10th congress of the Party of European Socialists – Socialist leader: Politics based on hate dead end

Budapest (MTI) – Addressing the 10th congress of the Party of European Socialists (PES) on Saturday, the Hungarian Socialist Party’s leader, Jozsef Tobias, called the politics of hate a dead end.

He said a migration policy based on “internal solidarity” and “shared responsibility” in the EU would lead to a good outcome.

One option may be not to restrict the sovereignty of member states, but is coordinated action is more humane and effective, he added.

The Socialists have a common belief that all men are created equal, and no one should be excluded on the basis of their origin, religion, or political opinion, Tobias said, adding that whoever counters these principles excludes himself from Europe.

He noted that Prime Minister Viktor Orban had faced criticism from people in his own political grouping in Europe, the European People’s Party, because they found it awkward to stand by a “pro-death penalty, hateful, anti-refugee, radical politician”. There is no doubt that radical nationalist Jobbik would pursue the same policies were it in government, he added.

The Socialist party leader said all criticism from Brussels that calls Orban’s attention to the importance of upholding western values is important. “We mustn’t forget that we ourselves must see to replacing Viktor Orban,” he said.

Tobias said it was not by chance that the PES had chosen Budapest as the venue of its congress. This testifies to how PES sees a great need for change both in Europe and in Hungary, he said.

The Socialist leader insisted that his party would be the only one capable of replacing the government in the 2018 general election.

The ruling Fidesz party said in a statement that the Socialist Party’s immigration policy does not help Europeans or Hungarians but endangers them, adding that the Socialists are interested in showing solidarity exclusively to migrants. In reaction to Tobias’s remarks, Fidesz said it was outrageous that the Socialists showed greater concern for the interests of migrants than for the jobs and security of Hungarians.

In closing, the congress adopted three resolutions titled “United for Jobs”, “United for Democracy” and “United for Peace”.

A statement by the Socialist party sent to MTI said the resolutions focus on finding “progressive responses” to challenges such as the rise of extremism, unemployment and creating a more inclusive and open society.

The document entitled “United for Jobs” gives concrete proposals for reducing unemployment and improving working conditions, and calls for the creation environmentally friendly jobs.

“United for Democracy” deals with creating a tolerant society and uniting against nationalism. The document says PES envisions a society where people’s rights are guaranteed by the rule of law.

“United for Peace” describes the party’s proposed solutions to the Ukraine conflict, the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean and the threats posed by extremist groups such as the Islamic State and Boko Haram.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters