Jobbik – Fidesz needs to make a choice: Rogán’s dirty money or Hungary’s security?

Talking in his press conference on Wednesday, Fidesz’ Parliamentary faction leader Lajos Kósa said if Gábor Vona’s party refuses to vote for the anti-quota constitutional amendment, it will amount to high treason. Jobbik’s spokesman Ádám Mirkóczki responded that Mr. Kósa either had no idea what he was talking about or he was lying and Fidesz would need to decide which was more important for them: “Rogán’s dirty money or Hungary’s security.

In Mr. Kósa’s view, Mr. Vona’s request for a guarantee that the residency bond business would no longer ensure a gateway for “rich migrants”, is just as if he asked them to buy a Wartburg half shaft in return for his signature.

As we reported earlier, Jobbik’s president announced in his press conference held after his one-on-one meeting with Viktor Orbán that he had wanted to clarify an interpretation problem with the Prime Minister, but he could not reach his goal. The meeting revealed that Mr. Orbán was not willing to provide a guarantee that the planned constitutional amendment would not only put an end to the influx of “poor migrants” but also the residency bond business, a project related to cabinet minister Antal Rogán.

Jobbik’s president’s view is that “Jobbik can only support a constitutional amendment as long as it rejects all forms of migration and migrant settlement. We want neither poor nor rich migrants to be settled in Hungary. We want neither poor nor rich terrorists to come to Hungary. We want neither Mr. Juncker nor Mr. Rogán to be able to settle migrants in Hungary. Neither for free, nor for money. Neither across the border fence, nor by residency bonds.”

In his press conference, Mr. Kósa stated that while the residency bond system was not perfect, you must still distinguish between burglars and lodgers as there is a difference between those breaking into the country and those buying residency permits for money. Answering Alfahir’s question as to whether the faction leader would let such people enter his house who had contracted him through offshore companies, thus putting his family’s security at risk, he said the analogy was wrong.

In his view, the identities of residency bond buyers can be verified and the controlling mechanisms function properly. Responding to our next question about the Russian businessman who slipped through control and others who use various ploys, e.g. counterfeit documents, to circumvent the system, he said “there is no perfect system, the possibility of error is always there”, adding that if we know of any persons posing a national security risk, we should report them to the authorities. Our next question was how we could possibly do so since the data of residency bond buyers were not disclosed to the public. He answered that we should turn to the competent authorities and, as long as we observe “the relevant data management rules” we can ask for “relevant data” at the “relevant place”. Well, we will surely look into that.

The Socialist Party announced that they considered Jobbik’s approach to the constitutional amendment as profiteering. Talking about the matter in his press conference held Wednesday afternoon, Jobbik’s spokesman Ádám Mirkóczki compared the Socialists to warriors who rush to the battlefield but realize that they left their weapons at home, so they stand behind Fidesz’ back and parrot the government’s propaganda, calling Jobbik to account for refusing to back Orbán’s bill. Mirkóczki added that there was no reason to waste any more words on the Socialists.

Regarding the statements made by Fidesz’ faction leader, he said Mr. Kósa either had no idea what he was talking about or he lied. As Mr. Mirkóczki ruled out the former, he concluded that Mr. Kósa was not telling the truth. In Jobbik’s view, the question is “what is more important for Fidesz: Rogán’s dirty money or Hungary’s security?”

In Mirkóczki’s opinion, Jobbik deserves credit rather than criticism for always being a step ahead of the government. As he put it, Jobbik was right half a year ago when they said a constitutional amendment was inevitable but Fidesz needed several months and spent 20 bn HUF to finally realize the same thing.

“We are right again,” emphasized Mirkóczki, who believes it is nothing but utter dilettantism to say that the residency bonds have nothing to do with the goals of the constitutional amendment. The politician expressed his view that the list of businessmen buying residency bonds may include individuals who pose a national security risk and potentially organize terrorist networks, so all gateways must be closed for them.

The spokesman added that there was no contradiction in their policy and refuted the interpretation that Jobbik was setting conditions. In Jobbik’s view, a constitutional amendment is obviously necessary, and it should clearly close all gateways for rich and poor migrants as well. As the Hungarian media reported earlier, the four-tier filtering mechanism considered so efficient by the Hungarian government failed since foreign individuals under criminal charges were still able to enter Hungary. The opposition party’s opinion is that it is Fidesz who profiteers in this matter and is ready to sacrifice Hungary’s security for Antal Rogán’s business.

Jobbik will be represented by faction leader János Volner in the upcoming five-party roundtable discussion, where he will present a clear and specific proposal.

Mirkóczki pointed out that “no matter how the neoprimitive propaganda machine of Habony Media Works turns up the volume,”, if the government wants Jobbik to vote for the constitutional bill on 8th November, they will have to cancel the institution of residency bonds by no later than 7th November, because this is the only way to ensure Hungary’s security.

Source: Jobbik press release