Hungarian foreign minister blasts Asselborn’s ‘hypocrisy’

Budapest, May 13 (MTI) – In response to recent remarks by Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s foreign minister, his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó dismissed criticism of Hungary’s planned referendum on European Union migrant quotas.

As we wrote, in a German ARD television interview, Asselborn said last weekend that “Europe will die” if member states held referendums to decide EU matters.

“If Europe dies, it will be because of its hypocrisy, which Luxembourg’s foreign minister excels at,” Szijjártó said in an interview to Magyar Nemzet.

Szijjártó said western European politicians always talk about the importance of democracy, but at the point the Hungarian government canvasses opinion on an important issue, they question the most democratic method — a referendum.

The proposal to fine countries that refuse to comply with the EU migrant quota is “plain blackmail” and it goes against common sense, European rules and European interests, Szijjártó said in the interview published on Friday.

Meanwhile, he said Hungary is highly regarded for its participation in international missions. Currently, some 850 Hungarian soldiers serve in various missions abroad and a programme to increase defence spending by 0.1 percent of GDP each year will be extended until 2026, he added.

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