Speeches

Migration remains a major challenge for Europe. When it comes to financial instruments, it is necessary that these instruments contribute appropriately to the implementation of a migration policy based on strong protection of the external borders, effective cooperation with third countries and effective return procedures. Unfortunately, the agreement on the Asylum and Migration Fund contains disproportionate amounts to support goals that will not solve the problem but exacerbate it. These include the disproportionality of the focus on the distribution of migrants and the excessive amounts earmarked for the creation of additional legal migration routes or the integration of immigrants. Financial support for these goals will be an additional pull factor for irregular migration and will contribute to years of systematic abuse of the EU asylum system. It sends the message that Europe's gates are open to all. Instead of pushing for the creation of legal migration routes, I am convinced that the future of Europe lies in European families. Each Member State has the right to decide who to allow into its territory, this cannot be imposed on anyone. The disproportionate amounts earmarked for this purpose are based on incorrect assumptions and do not take into account the diversity of the wills of the Member States. With this agreement, we are not getting closer to the solution, but we are only adding to the problem, so I cannot support it.

Madam President, recently in Slovakia, there was an election and the Slovak people have made a very clear decision. All points of view or opinions were put on the table and the Slovaks made a very clear choice. Now, some of you may not like their decision, but it doesn’t really matter. It’s irrelevant. You don’t have to like the result, you just have to respect the popular decision of the Slovak people. This is what the Czechs and the Slovaks in 1968 fought for, or Hungarians in 1956, the Poles later on in 1981: our freedom to choose our democratic path. This Parliament, or the European Commission, you are not a superior authority over the popular decision. It is about popular sovereignty. We, in Central Europe, fought very hard to regain our liberty, and our freedom to choose and make our own decision about our future, and we will not let you take it away from us. Just respect the decision of the Slovak people and the Slovak Government.

Madam President, dear colleagues, today I want to talk about the real essence of the whole migration debate, because it has never really been about helping refugees – we all want to help people in need. This debate, however, in its essence, is about whether or not we are able to preserve our European identity, our way of life, norms, culture and traditions. The promotion of mass migration threatens all that. It is, in reality, a social transformation project that is imposed upon the European people without, in most cases, ever asking them about their opinion and consent. Illegal mass migration leads to the disintegration of society. It breaks down European norms. It destroys public security. The first signs of that horrible disaster are already visible in many Western European cities. Think of just France, for instance, and the brutal, horrendous murders that have become part of French life. Public safety is deteriorating. The state is losing control. Public authority is slipping out of its hands. We in Hungary haven’t given up on defending our way of life, our security and culture. The Hungarian people have been asked about this issue and they have repeatedly rejected illegal mass migration. This is why we firmly reject this Pact.

Mr President, dear colleagues, as we are coming near to the end of this mandate, it’s perhaps a good idea to reflect upon what’s so wrong with this rule of law bandwagon. The approach used by the Commission and this Parliament is fundamentally flawed in principle. For instance, matters relating to life and death, family, marriage, or the upbringing of our children, stem from norms dating back thousands of years. They are also closely linked to religious beliefs and our attitudes towards the supernatural. Evidently, these topics are sensitive and they can be divisive. It is certainly not the prerogative of this House to decide upon these crucial ethical issues. The sovereign decision about them remains with Member States, in line with their national constitutions, traditions and convictions. Different opinions and different conclusions on some of these things are possible, and they should be respected. It is utterly wrong to disguise political and moral debates as if they were legal ones, and to sanction those who continue to defend traditional values. Brussels should stop the aggressive promotion of a radically left wing ideology and worldview, because this destroys good European cooperation.

Dear Madam President, The farmers' protests in recent weeks prove and show that the current leadership in Brussels is wrong. And we are delighted to have Vice-President Šefčovič here, but what should really be sitting here is Ursula von der Leyen, who is personally responsible for bringing us here. Whether it is the war in Ukraine, migration or agriculture, it is absolutely clear that Brussels is driven by extremist ideologies and is unable to act for European interests, along the lines of European interests. An ill-thought-out, blinking Brussels green policy is destroying European farmers. Meanwhile, Brussels is letting cheap Ukrainian grain, chicken and other products flood the European market, and even concluding trade agreements that put our non-European competitors in an ad absurd better position than European farmers. This is where we came in. What a policy, please. And while Brussels is making these erroneous, ideologically-driven decisions, our competitors, whether China or the United States, are making protectionist decisions, defending their own interests, and rapidly leaving Europe behind in global competition. It is time for Brussels to finally return to the policy of common sense. Put the European interest first, the interests of European farmers and the European people, and stop this bad policy. The time has come for change in Brussels.

Madam President, Commissioner, these reports have been really nothing more than an instrument to push a left-wing ideology for years – no surprise about that this year either. But Ms Barley has crossed the line here, by proposing to silence political opponents – and no, Ms Barley, having a different opinion is no blackmail. No, no, no – it is having a different opinion. You just have to live with that in a democracy. But it seems there is a virus in the Western world. Political opponents are being banned, threatened by secret service surveillance, like the AfD in your country, or prosecuted under fake charges. The other elephant in the room, as it were, is the lack of mention of the lawlessness in Poland. Donald Tusk has started a political campaign of revenge, and he has broken the law, and he’s broken the Constitution. And there’s nothing about that here. Now, no matter what you think about him or his predecessor, it is not a question of political sympathy. These actions objectively cannot happen in a democratic state, and that should be in this report. It is not there. If you say the rule of law is so important, why is it not there? What is this cynical silence all about? It is time to stop harassing certain Member States for biased ideological reasons, while ignoring serious breaches of the rule of law elsewhere. It is time to stop abusing the concept of fundamental rights.

Dear Madam President, The main reason for the German farmers' protests is that in recent years Berlin politics and Brussels politics have abandoned agriculture, abandoned farmers and even portrayed them as enemies, and increasingly taken unviable measures from a rigid, ideologically based ivory tower. This is especially true for those working in agriculture, who in recent years have become the target of extreme green policy and have been framed as scapegoats. This is wrong. Farmers are our partners. Agriculture is important in Europe and greening can only be done in partnership with farmers and agricultural workers. No measure can be taken that puts them in an impossible position, impairs their competitiveness and does not take their interests into account in general. We take their interests into account in Hungary. We see farmers as partners. The union of government and farmers is rock-solid. Last year alone, we were able to give them a record amount of €3.4 billion. We will continue to do so. I propose a similar positive approach to Berlin, as well as to Brussels. Farmers, agriculture, our allies, we have to work with them.

Madam President, Minister, President von der Leyen, there can be – and there are – different opinions on how to best help Ukraine. We continue to believe that our number one priority should continue to be to find a ceasefire and a peace deal as soon as possible. We also think that Member States should create a fund outside of the EU budget to help Ukraine, and that new funds should not be based on a new loan. Countries can contribute and Hungary stands ready to contribute to such a fund. Now, one more thought on the EU budget. Every euro cent should be paid to Hungary without any further delay. Ideological blackmail is not acceptable. And by the way, if you’re looking for a real rule of law crisis, you should turn your eyes to see what’s happening in Poland these days. Lastly, the proposition to suspend Hungary’s voting rights just because we happen to disagree on some political issues is an absolute new low, even for this Parliament. It is as shameful as it is absurd. You disagree with someone, and then you want to take away their right to speak and vote? That is a dictatorship. You’re digging the grave of the European Union this way. Wake up and turn back from this crazy path.

Madam President, dear colleagues, I’m making a point of order referring to Rule 39. It is astonishing to see – and to be confronted with – the silence of this House, and of the Commission by the way, despite the blatant violations of the rule of law in Poland. The Tusk government has launched a political revenge campaign against its opponents. It’s trampling down the principle of the rule of law of democracy, it’s attacking independent organisations like the media or the courts – and there is not even a question raised in this House about that. There’s not a comment. There is no procedure. There is no Article 7 threat, or none of that. This is a textbook example of double standards about the rule of law. We need to respect it, and when your friend breaks the rules you need to raise your voice just as much as when you think somebody else does it.

Listen, Tomáš, I repeat, this is a matter for Slovakia to discuss. This proposition is a criminal law reform. A special prosecutor will be incorporated, as far as I understand, within the judiciary and the prosecutor’s office. This debate, this decision is for Slovaks to make. It’s not for here to make. And it’s wrong to bring it here. These debates, political battles, have to be fought at home. And elections are there for people to decide. And they’ve just made a decision. Even if you don’t like the results, I understand that, but it shouldn’t be used here as a political attack on a new government. It’s just not the right place for it.

Madam President, dear colleagues, the criminal law reform presented by the new government in Slovakia is an internal affair. It should be debated thoroughly in Slovakia. The issue has nothing to do on the agenda of the European Parliament. A few months ago, Slovakia made a clear decision at the elections: after several years of political instability, they elected a new government to take power. Now, whether the current majority of this House likes or does not like that result is completely irrelevant. This House should not be used to take revenge for an election defeat. Political disagreements with the new government in Slovakia, be it to do with their policy on Ukraine or their tougher stance against illegal migration or whatever, do not make a criminal law reform an European issue. Matters related to national competencies should be debated in national parliaments. I believe that Europe has plenty of other things to worry about – labelling another central European country now as the latest rule of law scapegoat is certainly not one of them. (The speaker agreed to take a blue-card question)

Mr President, dear colleagues, after the 2017 events, several people were convicted by Spanish courts of serious crimes, such as sedition and the misuse of public funds. Those defending this Sánchez deal now really suggest that those crimes were never really committed. If that’s the case, why didn’t the socialists speak up at the time against the court rulings? Or if those crimes were committed, then the reality is that the socialists are trading laws and the Spanish constitution just to remain in power. Isn’t this a textbook example of a serious violation of the rule of law? Amnesty is for extraordinary situations. Forming a government after an election is no extraordinary event. The deafening silence here in Brussels and Strasbourg, of all the left-wing tenors of the rule of law, is incredible. Mr Aguilar, for instance. My colleague, chair of the LIBE Committee. Aren’t you ashamed to try to defend the indefensible? All of this is crystal clear proof that all the talk in this House about the rule of law has absolutely no credibility. I wish strength and perseverance to the Spanish nation. Viva Espana!

Dear Madam President, Hungary opposes the ruling Brussels policy on three important issues. We do not want to continue the war, we want a ceasefire and a peace agreement as soon as possible. We reject illegal migration and take action against it. And we protect our children from increasingly aggressive and absurd LGBTQ propaganda. These positions are correct and enjoy the support of the vast majority of Hungarians, and we will stand by them even if you organise a debate day and hysteria here every week. It is quite obvious that the facts and the law are not of interest to the Brussels left. Hungary can do anything, it can fulfil any condition, you will only attack us more furiously in this house. The goal was never to reach an agreement. There's a lot of political blackmail going on here. While the European Union is in trouble, you are creating division and strife. When will they finally realize that this is how they are destroying the European Union? Let's say it clearly: The current corrupt, defunct Brussels elite cannot stay in place. The time has come for change in Brussels.

Mr López Aguilar, how can you talk about the independence of the judiciary, critiquing Hungary, when in your country, your socialist prime minister has just done the most cynical, incredible move, trampling down on court rulings in serious matters just to form a government. How cynical and how great an attack against the rule of law. How can you talk about it and give us lessons on that aspect, for instance?

Mr. President, please. Europe is in trouble, but Brussels is unable to provide sound solutions. Look at what's going on around us, on the streets of Western Europe. Islamic terrorists are killing innocent people. Mass demonstrations are being held to fuel a terrorist organization and open anti-Semitic incitement that has not been seen since the Second World War. The link between illegal migration and terrorism is clearer than ever. In comparison, many people here are still repeating the absurd statement that immigration is a good thing and we need it. It must also be said, although many here uncritically support the continuation of the war, that Brussels' Ukraine strategy has failed. Today, more than a year and a half after the start of the war, we are no closer to ending the fighting, while hundreds of thousands of people die on the battlefield. But we can also take the chaos surrounding the EU budget or the lying ideological attacks on conservative governments and the undue withholding of money. Instead of a policy that weakens Europe, we need a new leadership that puts the interests of Europeans first and foremost. The time has come for change in Brussels.

Mr President, Commissioner, the fight against organised crime is obviously an area where European cooperation is a welcome thing. We all agree about that; it is very important. However, these efforts are completely undermined by the EU-conceived Brussels policy on migration, in my view. We are at a situation right now where criminal organisations or human smugglers are the ones who really decide who can come to Europe in the end. There are NGOs who tacitly cooperate with them and they transport these people into Europe instead of returning them to where they came from. Now it is certainly not a European interest to allow people in great numbers to come to Europe who really don’t belong here, who don’t share our values, who don’t share our culture and our way of thinking, people who have really nothing to do with Europe and who pose a danger to Europeans, very often a deadly danger, as we have sadly seen over the past few days. Now, Commissioner, would you agree with me that the only way to avoid this situation and to have a new chapter would be to make sure that the decision on who can enter Europe and who cannot is made outside of the European Union? And, related to that, strong border protection is reinstated with the ... (The President cut off the speaker)

Mr President, dear colleagues, every proposal that makes the Schengen Zone function better, like the visa system now, should be supported, of course, but this technical detail will not solve the real problem that we should be talking about in this Parliament today. And that is the deadly danger for Europeans posed by illegal mass migration. Just during the past few days, we heard from France that a teacher was stabbed to death by an illegal migrant in front of the students. And yesterday, in Brussels, another migrant massacred two people using a Kalashnikov. Now, both acts were committed by Islamist migrants. Both should never have entered Europe in the first place, or should have left Europe already. And in both cases, the authorities were unable to protect Europeans from these men. Now, how many more innocent Europeans have to die for you to wake up? How many more deaths are necessary for the migration fanatics in this House to finally understand that Europe is being destroyed in front of our eyes right now? Europe should say an absolute no to migration, and European politicians should defend the European people and the European way of life instead of creating this nightmare for our continent.

Mr President, besides Lampedusa, some of the latest news about migration in Europe. The Swedish Government is now talking about the deployment of the army against criminal gangs of migrants because the police are no longer enough to handle the situation and maintain order and protect citizens. Illegal migrants have used firearms against Hungarian and Croatian border guards recently. The Schengen zone is in critical danger because of illegal migration. More and more internal border controls are reinstated because of it. Meanwhile, the German Government has happily admitted that it funds organisations that tacitly cooperate with criminal gangs of human smugglers and then transport these people into Italy. Now, just to make it clear, migration is destroying the European way of life. It creates insecurity for our citizens and it must be stopped. Now, some of you may be multiculturalism maniacs, despite all the clear evidence against it, but that’s your problem. But we’re never going to let that happen to our countries. We Central Europeans did not join the European Union to now endanger our freedom of movement, to now endanger our culture and the security of our citizens. We cannot defend our way of life. We’re going to protect our countries, our people and our culture.

I think that the real danger to the European Union and to the Schengen zone – which is, I agree with the Commissioner, the greatest achievement of this cooperation – is illegal migration. If we do not protect our external borders, then it’s obvious that we cannot have anymore a Schengen zone where movement is free. This is the real danger. Illegal migration must be stopped. Borders must be controlled. And I think it’s a scandal that the German Government is paying for ships that are basically cooperating with human smuggling networks – criminals. They are not saving anybody, they are transporting people into Europe illegally and they want everybody else to pay the price of that. We don’t want to be confronted with a situation that is now in, for instance, Stockholm and other parts of western Europe, where they cannot deal with the situation caused by illegal migration. That’s my opinion.

Mr President, dear colleagues, it is obvious that the current conservative Polish Government is a thorn in the eye of the pro-migration leftist political forces in Brussels, and they are so desperate to remove this government that they are organising a debate here to attack them with pathetic lies just 12 days before election day in Poland. Clearly, it is an attempt to interfere in the Polish elections from outside. They magnify a petty visa case that had been dealt with by the authorities well before this manipulation started. Now, this is wrong and it’s not going to work. This is where the EPP, Donald Tusk and the PO are getting it so wrong. You really think that you’re going to win elections with the help of this leftist neo-Marxist arena here? You’re not going to do that. Similar attempts have been made against Hungary several times and they didn’t work. In fact, they backfired. The Polish nation is one of the oldest in Central Europe, with a statehood dating back to over 1000 years. They have fought for centuries for independence, for the right to decide about their own future. So I’m sure that the Polish people will reject this latest cynical attempt at interfering in their national sovereign decision. Long live Polish independence! (The speaker agreed to take a blue-card question)

Madam President, I'm sorry. Europe’s large carnivore population has increased significantly in recent years, which, as previously endangered species, is both good news and today serious problems have emerged across the continent due to overgrowth and a complete hunting ban. Wolves and bears no longer only decimate farm animals, but also appear more and more in inhabited settlements and attack humans due to reduced living space and increased numbers. The increasingly frequent and dangerous bear attacks, for example, have been experienced by us Hungarians in Transylvania and the Szeklerland for a long time. They cause considerable material damage to farmers and often result in serious, permanent injury or even death to the attacked person. Only professionally based game management can provide the answer to this situation. There is a need for a non-excessive approach, a balance that takes into account both the protection of human life and the protection of large carnivores, as well as the aspects of agriculture and livestock production. Accordingly, it should again be possible to hunt overgrown large carnivores in Europe. In close cooperation with hunting, game management and professional organizations.

Madam President, we see the current State of the Union quite differently. Brexit, illegal migration, COVID, the war in Ukraine and the ensuing economic crisis would all have required capable leadership and the right decisions. Instead, we see ad hoc reactions, grandiose self-congratulatory statements, and consequently the loss of credibility. The pointless centralisation efforts in all policy areas in Brussels or the shameful ideological jihad against conservative governments all create division and weaken Europe. Also a huge corruption scandal in this Parliament and the scandalous vaccine procurement by the Commission must be tackled head on – we’ve been waiting for your text messages, Madam President, for over 863 days now, still counting. Not to mention the intolerably slow disbursement of RRF money to Member States, or the failed sanctions policy – sorry to say – that hasn’t really helped Ukraine in any meaningful way. It hasn’t brought the end of the war any closer, but it’s hurting the European economy and European people. Europe must find its way back to unity and credibility by accepting itself first as an alliance of free Member States and then defining its own strategic interests in the world.

Mr. President, please. It is very rarely discussed here in this House how the European institutions, Parliament and the Commission are complying with their own rules. How is the rule of law in these institutions? This report, this report, is a refreshing exception in this regard. Despite the fact that we have witnessed the biggest corruption scandal of all time in recent months, we rarely talk about it. One of the vice-presidents and several members of this parliament were taken away in handcuffs, and soon afterwards it turned out that senior officials of the European Commission had also abused their position and power to a great extent, accepting gifts and other financial benefits for themselves in an unacceptable and indefensible way. But the biggest scandal, of course, is the purchase of vaccines that Ursula von der Leyen allegedly texted. And how interesting, later, these texts - just these texts - disappeared from your phone. They're all different, only these texts aren't there. This is scandalous! There is no legal basis and no credibility for the European institutions to teach others about the rule of law and the fight against corruption until they have put their own house in order. Count the money and follow the rules.

Madam President, dear colleagues, let me first underline that family law belongs to the national competence of Member States. Therefore, Italy and its government has the exclusive right to decide on marriage, on adoption and all other family law issues. It is more than right also that when such laws are enacted, certain higher moral considerations prevail. Our European culture is based upon Christianity and Christian values, which entail certain moral obligations and restrictions on human action. We must not attempt to create a world where the laws of nature and life are completely disregarded. We must not allow humans to become objects, and we must not let children become products or goods to buy for a certain price. It is cynical that those on the left of this House who regularly pose as warriors of human rights now simply call for the legalisation of practices that trample on human dignity. We should all accept that life and birth are sacred and humans are not the masters of life and death.

Mr President, thank you very much. Dear Colleagues, Poles are a proud nation, confident, successful and able to follow their own path without constant lessons from the West. I oppose the constant attacks on Poland and demand more respect for Polish voters. Mr President, I continue in English now and a word to my colleagues in the EPP, the PO who are behind this latest attack, you are mistaken to think that if you fail to win elections at home then the thing to do is to come here to Strasbourg or Brussels, get together with all kind of radical left wingers and attack your own country and your own countrymen here. It’s not going to produce a majority for you because the Polish people don’t like this attitude. Just like the Hungarians also reject this attitude. You should win elections based on your own merit. Stop attacking your countrymen here in Strasbourg in a European Parliament. It’s the wrong thing to do. Long live Poland.