EP election – Orbán: Voters express ‘clear wish’ for change in Brussels

Hungarian voters at Sunday’s European Parliament election “expressed clearly that they want a change in Brussels”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in parliament on Monday.

Hungarians want to see European leaders “working to stop migration rather than organise it”, leaders who “respect Europe’s nations and seek to protect Christian culture”, the prime minister said. “Hungarians want leaders for whom the interests of the European people always come first,” he added, pledging support for such leaders only.

Addressing a plenary session, Orbán said

voters “have asked” their MEPs to represent the interests of Hungarians in Brussels and not the other way round.

“Hungarians have once again expressed trust in the allied governing parties and the government; we have garnered larger support than a year ago,” the prime minister said, referring to their showing in the general election last spring.

In Sunday’s ballot, Hungarian voters gave the government a strong mandate which Orbán said was “for representing change in Brussels”.

“It is an assignment, and we will do our utmost to best represent the will of Hungarians in European politics,” he said.

Orbán said Hungarians have once again expressed trust in the allied governing parties, giving the government larger support than a year ago, referring to their showing in the general election last spring.

Hungarian voters in Sunday’s ballot “have asked” their MEPs to represent the interests of Hungarians in Brussels and not the other way round.

The ballot also made it clear that Hungarian voters want the government to continue the work and follow the path it has embarked on, Orbán said.

Hungary’s economy has continued to perform better over the past twelve months since the general election last spring, Orbán said, noting a 5.2 percent GDP growth in the first quarter of 2019.

Figures of the first quarter show that Hungary’s economy has grown at the highest rate in the European Union placing Hungary “among the top three most quickly developing economies in Europe”, he said.

Orbán said that

the Hungarian economy further improved in the past year, while the EU’s performance was “not as good”, with the community’s old members producing a slower growth than previously.

The government’s goal is therefore “to protect Hungary’s economic achievements and ensure a GDP growth exceeding the European Union’s average by 2 percentage points.”

The prime minister announced that he would submit an economic action plan to achieve these goals.

Source: MTI