EC registering civic initiative against Hungary ‘unfair’, says Trocsanyi

Budapest, December 8 (MTI) – The European Commission’s decision to register a civic initiative aiming to launch a procedure against Hungary is unfair, Justice Minister Laszlo Trocsanyi said on Tuesday.

“Raising the issue itself essentially goes against the aims of the European civic initiative,” Trocsanyi told parliament’s European affairs committee during his annual hearing. The original aim of such an initiative is to trigger a legislative procedure and not to have the EU “treat someone as a scapegoat”, he said, adding that Hungary is currently assessing its options in the case.

In response to questions, Trocsanyi said there are many uncertainties in the EU and many different opinions have developed about the future of European integration. For instance, several member states show strong signs of euro-skepticism, he said.

Trocsanyi said contrasting views have developed between the political elite in Brussels and the EU’s population and also between various member states.

Hungary has a very active European presence and Prime Minister Viktor Orban has made several marked statements in Europe that have attracted attention, so he currently “fulfils the role of an opinion-shaper”, Trocsanyi said.

“In this respect there is a war of ideologies” and the aforementioned civic initiative is part of this fight, he said.

Hungary’s decision to seal the borders has directed attention to the need of guarding Schengen borders, he said.

Starting this summer, many politicians throughout Europe declared the Dublin agreement as “dead”. While most countries allowed the migrants to pass through, without registering them, Hungary acted in line with the rules, the minister said.

It is not acceptable that the agreement is ignored when the migrants enter the EU and only observed when they are being expelled, so that countries that initially kept to the rules are the ones that “take the blame and put up with the consequences. This would involve the use of double standards and Hungary will act against it,” he said.

The minister said the EC currently only has disputes in economic issues with Hungary. The basic law, the media law and the independence of the judiciary are not disputed topics anymore.

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