Debate contributions by Zoltán TARR

Dear Madam President, How is it possible that today in Hungary, who draws attention to the government's erroneous decisions and corruption, it is necessary to fear for its existence? Why is it that when someone questions the government's decisions, they are persecuted and made impossible? Because, dear fellow Members, today in Hungary there is a self-interested government that builds its power on intimidation and lies. Legislation, which often contradicts good morals and is also in force retrospectively, is often created under the guise of night, without social debate. Thus, all the actions of the government are legal, but in fact hypocritical and autocratic. Their only real goal is the power and strengthening of the representatives of the state party sitting with us here in Parliament. The current Hungarian government betrays the future of the Hungarian people, but we do not accept this. The Tisza will govern on the basis of the rule of law. We will eliminate political influence in the judiciary, in education, in relations with churches and civil society organisations. We will restore freedom of the press and assembly and make budgetary management transparent. We bring predictability and legal certainty to support the lives of families and the day-to-day operations of SMEs. "Hungary will be beautiful again, worthy of its old reputation".

Madam President, I'm sorry. At today's meeting, against our will and intent, the umpteenth, deeply anti-democratic step of the Orbán regime, the Transparency Law, commonly known as the Law of Impossibility or Censorship, is again on the agenda. The Tisza community is continuously increasing its advantage over the governing party, and more and more people are supporting the change. The Hungarian government feels its loss and therefore raises a stake. A doomed regime clings to power. What is at stake is the dismantling of freedom. The government speaks of child protection, but does not provide protection against paedophiles. He talks about transparency, but because of his immense corruption, our country is losing EU funds. He's talking about peace, and now he's proven he's preparing for war. Most recently, he also clearly betrayed our foreign Hungarian compatriots when the Prime Minister stood up for the openly anti-Hungarian and ultimately failed Romanian presidential candidate. This draft legislation that we are debating today is trying to distract us from these and the cost-of-living crisis, the luxury of the NER rich. The bill, which has been dubbed the Transparency Act, is nothing more than another Putin tool for Fidesz supporters to arbitrarily label anyone as a foreign agent: journalists, civilians, politicians, without any reasonable suspicion. The aim of the new draft legislation, dear Members, is to silence critical voices and intimidate, which, if successful, will also seriously jeopardise the freedom and integrity of elections. But the head of government has reckoned. He waited for fear, but met with resistance. People are tired of it, and an increasing number of people see the need for change, and there is a chance for that now. We are peaceful and we want peace, but we want peace. I was pleased to hear the Commissioner speak, and we ask that with the same attention and concern the Commission follow what is happening in Hungary and take the necessary steps if people's safety and freedom are put at risk. The word condemnation or moral outrage is not enough, because Orbán lives from it. Actions and concrete steps are needed.

Dear Mr President, A society is strong when everyone finds their place in it and feels good about themselves in that society. Our fellow Roma citizens are not "issues" or "issues", but people who live with us, work with us, raise their children and with whom we shape our common future. Our strategy can only be to create conditions where everyone can have access to quality education, work, basic services and live in dignity. Thank you for what you said, Commissioner, about what the European Union is doing, what the European Union is encouraging in order to implement the Roma strategy and the fight against discrimination. But what matters is what the Member States can do. This is how the strategy itself becomes a reality. And if we look at this, we have a lot of difficulties in Hungary. The government's policy of fear-mongering and sharing has only deepened the exclusion of Roma communities in recent years. Although they talk about improvements, they often exist only on paper or no longer there. There are more projects from which money has been stolen than have actually been realised. 90% of Hungarian Roma still live in extreme poverty on the margins of society. Our social policy stance is aimed at the interests of society as a whole, and we are working to serve the uplifting of all lagging strata. We need to create a legal and financial environment that finally gives us respect and a real chance, not just promise.

Dear Mr President, This may sound strange on this subject, but I'm actually bringing you some good news. Although Hungary has been ruled by an authoritarian, selfish and hypocritical power for 15 years, people dare to assume that they have had enough, and thus there is a real chance for change in the country. And what's the best way to show that change is near? As you may have experienced, Fidesz has always shown itself to be brazenly confident. But seeing TISZA's confident advantage in public opinion polls, it is now desperately rushing and becoming increasingly aggressive. The Prime Minister and his circle are afraid of his power, of his wealth accumulated through corruption. That is why it is taking increasingly harsh decisions and measures, as has been the case in recent weeks with legislative changes, some of which have just been reported by the Commissioner. Let me also say that there are further amendments to the Constitution. This in turn expands the government's toolbox for emergency governance. There has been an emergency in Hungary since 2020, dear friends. From now on, the government can override the law with decrees. Their latest bill threatens the mandate of MEPs if Fidesz inspectors find even the slightest error in our asset declaration. The purpose of these desperate actions is to divide society, to limit our fundamental rights, and to keep authoritarian power at all costs. But my dear friends! In Hungary, a new world is awakening that will not let itself be. Péter Magyar and we travel the country ourselves, and more and more people dare to stand up from the smallest settlements to the largest cities. Our referendum initiative launched a week ago has already been filled in by nearly 600,000 people, and what gives me personally the greatest encouragement and hope is that more and more people are talking in smaller and larger communities all over the country, which we call islands. Despite all the Fidesz hate-mongering and divisions. People exchange views and work together to find solutions to local and national problems. People aren't afraid. Dear fellow Members, The government, feeling the danger, is using every means to break the people's desire for change. But change is inevitable.

Mr. President, please. The most talented young people and the well-educated workforce from Hungary and many other European countries often look elsewhere for opportunities and prosperity, and they find this, because in other places it is easier to set up a company, it is easier to develop innovation, and in many other conditions they find relief compared to what welcomes them in Europe. In addition to the economic and legal difficulties, there are also political pressures on people, as is happening in Hungary today. It also drives many people out of their country. That is why I consider it a very important element of this proposal to encourage talents working in third countries to return home and contribute their work to the prosperity of their own country and Europe. In Hungary, too, this is one of our important ways out of the economic crisis, but achieving this requires political change. At the same time, we know that there is no adequate workforce without training and further training. It is therefore necessary to use modern methods in public education as well. The proposal also proposes to further strengthen the link between education and industry and to support social mobility. This is the way to develop a Union where skills and job opportunities develop together, so that we can build a strong Europe.

What I mean by the heart of Europe is that we live and must live in a Europe where European countries voluntarily cooperate to create a safe, secure and mutually supportive Europe. This requires European countries to cooperate, help each other and respect each other. This is what I mean when I talk about the heart of Europe.

Madam President, dear colleagues, usually I speak Hungarian, but I'm compelled to speak English because I need to speak to the people of Europe on behalf of my fellow Hungarians. In an increasingly uncertain global political situation we need a strong Europe, which requires the establishment of a new security system. Unfortunately, there is a risk that my country, Hungary, will not be part of this because the current Hungarian Prime Minister serves foreign interests. The country's economy is in despair, inflation is soaring and corruption is our present and our future. The government is isolating Hungary. It claims to seek peace, but in reality it endangers the security of Hungarians and that of the whole of Europe. The vast majority of Hungarians believe that Hungary's place is in Europe. Everyone must clearly understand that. Hungary's home is Europe, and Europe's security is equal to Hungary's security. We, the opposition, the Tisza party, are ready to lead Hungary back to the heart of Europe. Our future lies in a strong, secure and prosperous Europe, not in the shadows of the Kremlin.

Dear Madam President, In Serbia, tens of thousands of young people have said in recent months that they have had enough of murderous corruption. They realized that corruption meant not only stealing money, but also sacrificing lives. The tragedy of the building in Novi Sad claimed the lives of 15 people, as we have already heard, and this was not the result of chance, but of a system in which money and power are more important than people's well-being and safety. Therefore, a poor quality investment was made. We know this system, and we live in this system. We also know in Hungary what it means when public money loses its character as public money. The hypocritical Vucic regime has long lost the trust of the people. Like his friend Orban, the head of state systematically and continuously interferes with the sovereignty of other countries. A policy that does not operate on the basis of European values, but solely on the basis of the interests of individuals, is coming to an end in Serbia and other countries, including Hungary. But we also know that change is possible in a community, and it is not a political issue. It's a question of our future. In Serbia, young people say that public money is not a prey, that the country does not belong to parasites, and that the future is not for sale.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Extremist and autocratic regimes are often used to influence society by controlling the interpretation of history. Russia has long used a reinterpretation of history to justify its attempts at domination. Through the example of Ukraine, we can see that where their territorial claims cannot be enforced with weapons, they try to justify their aggression with false myths, disinformation and manipulation of public opinion. In Hungary, we call the state-sponsored and hand-held practice of reinterpreting the events of our history in accordance with political goals and ideological narratives a memory policy. We can go through that, too. Manipulating the interpretation of history does this, confusing, weakening, and ultimately weakening our self-esteem and self-confidence. Let us not allow the reinterpretation of history to be used as a weapon.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Political communication is undergoing a fundamental change today. On social media, you have 5-10 seconds to grab people's attention. I think we need to adapt. The change has never been stopped by prohibition and rigid regulation. But we also know that when politics meets money, it is there that rules and regulations are most needed. Because if they don't, campaigns will be flooded with financially outnumbered people, and politics will be dominated by paid influencers and manipulation machines. In Hungary, we can see and experience this every day. The taxpayers of the government's centralized fake news factory use billions of dollars to build fear and insecurity and smear their opponents. We saw it in the Romanian elections: When foreign influence, power interests and money are behind the manipulation, the whole democratic process is at risk and becomes opaque. One of the main questions, in my view, is how we can regulate the financing of campaigns in such a way that it is transparent and that no one can abuse its financial power. If we act wisely now, we can guarantee that the next elections will be about people's free choice.

Dear Mr President, Academic freedom is an integral part of the cultural heritage of Europe and at the same time of Hungary. Throughout history, however, this legacy has always been attacked by the enemies of Europe. Unfortunately, I have to say that in Hungary today this attack comes primarily from the current populist government against academic freedom. In addition to domestic political influence on academic life, espionage by third countries is also an extremely serious threat. Some governments, such as the current Hungarian government, not only do not protect themselves against such espionage, but they even promote it by not paying attention to it, and sometimes even by actively contributing to it. The current government's pro-China policies are exacerbating the situation. One example of this is that Fudan University in China has launched a project in Budapest, which poses a real interference and security risk. It's not about education, it's about China gaining influence. Dear all of you! This is not just a problem for Hungary, but a pan-European challenge. Europe's sovereignty, competitiveness and R&D performance depend on preventing malicious acts in the academic sphere. If the government of a Member State, such as Hungary, serves foreign interests, it makes the whole Union vulnerable. We therefore welcome, urge and support the establishment of the European Research Security Expertise Centre, which will be able to provide strategic assistance in protecting research institutions and universities, protecting academic freedom and ensuring the security of research. We urge the EU to take concrete action as soon as possible.

Dear Mr President, I, too, came from Budapest as a representative of the Tisza Party, and so we welcome the joint position of the European heads of state and government on enhancing the competitiveness of the European economy. However, we cannot welcome the fact that Viktor Orbán, as the host of the Council of Europe, lied to European prime ministers and citizens. He announced the Budapest Declaration with no small pride, but he did not mention that the Hungarian government is doing everything contrary to it. Some examples include: in terms of energy prices, the construction of a new nuclear power plant, which is key to Hungary's energy security and prices, is delayed due to the government's inability to let go of Comrade Putin's hand. In the same way, the government is lagging behind in the implementation of energy diversification. Similarly, in the field of research and development, the freedom of scientific research has been violated in Hungary, and universities and research institutions are increasingly placed under the political influence of the state party. This is what the most recent bills have done. With regard to the competitiveness of agriculture, the Hungarian government supports large estates close to Fidesz and does not promote higher value-added production. This in turn undermines the competitiveness of agriculture and the future of young people in the sector. The Tisza Party, when it comes to government, will take the Budapest Declaration seriously, and we will exchange corruption for honor, and deprivation for a secure livelihood.

Dear Madam President, Dear colleagues and dear young people, many of you are sitting in the bleachers. We're glad you're here. I think that many of us can agree that new digital technologies, new technologies offer us a lot of good opportunities. I don't want to demonize them. However, we also know that these tools are often used for political manipulation and radicalisation among young people, exacerbated by the spread of fake news and conspiracy theories through these tools. Content producers and platform operators have a huge responsibility in this situation. Their fundamental duty is to monitor the content on their platforms more closely and screen them more responsibly so that young people, who are still here and may be watching us, encounter as little harmful content as possible. The solution, I think, is to increase the conscious use of media in education, not to exclude modern media from schools. Application of existing rules and laws in the Member States and continuous development and monitoring of codes of conduct for large online platforms. We must prevent the spread of hate speech and anti-democratic propaganda and political manipulation among children, and we, as Members, have a great responsibility in this. How we act and what we say is of great importance.

Dear Madam President, Dear Prime Minister, When you responded to the speeches here, you said that you rejected any parallels between 56 and Ukraine's war defence. The fact is that it is you, your colleague sitting behind you, who has brought this parallel, with which you have outraged the people of Hungary, hundreds of thousands of people living in Hungary, but as we have heard, not only the Hungarians, but also those sitting here. Dear fellow Members, Hungary is in big trouble. This is also evidenced by the behaviour of the current Hungarian government in the EU Presidency. Listening to the Hungarian Prime Minister, we can hear that there is no better place on Earth than Hungary, led by the current government. Yet another lost opportunity is this Presidency, which would consciously lead not only my country, but now the whole EU in the wrong direction. Why am I saying all this? It is true that for my critical thinking, evoking communist times, my kidney is not yet kicked off, but with the full agreement of the state party, in April this year I was fired from my state job overnight because I spoke for the separation of church and state. The government has taken the public media hostage, so as a politician, even if it seems that we are free to talk about anything we say, it will not get through because of the crappy propaganda that we still hear in this house today. I am pleased to report that the change in the EP elections has begun at the will of the Hungarian people. The Tisza is the herald of this change, and we will join the European Public Prosecutor's Office, adopt anti-corruption measures and bring home the 8,000 billion forints of EU funds due to the Hungarian people from Brussels.

Dear Madam President, State-sponsored disinformation must be debunked by EU instruments. We already have the Anti-SLAPP Directive and the European Media Regulation in our hands. However, in order to comply with the law, it is also necessary for citizens to be vigilant and active. I come from a country, Hungary, where the current government has perfected its heavy influence over the media with brute force and a lot of money. At the same time, the expectations of the EU show a curved mirror to the Hungarian government's public media, which is lying to the public with noble simplicity. In Hungary, nearly 25,000 Hungarian citizens demanded the impartial operation of the public media over the weekend. The government media ignored us as the largest opposition party for more than 200 days, and in the days when this situation became untenable, they deliberately painted a misleading picture of the position of the Tisza Party. I believe that, while complying with the law, we must educate young people and the whole population, which is a great challenge for the Commission that is now being set up to be prepared for such influences. We must also ensure the freedom of journalists and editors to act according to the values of true journalism.