Speeches

Mr. President, please. What is happening here today is, and has been for a decade, a witch hunt. In 2013, I stood before you during the debate on the Tavares report, and since then I have been fighting the increasingly unbridled hate campaign against our country, which is being built as a house of cards. The unfounded Sargentini report has only raised the stakes with the Article 7 procedure, and you are now asking for EU funding to be withdrawn. These untrue texts were commissioned by the Hungarian opposition, so to speak, with the active involvement of independent NGOs and experts, and they are all conceptual indictments. It is outrageous that those who have suffered a crushing electoral defeat at home for the fourth time are using their international relations to do everything in their power to deprive Hungary of the rightful EU financial resources. Instead of focusing on the interests of the Hungarian people, such as educators and healthcare workers. They're being betrayed. While constructive negotiations are taking place between the Commission and the government, here the majority of the European Parliament is stigmatising again and the problem is fuelling a new dictate in the name of the rule of law. We Hungarians, thank you, do not ask for it.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The stability of the Southern Partnership countries is of vital interest to Europe. That is why we must call for close cooperation with the countries of the Mediterranean. It is necessary to promote the strengthening of state structures in the region, the development of infrastructure and the fight against terrorism, as well as the strengthening of food security. This is the only way to stop illegal migration to Europe in the region. Migration pressure is noticeably increasing from this direction and we must therefore strengthen the protection of the Union's external borders. Together with the Southern Partnership countries, we must work on the basis of mutual economic cooperation to create living conditions that help and encourage people to stay. It is now also clear that southern energy transport routes are key to the energy needs of EU Member States. The Union's southern policy must serve stability and not become a means of spreading left-wing ideologies.

Dear Mr President, Mr. President, Commissioner. The issue of enlargement gained momentum this year with the granting of candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova as a symbolic step. We must now do everything we can to achieve peace in the region. At the same time, the decisions have disappointed the countries of the Western Balkans. Candidate status should be considered under the same values and conditions. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia should have been granted candidate status. Accession negotiations with Serbia and Montenegro have not progressed. It has not yet started with Albania and North Macedonia. Visa liberalisation in Kosovo has not progressed. In the current geopolitical context, the EU has a primary interest in the stability and security of the Western Balkans. Especially at a time when the pressure of illegal migrants on the Western Balkans migration route is increasing. Concrete positive decisions on the Western Balkans must be taken as soon as possible if the region is not to be left to the influence of third countries.

Mr. President, Mr. Commissioner, Mr. Minister. We also support the candidate status of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia and the acceleration of the European integration of the Western Balkan countries. In the current time of war challenges, this is a good opportunity to promote European unity and strengthen these countries. Of course, all countries must comply with the accession conditions, including the Copenhagen criteria. Candidate status of countries should be considered under the same values and conditions, therefore Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina should be granted candidate status at the same time, with the support of Ukraine and Moldova. Only in this way can the EU remain credible. The credibility of the Union also depends on accelerating the accession process of the Western Balkan countries, given that, especially in this geopolitical context, the Union has a fundamental interest in the security and stability of the region. This requires the advancement of accession negotiations for Serbia and Montenegro, the opening of negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, and visa-free travel for Kosovo. Enlargement needs a new impetus.

Dear Mr President, In Hungary, we are committed to helping the tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees arriving every day, and we are providing Ukraine with the largest humanitarian support in our history, and we will continue to do so for as long as it takes. We condemn Russian aggression and demand an investigation into war crimes. We are ready to sacrifice for peace, which is why Hungary has supported all previous sanctions packages and is abiding by all agreements. The embargo on oil arriving on the pipeline is fatal for Hungary because of its capabilities, so it dared to openly take its position, but sought a common solution in the interest of unity. So the compromise was good. Oil supply via pipelines remained. We must understand that we cannot support sanctions that cause more damage to us than they do to the Russian aggressor. We Hungarians want to win peace, so we do not support sanctioning church leaders.

Dear Madam President, Appropriate steps should be taken without delay to maintain the credibility of the EU in the enlargement process. Enlargement in the Western Balkans is in Europe’s common security, economic and geopolitical interest, as the region is surrounded by the EU on all sides. North Macedonia lies on the Western Balkans migration route and therefore plays an extremely important role in stopping illegal immigration. In addition, North Macedonia has been adhering to the goal of European integration for almost 20 years and has demonstrated its commitment to its 100% alignment with foreign and security policy. Due to the Russian aggression and the ensuing security challenges, it is of the utmost importance to integrate the Western Balkans region and, at the same time, North Macedonia into the EU community as soon as possible. It is also in the security interests of all of us. Let us not pose further challenges to the countries of the region committed to European integration. Let's do our best to expand as soon as possible.

Dear Madam President, For years, the European left has been conducting a political slander campaign against Hungary and Poland using the concept of the rule of law. We have just heard the best example of this, and unfortunately the Commission's annual Rule of Law Report has been one of its main tools for many years. Although the report is intended to be an impartial assessment of the Member States, in reality it applies a rough double standard. It is not based on facts, but on biased opinions of pseudo-civil society organisations that aim to exert political pressure. It only strengthens our immunity. In fact, the Commission is holding democratically elected governments to account for its own ideological expectations. We have no problem with democracy. As this debate shows today: Facts don't interest anyone. The European Parliament is enthusiastic about what the Commission is presenting and is demanding all sorts of sanctions to put pressure on Hungary either in relation to migration or child protection. A month ago, the Hungarian people made it very clear: They are not asking for an ideological education in Brussels. It is time to realise that such politically biased reports are not in Europe's interest, but are destroying European cooperation.

Dear Vice-President, We must say that the future of Europe conference series has failed. It's not democratic, it's not pluralistic. The way they pushed through the federalist visions of influencers that weakened national powers is not legitimate. According to statistics, the majority of European citizens were not interested in this very costly project, because in such trying times the reflection on the future of Europe should not be about transnational lists or the abolition of unanimity in the Council. Events and opinions at national level, such as in Hungary, that did not meet the predetermined conclusions were simply deleted from the digital interfaces. If national parliaments have indicated that there is no consensus on the most important issues, they have bypassed these opinions. Conservative and non-attached MEPs did not speak at the final debates. This is an act of intolerant opinion hegemony, not a common free thought. Therefore, we cannot accept either his methods or his conclusions. We still believe in pluralism of opinion and freedom.

(speaking without microphone at the beginning) ...military aggression. It is in Europe's common interest to restore peace and security in Ukraine as soon as possible. The decision of NATO foreign ministers on Friday that NATO will not be a part of the war is important, and it is necessary to prevent the war from spreading beyond Ukraine. This requires strategic calm and a sense of responsibility. Every step that would drag our country into the war in the neighbourhood, endangering the security of the Hungarian people, must be avoided. Hungary is committed to restoring peace. On Saturday I was on the Hungarian-Ukrainian border. I saw the mass arrivals of refugees, almost only women with children. As one person, they are helped by the country, they come from any part of Ukraine. One of Hungary's biggest humanitarian actions is taking place, which makes it incomprehensible and reprehensible that the vast amount of malicious fake news and disinformation generated against us is threatening the security of Hungarians living across the border. After all, in a war situation, every word has an increased power. I urge everyone to stop spreading malicious fake news.

Madam President, Mr. High Representative. More than 90,000 refugees arrived in Hungary last night. One of the largest humanitarian programmes in Hungarian history is currently underway, in terms of refugees arriving in Hungary and aid to be sent to Ukraine. We welcome everyone, no matter what part of Ukraine they are fleeing from or their ethnicity. The whole country helps as one person. We fully condemn the Russian military aggression and stand for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. Hungary considers unified European action to be key, supports Ukraine's candidate status, and, unlike all malign fake news and disinformation, the Hungarian government supports all common sanctions and unified decisions, including the activation of the European Peace Facility. We cannot allow ourselves to be dragged into the tragic war that is taking place next door. People want peace! In a war situation, national minorities are even more vulnerable and exposed to fake news and disinformation, so we must also pay attention to the security of the Transcarpathian Hungarian community. Now we need strategic calm, so that from the side of violence and weapons, the parties return to negotiations, to diplomatic solutions. We must work to restore peace, both in the neighbourhood and in the region, and we must help Ukraine to do so.

Dear Mr President, Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. With all due respect and solidarity, the Poles are determined to protect their own borders, which are also the external borders of the Union. If a Member State were to protect the external borders, there would be solidarity and material assistance, not a backsliding. In a letter last week, five factions of the European Parliament practically attacked Poland, which was struggling with the migrant crisis, when it demanded the withdrawal of funds. We see that mass illegal migration has become a form of hybrid warfare. It is therefore important to strengthen the protection of the Union’s external borders, including by financing physical barriers, so that the Union is able to protect its security and not put in a vulnerable position. I am pleased that today there is an agreement between the V4, the four heads of government of the Visegrád Group. A new approach is needed to address changed realities. The current legal framework does not help Member States to cope with migratory pressures. Parliament and the Commission must finally make clear the importance of border protection and the impossibility to enter the EU illegally.

Dear Madam President, Mr High Representative, I condemn the use of migration as a threat by Belarus and express our full solidarity with Poland. It is time that, in addition to words, the European Commission does so immediately, with the active help and funding of border protection. This time there is another migration and security crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border. This confirms our position, expressed for years, that the protection of our external borders should finally become a priority. Migrants should not be distributed, migration should not be managed with the help of agencies, but mass illegal migration should be stopped at the external borders. Hungary has shown that this is possible. The creation of border fences at the EU's external borders has not received any support from the EU budget, although this border protection must finally be recognised as an indisputable expression of European solidarity. It is time for the Commission to do the same and provide swift financial support to the efforts of the Member States concerned. Enough with the words, there is no time for technical discussions. This is the only way to protect our already fragile security stability.

Dear Mr President, Stability in the Western Balkans region, as we all know, is in the EU’s security, geopolitical and economic interest. These countries have made progress towards EU membership in a number of areas despite difficulties, according to the Commission's country reports published this week. However, there is no progress with a specific date in the area of enlargement, only enlargement promises on the part of the Union. This is already having a negative impact in the Western Balkans. Disappointment in the region is high and the Western Balkans summit was not enough to counterbalance this. If the Union does not take concrete action as soon as possible, we will lose the confidence of these states in the Member States and third countries will further increase their influence in the region. We Hungarians are actively involved in maintaining stability in the region, and Hungary has just taken over the command of KFOR. We strongly support the accession of Serbia and Montenegro as soon as possible, the opening of negotiations and visa liberalisation with Albania and North Macedonia. The Western Balkans are an integral part of Europe and the countries of the region are surrounded on all sides by the EU, so enlargement is needed as soon as possible.

Dear Madam President, Just as the Commission was unable to deal with the illegal migration crisis in 2015 and has made a mistake and is too late to act, so we now see the same with regard to the energy crisis, with rapidly increasing electricity and gas prices affecting the majority of European citizens. Hungary does not allow the costs of the energy crisis to be paid by its citizens, and has implemented a reduction in public utility charges. Although Hungary has been and is being criticised by the Commission for this, Hungarian consumers feel at most an increase in fuel costs today and not a huge increase in energy prices. While in Berlin the price of gas or electricity is double that of Budapest, and in Vienna it is three times higher. While this is a regulatory issue, the Commission is not assisting Member States. The parallel with the illegal migration crisis is clear. Hungary has been effectively protecting its external borders for years, for which it also receives only discipline. At a time when the EU is under migratory pressure from the East, priority should finally be given to protecting its external borders so that illegal migration can be stopped as far away from Europe as possible. The energy crisis or the migration crisis should not be the subject of a religious dispute either in the EP or in the Member States.

Madam President, please. Illegal migration is not stopped by the mandatory distribution of migrants in the Member States. The root causes of migration must be tackled by helping to stay local and improve the living conditions of countries that issue migrants. EU trust funds have contributed to this by providing vital financial resources to improve health, such as water, in many African countries. Making them more efficient and flexible is therefore a key issue for effective assistance. The financial instruments, in particular the extraordinary instrument targeting Turkey, which is essential for us, have been indispensable in helping Syria's neighbouring countries hosting Syrian refugees. With Turkey hosting more than four million asylum seekers, it is crucial that we continue to provide all assistance to this country. This could and could be a guarantee that millions would not reappear at the Union's external borders. The raison d'être of such funds in any new form is evident, and anyone is cautioned against emptying them, for their value is speed and efficiency.

Mr. President, please. It has been a year since the Belarusian authorities violently ended the protests after the elections in Belarus. How many people have been in jail since then? The situation has deteriorated drastically since then and the Belarusian Government continues to ignore all international obligations in an unacceptable manner. As regards the migration situation at the borders with Belarus, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, we stand in full solidarity with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. All assistance must be given to Poland and Lithuania, as they are protecting the EU's external borders. Today it seems clear that border closures and fences are a solution to curb illegal mass migration. To this day, the Hungarian government receives only criticism and attack from Brussels over the construction of a fence to protect the country and the EU's external borders. Hungary has defended the Western European Member States and continues to do so on the southern border, as Poland and Lithuania have done on the eastern border. Every effort must be made to ensure that migration does not become a political blackmail tool.

Dear Madam President, Afghanistan must not again become a hotbed of international terrorism. It will never happen again on September 11, 2001. The situation in Afghanistan is tragic. Therefore, Hungary did what it was morally obliged to do: evacuated Hungarians and other NATO citizens and Afghans helping the work of the Hungarian contingent. In addition to the failure in Afghanistan, another failure must now be avoided: the recurrence of a migrant crisis such as that of 2015. Let us take humanitarian aid there instead of creating new false illusions and irresponsibly pushing for the escape and distribution of millions of Afghans, as there would be mass marches of people who obviously do not pass through our security checks. At the same time, we must also support the border protection of Turkey and the Western Balkans. The further we stop illegal migration from Europe, the better. That's why we need to bring help to the region.

Mr. President, please. I was born as a member of a national minority community. In the past 17 years, as an MEP, referring to dozens of my questions and the exclusive competence of the Member States to discriminate against these minorities, the Commission has repeatedly written that it does nothing and that its competence does not extend to the issue of minorities. The debate in the Council, and here today the President of the Commission, completely contradicted this. So the question for Mrs von der Leyen is whether the protection of minorities is a national competence for some Member States and not for others? Or does discrimination against certain minorities fall within the competence of the Member States, but not within the competence of other minorities? Unified Attas started against the Hungarian Child Protection Act, without knowing it. They even threatened to bring Hungary to its knees. However, the Charter of Fundamental Rights also states that parents have the right to ensure that their children are educated in accordance with their convictions and that the best interests of the child are paramount. The Commission's analysis that the Hungarian law is problematic because it discriminates against children against adults on certain issues is absurd. The law protects children, above all else. It's worrying if you don't agree.