Agreement is close, the Hungarian government will soon own Budapest Airport

Commenting on soaring fuel prices, Gulyás said the government was looking to find alternative sources, adding that it viewed the five-fold increase of transit fees as “incorrect business conduct”.

EU funding and price of gas

Answering a question, Gulyás said the government would not change the price of household gas until December 31. He added that if prices would be adjusted to fluctuating world market prices, the price of electricity would have to be radically increased both below and above the utility price cap limits and the price of gas below that limit.

Answering another question, he said the government would assess at the end of September whether a pension adjustment should be carried out.

Asked about the payment of EU funding Hungary is entitled to, Gulyás said that the government hoped that the European Commission would “return” to acting in line with the law and that there would be no obstacles that hinder the unlocking of funds. He argued that Hungary had met all criteria set by Brussels and the EC had until November to take a decision. As regards access to funds available under the current seven-year budgetary framework, Gulyás said Hungary aimed to get the full amount and the government was conducting talks in Brussels accordingly.

Commenting on recent talks by Klára Dobrev, an MEP of opposition DK, with an American “pro-war” politician supporting weapon deliveries to Ukraine, Gulyás said the Hungarian left wing would deliver weapons to Ukraine, if they were in power. He called the left wing’s pro-war stance “an irresponsible” policy towards the around 100,000 ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region.

Commenting on Wednesday’s address of the EP president, Gulyás said that the government was not surprised that Brussels had not changed its position on the war in Ukraine, on migration and the LGBTQ issues. “We would welcome if Brussels addressed Europe’s real problems,” he said. Europe has a vested interest in achieving peace, Gulyás said, adding that the government would not support migration quotas and migrant redistribution schemes.

He said it was difficult to figure out from Ursula von der Leyen’s Wednesday speech whether Hungary would receive any contribution to the costs of the fence it had erected on its border, but he expressed hope that a part of it would be reimbursed.

Commenting on reports that Ukraine was ready to amend its minority laws, he said the foreign ministry was also ready for this. When President Katalin Novak held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, one of the five points they agreed on was that the issues concerning ethnic minorities’ language use must be addressed. An acceptable solution would be for Ukraine to reach an agreement with Hungary and amend the situation. Once an agreement is reached, the Ukrainian parliament approves it and the law enters force, then the reason for Hungary blocking Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations will cease to exist, he said. “We would like this to happen”

Budapest Airport

Commenting on negotiations about Budapest airport, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said that they would not reveal details before an agreement is reached. The “good news” would be announced in every detail once the agreement is signed, Gulyás said.

He said it was unreasonable to compare the amount allocated for purchasing the airport with the amount needed to raise teachers’ wages. The raise of teachers’ salaries is being postponed not by the government but by left-wing MEPs lobbying in Brussels against teachers getting 800,000 forints a month while they pocket 6 million forints, he added.

The purchase of the airport could increase state debt but not the budget deficit, he said.

Gulyás said it was in Europe’s interest that economic ties are maintained with all large economic powers and accordingly, Hungary wants to maintain cooperation with China. Prime Minister Viktor Orban is expected to visit China in October, he added.

In response to a question about Hungary not handing over to Ukraine refugees who had been drafted in the army, he said no such request had been received from Ukraine and in line with the Geneva Convention, refugees must not be handed over anyway.

In response to a comment regarding an increasing number of refugees crossing the border to Slovakia illegally, he said all Hungary could do was to protect the southern borders. By doing so, Hungary also protects Slovakia from tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of refugees, he added.

Source: MTI