Debate contributions by András LÁSZLÓ

Mr Speaker, as you say, this is a Lithuanian sovereign matter. How they handle their own media doesn't have to be up to us. Yet it is sad that you come here and ask for the floor just to thrash your own country and give a lesson in freedom of speech and freedom of the media while your own party president, Péter Magyar, behaves aggressively and arrogantly towards the Hungarian, otherwise left-wing press. May I ask you, for example, what time is it, Marci? But that's not what I'm gonna ask. I would rather ask, why did Péter Magyar run away from the Hungarian farmers yesterday? (The Chair withdrew the floor)

Mr President, when it comes to migration policy, the European People's Party is so fake. We won't accept promises and half-measures. Despite the EU's objection, Hungary built a big, beautiful border fence to stop illegal migration. And it works. Later, others did the same. Why? Because Europeans have had enough of the migration madness. Stopping illegal entry is the first and most important task, but we need to do more – a lot more. Deportation of illegals is a massive failure. We need to remove all the illegals already in the EU. We need to impose visa sanctions and trade sanctions on countries that refuse to take back their citizens. Yes, that includes tariffs. We must also take a look at people who are here legally but commit serious crimes. We need to revoke their permits. All of this is common sense. So why isn't it happening? Because the European People's Party is too cowardly. We could have a majority to make Europe safe again, but instead the EPP chose to go with the Socialists and the Greens to push for a migration pact that will relocate illegals all across the EU instead of removing them. All this starts on 12 June of this year. The EPP's promises are empty words. Von der Leyen's Commission sued Hungary because we don't allow illegals into Hungary and Europe. We were fined EUR 1 million each and every day until we don't allow illegals into Europe. The EU's contribution to the Hungarian border fence defending the EU is zero. Europeans can only trust Patriots.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Once again, the left-liberal majority in the European Parliament cannot resist interfering in the Hungarian elections. But we know exactly what the game is about. They want to withhold Hungary's share of the new defence programme because they think that Hungarian voters can be bought, or at least blackmailed. You want a puppet government in Budapest, headed by Péter Magyar, who will say no to war credit, no to Ukraine's EU membership and no to the migration pact. Zoltán Tarr made it clear at a Tisa forum that if they win the election, then everything is possible. Four years ago, we promised that Hungary would not send arms or soldiers to Ukraine, and most of all, we will not allow Hungary to be dragged into this war. We kept our word. You are working in vain. The Hungarian people know perfectly well that this is about Hungary's security, and about staying out of this war, then only Fidesz-KDNP is the sure choice.

Because it's insane! I mean, there's not any kind of evidence suggesting that it's social media and the men responsible in Hungary for the fact that women should stay home. That's insane. As I said, if you look at the policy we have done, it's exactly the opposite, what we have done. So I would suggest to you, instead of turning men against women and women against men, we believe in a family policy approach where women and men form a family together and complement each other. That's what I suggest to you, and that's what I suggest to all Hungarian citizens.

You have obviously no information whatsoever about what we have done in the last 15 years. We – Fidesz and KDMP, the Christian Democrats – have put forward so many tax breaks to women and incentivised working women so much. If you look at women's employment rates, they have increased drastically since we're in government. That's the truth. That makes them more independent, doesn't it? Isn't that your argumentation? Well, this is exactly what we did. And we are cutting also their...

Mr President, this Christmas, Ursula von der Leyen got herself a brand new toolbox for censorship and manipulation. Thierry Breton, the Commissioner who tried to censor Elon Musk, is out, but we have two new censorship Commissars: Michael McGrath and Henna Virkkunen. They used the threat of foreign interference as a pretext. The new toolbox is called 'Democracy Shield' because it shields the EU against democracy – against you, dear European citizens. Instead of burning books, they are building a vast network of political NGOs who will be the European overlords of truth. This is also why the European Commission refuses to release the NGO grants worth EUR 17 billion over recent years. The US shut down USAID for this very reason. The Obama and Biden administrations – hand in hand with Soros, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Oak Foundation, and using NED, the German Marshall Fund, Transparency International, the Zinc Network, and Dexis, and many others – have established a network so corrupt it was impossible to reform or trace the funding. Now this network will rely on EU funding to keep it afloat ...

Madam President, I'm sorry. Jointly supporting the European defence industry is not a bad idea, but the Brussels elite managed to ruin it. The original aim was to give the defence industry easier access to EU money that was not originally intended for the defence industry in the EU budget. However, after a closed-door discussion, the EP's Committee on Industry had to vote on ensuring that the Ukrainian defence industry also had access to the funds that were otherwise intended to support the EU's defence industry. Eszter Lakos of Tisza voted for the support of Ukrainian armaments. At the same time, we have heard statements that the EU must take Ukraine into the EU in an accelerated procedure by 2030, and that it must also prepare for a war with Russia by 2030. A coincidence? Hardly. While the US is engaged in peace talks, you have turned a joint defence industrial programme into a war programme for Ukraine. We don't want any of this. European citizens want peace; instead of war plans, we should deal with peace plans.

Madam President, how much longer will the EU allow the persecution of Christians in Nigeria? Who will defend and support Christian communities if Europeans look away? The Hungarian Government launched a programme to help persecuted Christians in the Middle East and in Africa more than ten years ago. In Nigeria, our development projects amount to up to EUR 4 million. We have delivered help to the communities on the ground. The Hungary Helps programme has been very well received everywhere where it is present. As we speak, our colleague, MEP György Hölvényi, is on a similar mission in Syria. Communities on the ground are grateful, yet they are baffled by the fact that most Europeans are looking for excuses instead of speaking up for them and providing help. The new US administration is also finally calling on the Nigerian Government to defend the Christian communities and uphold freedom of religion. They are conducting high-level talks for this purpose. It is high time for European leaders to do the same.

Madam President, do Europeans want the relocation of illegal migrants to their countries? No. Does the European Commission want to relocate illegal migrants across Europe? Yes. We are just one step away from restoring the system of migrant relocation. A system that already failed miserably eight years ago. People want politicians who will stop illegal immigration, not manage it. Just a few minutes ago, we remembered the Islamist attacks in Paris, which claimed the lives of more than 130 people. They went through my country, the perpetrators. They went through your country, Commissioner. We built a fence and stopped illegal entry into Hungary, and then what happened? The European Commission sued Hungary and the court fined Hungary EUR 200 million and EUR 1 million per day until we change our laws, but we won't pay. Your country also built a fence, Commissioner. It gave it a funny name – 'gate with wings' – to avoid calling it a fence. Now, you invented another funny name for relocation: solidarity pool. You can't fool Europeans. They want to stop illegal immigration and they want reimmigration.

Mr President, where are the European peacemakers? Where are the leaders with the vision, with the courage, with the strength to restore peace in Europe? Where are they? The leaders of great European powers are weaker than ever before. Leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom have never been so unpopular. Or does anybody really think that Ursula von der Leyen could negotiate a lasting peace in Europe? I don't think so. It was more than three and a half years ago that Ursula von der Leyen and Joe Biden promised Ukraine victory, and they also promised that sanctions wouldn't impact our economies. How embarrassing. Or perhaps Kaja Kallas – does anyone think she would negotiate a lasting peace? We have recently learned she doesn't even know who won World War II. Thank God, we don't really have a European foreign minister. We have now adopted almost 20 sanctions packages, and the war is still raging. Since 2023, hundreds of thousands have died without a major military breakthrough. And yet, all we hear is 'more weapons', 'more money' and 'more sanctions'. Elites in Brussels mock and sabotage peace efforts. However, our most important ally, the United States, is finally pursuing peace negotiations. So is Prime Minister Orbán. But the majority of the European Parliament refuses diplomacy. You have failed Europeans miserably, and eventually others will decide about the future of our continent. Europeans, Ukrainians and Russians are all losers of this war; the sooner we end it, the better. We need to make Europe great again. Let's start by restoring peace in Europe.

Mr President, we don't need fancy new strategies and even more bureaucracy to defend Europeans against crime. The European internal security strategy is nothing more than an attempt by Ursula von der Leyen to gaslight European citizens. We could immediately halve violent crime in Europe by kicking illegal immigrants out. It would also almost entirely eradicate terrorism in the European Union. We need to let police and border guards do their jobs, but most leaders won't. That's why we have migrant youth in Belgium plotting to bomb the prime minister with drones. That's why a football match between Belgium and Israel had to be organised in Hungary. And that's why we have migrant gangs fighting turf wars with Kalashnikovs in the Brussels metro. This is the security situation in what many call 'the heart of the European Union', and this very House refused to waive the immunity of a violent Antifa member. Instead of defending our borders, returning illegals and locking up criminals, the European Commission is doing the exact opposite. The EU migration pact will relocate migrants across the EU and it will only make things worse.

Mr. President, please. From time to time, the EU is threatening to sue big digital companies, now Google, formerly Apple, Microsoft or Intel. The EU sees them as a kind of milking cow, and sometimes it destroys a billion euros from them. At other times, the Commissioner in charge openly threatens social media platforms to censor content and accounts that the EU does not like. We all remember the blunder when Commissioner Thierry Breton tried to prevent Elon Musk from interviewing Donald Trump during the presidential election campaign. Penalties and threats do not change the point. The EU is increasingly lagging behind in global technological and digital competition. Just to say a few numbers: Only four of the world's top 50 tech companies are European. The share of European tech companies in the global market has fallen from 22 percent to 18 percent in ten years. The U.S. share increased from 30 percent to 38 percent. The US-China AI competition is also remotely viewed by Europe. If the European Commission thinks that penalties can compensate for the digital backlog, it is wrong. Eliminate excessive bureaucracy and big data rules and implement a comprehensive strategy to support innovation. So far, the Von der Leyen Commission has failed on all strategic issues, including this one, which is why change is needed in Brussels.

Oh, Congresswoman. The right-wing and left-wing press are again reporting that TISZA supporters' data has been leaked again. I would like to ask you if you can confirm that the data of TISZA supporters was leaked and, on the other hand, with whom are they developing their software, databases and where are they storing the data of Hungarian citizens?

Dear Madam President, From August to November, the Hungarian Defence Forces act as the leading nation in the surveillance of the airspace of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in cooperation with Spanish and Italian soldiers. This is the fourth time since 2015. Four Hungarian Gripen fighters and 80 Hungarian soldiers are stationed in Lithuania. Already they had to respond to eleven sharp alarms. From here we would like to thank the MH valiant Dezső Szentgyörgyi 101. Flying brigade's work! Thank you for the work of the MH Air Operations Management and Control Centre of Veszprém. Thank you to MH Kiss József 86 of Szolnok. Helicopter Brigade's work and thank you to the Pápai MH 47. The work of the base airfield staff! We would be grateful if our allies would stand up for us, both verbally and in action. The Ukrainian government accused Hungary of infringing airspace. This is completely absurd. And this fake news was repeated here too by Mrs. Hayer! Shame on you. President Zelenskyy has repeatedly threatened and blackmailed Hungary, not only verbally, but also with a series of attacks on an important oil pipeline for Central Europe's energy security. This is unacceptable. As well as the European Commission's cynical denial of the importance of the matter. Hungary and the region were exempted from the Russian oil embargo due to the absence of a coastal port and thus the physical limitations of the supply possibilities. We do not violate any EU sanctions. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian leadership has consistently attacked the oil pipeline supplying our region and has been openly blackmailed by President Zelenskyy. He lies to the Ukrainian people that Ukraine's accession to the EU is decided by the Ukrainians, while everyone in this house knows that this is not true. Membership of the European Union cannot be achieved through extortion. The vast majority of Hungarians said no to Ukraine's EU membership. President Zelenskyy must stop blackmailing.

Just today, I believe, or a few days ago, the Israeli ambassador in Budapest said that Jews feel super safe in Hungary. We're not pitting anyone against anyone. We want to stop the rise of antisemitism. If you just look at the EU Fundamental Rights Agency's latest report on antisemitism, you look at the countries where people feel that antisemitism is increasing, you will see it's all the target countries of mass immigration. If you look at which countries most people say that antisemitism has decreased – that's what they feel – then you will find Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania. Is that a coincidence? I don't think so.

Madam President, here we are on the second anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attacks, and antisemitism is on the rise in the European Union. However, Jews feel much safer in Central Europe. Why is that? Any ideas, Mr Commissioner? Mr Körner, any ideas? Let me solve that for you: we don't import millions of illegal immigrants from Muslim countries. And, let there be no misunderstanding, it is the European Commission which is to blame, and it is the pro-immigration majority of the European Parliament. You on the left and the EPP, you are to blame. Why? Because there are too many cowards in the EPP. You fear the liberal media, you beg for the political support of socialists. In Europe, we have committed the most disgraceful acts against Jews. But, since the Holocaust, we had largely defeated racism and antisemitism. And then elites who pretend to be 'pro-European' imported antisemitism back into the European Union. Congratulations. Your policies are a civilisational disaster for Europe. Only Patriots can make Europe safe again.

Mr President, the EU has been harassing Hungary for ten years now because we built a big, long and beautiful border fence to stop illegal migrants. Ten years ago, Germany and the EU adopted the open borders policy of George Soros. Rapists, extremists and violent criminals have flooded Europe. It has ruined the lives of millions. Hungary did the exact opposite. We stopped more than 1 million illegal immigrants. Europe, you are welcome. But instead of a reward, we got a fine of EUR 200 million plus a fine of EUR 1 million per day until we don't allow illegals into Europe. This is pure madness. At the same time, Ursula von der Leyen visits the Polish border and announces more EU funding for it. Denmark is allowed to detain illegals indefinitely: the double standards and hypocrisy is massive. The damage you have done to Europe is irreversible. Hungary is showing however the way. We won't give in. We won't pay. We will defend our borders. We will defend our women and we will defend our identity, and this is the way to make Europe great again.

Dear Mr President, A few days ago, our fellow Member Péter Magyar again threatened journalists with imprisonment and the suspension of the operating licenses of the media. Why is that? Because they dared to write about the plans of the Tisza Party to raise taxes. If we talked about the press in this way, we would already be on the EP agenda. But it's not Péter Magyar. Not because Péter Magyar is a candidate for Brussels, and therefore the European People's Party and its left-liberal allies are covering for him in anything. We know that raising taxes is a policy of Brussels and Tisza, censorship is a policy of Brussels and Tisza, and Zoltán Tarr also said that only elections must be won and everything can be done afterwards. We've seen this before. In Poland, this policy is pursued by Donald Tusk and the Brussels elite is silent. On the part of Fidesz-KDNP, we have always supported family tax relief and flat-rate taxation, despite all pressure from Brussels, because in Brussels, too, the interests of the Hungarian people come first.

Dear Madam President, At the Budapest Pride we saw everything that confirms that Pride was a political provocation conducted from abroad. 71 MEPs came and thanks to them we are now holding the fiftieth Pride debate in this house. A European Commissioner came to Budapest in person to announce a EUR 1.5 billion NGO funding package with the left-wing mayor. Not that the EU would otherwise not fill the LGBTQ lobby with millions. and the evening before Pride, while international summits followed, yet Ursula von der Leyen found time to send a personalised video message on a matter in which she has no competence. When illegal immigrants attack, they don't send video messages to victims or family members. Does anyone believe it wasn't a political circus? We know the recipe, left-wing activists always work from the same Alinsky handbook. Leftist provocations always have the same goal: Violence and, of course, left-wing media are eager to catch the moment and tell the world that oppression has taken place. That's what they were doing in Budapest, but it didn't work. We Hungarians do not ask for ideological colonization. In a referendum, 3.7 million Hungarians voted in favour of our child protection measures. We're on their side.

Dear Madam President, This report on Georgia is a disgrace, a disgrace to the European Parliament. It is neither European nor democratic in nature and lacks the most basic respect. It is clear, however, that the majority of the European Parliament wants a puppet government in Georgia, and until that happens, you are deliberately working to exacerbate European-Georgian relations. That is exactly the purpose of your report, to mention just a few points. The EP wants to tell Georgians who can be in government, to hold new elections, when, who can organise, who can control the result, and essentially, I quote from the report, ‘what is the real will of the people’. You know that better. The EP wants to decide who the real Georgian civilians are. Those funded by the Biden government through USAID. Now that the Trump administration has blocked money from the global left-wing activist network, they want the EU to adopt these organizations. The European Parliament also wants to decide Georgia's foreign policy. It is a national competence even for EU countries. You do not see Georgia as a partner, but as a colony. We do not need sanctions, but a frank dialogue that respects Georgia's sovereignty, its geopolitical position and focuses on common European-Georgian interests.

Mr President, socialists, liberals and Greens always get away with corruption. This was the case of socialists in Qatargate. This is the case of former Commissioner Reynders, a liberal. This is the case of former Commissioner Timmermans and the green NGOs. All of these corruption scandals are swept under the rug because of the political alliance of the EPP socialists and the liberals. This makes the EPP and Partido Popular a hostage to Pedro Sanchez's corruption in Spain. But another topic. Welcome the MEPs of Tisza back to the Parliament! They were here for the morning debate, they were here for the afternoon debate, but they did not come to vote at noon. When we voted on EU funds for Hungary. When we voted to close Article 7 proceedings against Hungary. Their Brussels party voted against Hungary in everything, as they were asked to do. I'm sure Kinga Kollár is still very happy about it. Shame on you.

There's also Article 14 of the Fundamental Rights Charter, which allows for each and every country to legislate on education affairs as they wish, according to the spirit and the worldview that parents think the education their children should get. Somehow, the courts always ignore Article 14. As I mentioned in my speech in Hungarian – perhaps the translation was not adequate – the European Convention on Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights all state in clauses about freedom of assembly that there are exceptions to this, especially national security, healthcare and moral reasons.