Hungary will not be intimidated by what the government believes to be “alarming statements” by Prime Minister Mark Rutte about the rule of law. The country will his veto over the EU budget and not withdraw the coronavirus recovery fund, even if payments from it are linked to respect for the rule of law. The Secretary of State for International Communications Zoltán Kovács made this clear on Friday against News hour.
Kovács is one of the main advisers to the controversial Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. He calls the EU report on the rule of law in, among others, member state Hungary “bullshit”.
The report says that in addition to the legal system, freedom of the press is also under pressure. Independent media deal with systematic opposition and intimidation, it is written.
Kovács lashes out at Rutte, because the prime minister demands that countries like Hungary and Poland show respect for the rule of law in exchange for billions in EU money. Several member states, including the Netherlands, have been around for some time for such a link between subsidies and the rule of law in the European budget.
Watch a fragment of the interview that Nieuwsuur had with State Secretary Zoltán Kovács, who responds to Rutte’s statements about the rule of law.
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State Secretary Zoltán Kovács about Rutte’s statements
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‘Ridiculous Political Sentiments’
“It is alarming that these empty political words are being used in a debate that should really be about recovery,” said Kovács. He thinks Rutte should understand that Europe needs something other than what he thinks is an endless discussion about the rule of law. “The European economy has been hit hard in both 2008 and especially during the corona crisis,” he says.
In the midst of this economic crisis, Rutte and other Western leaders use ridiculous political sentiments, positions and conditions, he says. But according to Rutte, Prime Minister Orbán limits, among other things, gay rights and freedom of the press. Rutte thinks that countries such as Poland and Hungary should realize that the EU cannot just give money to countries that are not closely committed to the rule of law.
Kovács does not share that view. According to him, the Dutch prime minister uses “empty language in many ways”. Under the guise of protecting the rule of law, Rutte and others are acting against the rule of law in the EU, he believes.
The Hungarian is not impressed by the suggestion to continue with the distribution of EUR 1.8 trillion in the EU budget and the corona recovery fund without Hungary. “It sounds easy, but they are just trying to get around the existing rules. But the European Commission is not a tribunal. If they have complaints, they should go to the European Court of Justice.”
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Kovács also denounces that his country of nearly 10 million people is holding the EU in a financial stranglehold. “We are not holding anyone hostage. A veto is part of European legislation and is precisely intended for a situation like this.”
Distract from sex scandal
With this hard line towards criticized Brussels, the conservative and Christian family values-preaching government also hopes to divert attention from a sex scandal involving EU parliamentarian and co-founder of the ruling Fidesz party József Szájer, which has now resigned his seat in Brussels. He attended a gay sex party last week.
This seemed inconsistent with the new Hungarian constitution that he co-written, which states that marriage is an exclusive union between a man and woman. The fact that Szájer, who was married to a woman, took part in this with drugs in his pocket is called ‘hypocritical’ by the opposition and the ‘moral bankruptcy of Fidesz’. Kovács does not share that view. “Only one person is hypocritical. His behavior was unacceptable and that’s why he left. It’s a tragic private matter, but it has nothing to do with the values of our political community.”
During the pandemic, it is illegal to protest the government’s corona policy. Anyone who does this will be intimidated, arrested and face a five-year prison sentence. News Hour spoke this summer with Hungarians who are critical of their government’s policies.
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