Speeches

Madam President, please. In the context of a year-long war in Ukraine, the Council, as we have heard, focused on increasing the supply of weapons and ammunition. However, a truce and peace would be needed to avoid escalation, while continuing to stand up for Ukraine's independence. In the same way: The European integration of Ukraine should be supported, while guaranteeing the rights of minorities living on its territory, including Transcarpathian Hungarians, should be a prerequisite. The EU needs a strategic reorientation. The serious consequences of the war in Ukraine – inflation, energy prices and increasing illegal migration pressure at the external borders – are clear signs of this. While the declarations and plans are ambitious, they lack realistic impact assessments, just as they lack analysis of the impact of the sanctions imposed on Russia. The ideological approach damages Europe's competitiveness and threatens economic growth.

Dear Mr President, Mr. High Representative. My fellow Members! Israel has a stable, democratically elected government, and attacks on it prove once again that left-wing forces are unable to accept a result they do not like in an election. The left is now attacking Israel because of elections, on a political basis, just as it is attacking Hungary. It is time to finally respect the will of the majority of voters and the outcome of democratic elections. After many decades, the conclusion of the Abraham Accords could be the guarantee of lasting peace between Israel and the Arab countries. The Israeli Prime Minister deserves recognition for his efforts for stability in the Middle East region. This is also crucial for Europe's security, as the lack of it leads to an increase in the terrorist threat and illegal migration flows. It is in Europe's vital interest to support the Middle East peace process. Israel's right to self-defence must be respected. Any terrorist attack on Israeli citizens should be condemned. Reconciliation is finally needed.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The hardest part was dealing with the stories that were hidden behind the pain we saw there, said the Hungarian rescue team HUNOR, who arrived home last night. Our sympathy is with the victims of the earthquake, their relatives, and we trust in the recovery of the many wounded. Hungary was among the first to offer its assistance and sent search and rescue teams and medical assistance to the region. The rescue team of the disaster management, together with the Hungarian charities, rescued more than 30 people alive from the ruins in Turkey with 167 people and 29 search dogs. Thank you for your dedication and perseverance. Hungary, as the only European state, is also helping Syria. With the support of the Hungary Helps Program, the Hungarian Charity Service of Malta has installed mobile rescue stations in the country. After saving lives, comprehensive and rapid humanitarian aid is now the most important. In addition to human tragedies, the built environment has also been greatly damaged. Europe must provide all assistance to Turkey as quickly as possible, but also to the disaster-stricken Syrian region and population. That's what's most needed right now.

Dear Mr President, Commissioner, Dear Members, The migratory pressure at the EU's external borders is offensive and is increasing at a worrying rate. Violence against border guards on the Western Balkans migration route is regular. The only solution is to protect the EU's external borders and stop illegal migration. Therefore, proposals that still do not want to stop illegal immigration, but only to manage it, are harmful. The solidarity-based distribution system will continue to be an incentive for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants and routes for criminal smuggling organisations. The EU's asylum system seems to have failed. Member States take action themselves to curb illegal migration. Despite the sacrifices made by Hungary to protect our common external borders, Hungary has only been attacked in the back by Brussels. The European Commission must finally reimburse Hungary's costs for border management measures, finally supporting the Member States protecting the external borders in their efforts to ensure the security of the EU as a whole.

Mr. President, please. The unprecedented times in the history of the Union, the war, the instability around us, require strategic consideration. Unfortunately, this is not reflected in the reports we are now debating, which in many cases seem more activist NGO-type than considerate. These could be detrimental both to the EP and to the EU's foreign policy as a whole. An example of this is the unprecedented and unworthy criticism of the Enlargement Commissioner in the Foreign Affairs Report. And who plays a key role in reinvigorating the EU's enlargement policy. In the area of common policies, strengthening cooperation between Member States is a key issue. Proposals to abolish unanimity-based decision-making run counter not only to the Treaties, but also to the fundamental interests of the Union. In fact, the introduction of majority decision-making is only in the interest of a few larger Member States, while it would seriously undermine the assertion of sovereignty by smaller states and mutual solidarity. In fact, the preservation of unanimity means the protection of the principle of unity in diversity, of cooperation based on good faith. I've got to stand up for him.

Madam President, I'm sorry. 30 years ago, we hoped that the UN declaration would also help protect minorities in Europe. Since 2004, I have been fighting for the protection of indigenous national and linguistic minorities in the European Parliament. As co-chair of the Working Group on Minorities, we continue to face the fact that millions of EU citizens, including hundreds of thousands of Hungarians, are treated as second-class citizens in many EU Member States. Despite discrimination, numerous violations, restrictions or lack of use of the mother tongue, the European Commission does not want to be at the forefront of the rights of these minorities. Thus, they become victims of double standards, their requests fall on deaf ears. Let us think of the European Citizens' Initiative for the Protection of Minorities, supported by millions of people, which the Commission swept off the table with a loose hand. The European Court of Justice confirmed this decision in a judgment. However, there is a great need for a comprehensive European, indigenous national and linguistic minority protection framework. It is regrettable that the EP did not even intend to take a resolution on such a serious issue.

Mr. President, please. Double standards on the veto issue are unacceptable in the European Union. It is a grossly hypocritical attitude that while Hungary – unjustly and unjustly – is accused of destroying European unity and vetoing it, when it courageously stands up for its position and values, the old Member States can do so without consequences in much more serious cases. These cases can only be called a lack of agreement and never a veto. The title of today's debate reflects this bias. It is misleading for political purposes. What the left-liberal mainstream here calls a veto is the unanimous decision-making enshrined in the treaties, which is the basis for cooperation in good faith. European integration was created by the Member States, who are the masters of the Treaties. That is why the founders guaranteed the right not to decide on matters that mattered to them without them. The abolition of unanimity would eliminate the sovereignty of the Member States and would be the completion of centralisation in Brussels. It would make it impossible to think differently, to disagree, and it would undermine European unity. The Union cannot become a United States of Europe serving federalist interests.

Mr. President, please. We welcome Croatia's accession to the Schengen area and remain fully committed to the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria. The two countries have been waiting eleven years for Schengen membership, when the European Commission first announced that they are ready to join. The European Parliament has confirmed this in numerous resolutions. Romania and Bulgaria are in an undignified position due to a lack of consensus, even though they have fully fulfilled the conditions. They are heavily protecting their borders, the EU's external borders, and they have done a lot to curb illegal migration. The Schengen Agreement, the absence of internal borders, is one of the main achievements of European integration. It is unacceptable that EU Member States are unjustifiably stuck in addition to this. It is a grossly hypocritical attitude that while Hungary is wrongly and unjustly accused of destroying European unity, some old Member States can break up unity on such a serious issue without consequences.

Dear Mr President, The migration crisis must not be tackled, but prevented. Hungary’s southern border is practically under migratory siege. The authorities prevented around 250,000 attempts to cross the border illegally this year alone. Illegal migrants and smugglers often violently attack border guards. Since 2015, Hungary has spent 650 billion forints to protect the southern border. Only 2% of this was provided by the European Union. In doing so, it supports NGOs that facilitate illegal migration by sea or land. In order to prevent migrants from congesting at the Serbian-Hungarian border, Austria and Hungary have agreed with Serbia on further measures to curb illegal migration to the EU along the Western Balkans route, as the EU's asylum system appears to have failed.

Dear Madam President, Commissioner, Threats to peace in Europe highlight the geopolitical importance of enlargement. The EU should not further delay the strategic enlargement process in the Western Balkans. It must offer a credible alternative, which is both an opportunity and a responsibility. The region has also become a key region for Europe to secure long-term energy supplies and manage migration crises. The illegal migration crisis on the Western Balkan route is aggravating, which can be solved by the integration of the region and its key player, Serbia. The Serbian-Austrian-Hungarian declaration of intent to push back illegal migrants at the external borders concluded last week in Belgrade is therefore to be welcomed. In this report, the politicised tightening of conditionality sends the wrong message, making Serbia, for example, unsure about its accession. For us, however, the proposal to abolish unanimity is unacceptable, as majority decisions would seriously jeopardise the political sovereignty of smaller Member States. Especially in foreign policy decisions.

Dear Madam President, Commissioner, We have never had such a need for close cooperation with the countries of the Middle East, as the global trade in raw materials is changing drastically as a result of war and energy sanctions. Already a global leader in energy, the countries of the region are indispensable partners not only in solving the energy crisis in Europe, but also in the field of renewable energy sources. At the same time, we must pay attention to the protection of Christian minorities living in an increasingly vulnerable situation in the region, so that it is not and cannot be the subject of political bargaining, and therefore we must help Christians persecuted in the region. We all know that peace and stability in the Middle East are the cornerstones of our security, and that is why all agreements promoting stability, such as the Abraham Accords, are important. All stable governance is to be welcomed, and therefore the result of the Israeli elections, which guarantee stable governance, is to be welcomed.

Thank you for the question. Well, Hungary is the country where, if questions arise that affect people's everyday lives and practically the entire Hungarian economy, we ask people's opinion. This is the national consultation, as we call it at home. This is about the fact that we are curious about what Hungarian citizens think about energy sanctions. I think this could be done in many countries, in the Member States of the European Union.

Mr. President, please. Europe is in a serious economic situation. Due to skyrocketing energy prices, inflation is rising across Europe, so do not take any further EU measures or sanctions that worsen the situation and threaten to reduce the availability of energy sources. It should be taken into account that the exposure and possibilities of each Member State are different, so it is acceptable for the Council to agree that the possible introduction of a gas price cap should not jeopardise gas supply contracts. So far, or any new energy sanctions, instead of bringing the war to an end, are slowly destroying Europe's economy. Since the outbreak of the war, we Hungarians have condemned the Russian military aggression and supported Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees. Today, 33 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Europe is not united. For ideological reasons, Member States such as Poland and Hungary are discriminated against, for example in terms of access to financial funds. Hungary is fulfilling its constructive commitments. We hope that the Commission will now deliver. (The speaker is willing to respond to a blue card intervention)

Dear Madam President, The European Union has a historic responsibility to give impetus to enlargement towards the Western Balkans. The inclusion of the Western Balkan countries in this war period is now crucial not only from an economic and strategic point of view, but also from a defence and security point of view, and we especially need this region to remain stable. Therefore, Hungary is committed to supporting accession and setting a concrete timetable. We welcome the Commission's formal proposal for Bosnia and Herzegovina's EU candidate status. If enlargement were to be delayed further, the security interests of Europe, including Hungary, would be seriously harmed. Illegal migratory pressure along the risky Western Balkan route, which is increasing, must be stopped. The region, especially Serbia, can play a key role in protecting the EU's external borders. The consequences of the European energy crisis also need to be mitigated in the Western Balkans, which is why joint energy cooperation projects need to be implemented as soon as possible.

Dear Mr President, As part of the largest humanitarian operation in its history, Hungary is making extraordinary efforts to welcome Ukrainian refugees. We are one of the EU Member States hosting the highest number of Ukrainian refugees in proportion to the population. The care of refugees is continuous and covers everything. Thousands of Ukrainian children are placed in our public education institutions. We provide hospital beds for over a thousand patients, spend on medical supplies and help the rehabilitation of Ukrainian soldiers. While the war has resulted in the arrival of 1.5 million war refugees from the east, mostly women, children, the elderly, while the number of illegal immigrants – mostly young men – from the south along the Western Balkans route is rapidly increasing. Armed groups are organised to attack border guards. This shows the need to strengthen the Union's external borders. Instead of the misguided Brussels migration strategy, support should be given to the Member States that ensure the protection of the EU's external borders, including Hungary.

Dear Mr President, As part of the largest humanitarian operation in its history, Hungary is making extraordinary efforts to welcome Ukrainian refugees. We are one of the EU Member States hosting the highest number of Ukrainian refugees in proportion to the population. The care of the refugees is continuous... (The Chair interrupted the speaker)

Dear Madam President, Commissioner, Europe's security also depends on Africa's stability. Severe water shortages, food crises, religious and political conflicts are triggering ever-increasing migration flows, increasing the terrorist threat and the security threat. However, Africa and the countries of the Somali Peninsula could be seen as an opportunity if the EU were to play a meaningful role in strengthening economic and political stability in the region and addressing the causes of conflict and migration on the ground. Instead, it pushes for unilateral aid, migration and sexual and reproductive leftist ideological aspirations. Brussels' policies to encourage migration will not change, although a migration policy that respects national competences would finally be needed. Illegal immigration must be stopped and the EU's external borders strengthened. We also see this on a daily basis on one of the most affected migration routes in the Western Balkans. The stability of Africa and stopping illegal migration is one of the keys to Europe's security.

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.