions must be taken to ensure that everyone is safe.
According to the Minister, the issue of research networks has come to ‘a rest point,’ though, he observed, not enough time has elapsed yet in order to form an objective opinion about the reforms. Today, delegates of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences account for almost one half of the board of trustees of the Eötvös Loránd Research network, he pointed out, adding that it is to be hoped that cooperation between the Academy and the research network will be such that the Academy itself will accept that the changes implemented served the best interests of Hungarian science.
The head of the Prime Minister’s Office expressed hope that there will be constructive and fruitful cooperation, and stated that for its part the government is open to cooperation.
Mr Gulyás was asked about news reports about the Hungarian port in Trieste, claiming that the Italian Ministry of the Environment is conducting investigations which could set back the construction works by years. The Minister said the Hungarian State provided capital worth EUR 31.75 million at the disposal of the company which ensures Hungary’s access to the sea. They are not aware of any environmental opinions that could frustrate the project, and the development is making progress as planned, he said.
Regarding DK Mayor Imre László’s statements – praising Adolf Hitler’s achievements – the Minister said they are unacceptable even in the form in which they were made by the 11th district mayor, and there is a degree of lack of education which is hard to excuse in the realm of politics.
In reference to the fact that in 1938 Germany was already past the Enabling Act, the Night of Broken Glass and the anti-Jewish Nuremberg Laws, Mr Gulyás said it is strange if the party Demokratikus Koalíció has officers who find these acts acceptable or if they are so uneducated that they do not know about them. Everyone is free to decide what the answer to this question is; if it is the former, then the act of drawing closer to and joining ranks with Jobbik cannot remain without consequences, the Minister said in evaluation.