Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás said the fact that First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans “is playing the role of a top European Union official” while also being the top candidate of the pro-immigration socialist forces is the result of “made to measure legislation”.
At his press conference on Friday, Mr. Gulyás also pointed out that this was made possible a year ago by an amendment to the European Commission’s regulations.
Timmermans is able to promote the pro-immigration agenda while receiving a salary of some 44 million forints (EUR 138,000). “This has not been permittable in the European Union so far”, he added.
He called all this a double standard, because as he explained, if someone is heading the secretariat of the Hungarian European Parliament delegation and is 45th on the list of Fidesz candidates, they must suspend their work and do not receive a salary.
Timmermans, however, is “playing an active role in the so-called rule of law proceedings, which are in fact a witch hunt”, the Minister said.
The Commission Vice-President claims he is coming to Budapest for the socialists’ congress, but in fact wants to give credibility to a “marriage”, to the cooperation between the “Hungarian post-communist left and the anti-Semites”, he added.
In reply to a question, Mr. Gulyás that behind this he sees both contempt for the electorate and a credibility problem. “Because of its post-community roots, the Hungarian left saw its own identity in an anti-fascist fight, but wish to ‘enter into matrimony’ with a party that they regard as far right”, he said.
“Since we are talking about George Soros’s closest ally”, Mr. Gulyás said it was interesting that the politician thinks he has received a mandate to do so. “His allies can in no way be regarded as the voters, because in Holland his party only has 8 percent support”, he stated.
With relation to the statement heard from Gergely Karácsony, who is aspiring to be the Left’s candidate for Mayor of Budapest, according to which compiling lists of Jews cannot be regarded as Nazism, the Minister said: in 2013, everyone from the socialists to Fidesz were out protesting because of similar statements.
Mr. Gulyás also spoke about the fact that at the summit of V4 Prime Ministers and the German Chancellor in Bratislava on Thursday, the parties had decided to provide funding to Morocco to help the country stop migration.
“The problems facing Europe were also discussed at the meeting, to which and the European Parliament and the Commission can no longer participate in finding solutions, but is rather multiplying these problems”, he added. “Not only will the EP and EC be renewed, but the European Council will also have a new President”, he pointed out.
With relation to talks on the next 7-year EU budget, he said the current draft of the budget is unacceptable because it would have greater consequences that the budget deficit caused by Brexit.
Concerning next week’s visit to Budapest by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, he said the United States is an important ally of Hungary, and our greatest ally within NATO; no similar alliance exists with Russia, but rational economic partnership is in the interests of all of Europe, including Hungary. The German position is practically the same word for word, he pointed out.
With relation to energy cooperation, he said the Government is happy to diversify energy sources, but the price must be competitive.
In reply to a question, Mr. Gulyás said he doesn’t regard it as surprising that the Secretary of State will also be meeting with the representatives of organisations that are receiving funding from the United States. According to press reports, Mike Pompeo will also be meeting the leaders of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (TASZ) and the Hungarian Helsinki Committee.
Concerning the meeting of the Visegrád Group countries scheduled to take place on 18 February in Israel, the Minister said the guests will be arriving on Monday night. At the meeting, which will last until Tuesday evening, the Prime Ministers will remain together throughout, and a joint programme will also be announced.
“Hungary greatly appreciates Turkey’s role in stopping migration, and will be fulfilling all of its payment commitments to facilitate this”, he also stated. With relation to a possible wave of migration from North Africa, he voiced his concerns over whether Frontex would be capable of protecting the European Union’s external borders.
In reply to a question concerning the fact that the authorities have not been able to collect campaign funding from so-called fake parties, the Minister said the monies can also be levied from the personal assets of the parties leading officials. He said he believed it would cost the country more if parties became the prisoners of economic lobbies, adding that the amendment of existing regulations would be unfavourable for the opposition and for smaller parties.
On the subject of evictions, Mr. Gulyás said families with small children must be taken care of, and that this is the duty of local governments. The Minister said it was unspeakably irresponsible and a crime against society that the socialists had allowed families to get into foreign currency debt.
In response to a suggestion by the LMP party concerning the need for a possible Climate Act, the Minister said the Government would be happy to hold talks on a proposal that points beyond the many sustainability-related reports already debated by Parliament.
In reply to a question concerning the two young Hungarians imprisoned in Romania, Mr. Gulyás said it is the task of the two youngsters to request citizenship, and if such a request has bene lodged “we are prepared to afford it”. He added that he regards the sentence as excessive, and the Hungarian Government will be providing all necessary assistance to the two youths with relation to further legal redress.