There is no alternative to Hungary’s membership of the European Union at present, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said at a forum in Szekszárd, in southern Hungary, on Thursday.
The reason why is not the EU’s 1.4 percent contribution to Hungarian GDP but because the country is part of the Schengen zone and the single market, it these are a must for the Hungarian economy, Gergely Gulyás said at a roundtable organised by Mathias Corvinus Collegium. European countries individually would compete less well in the global economic environment, he added. Hungary could get by well without EU funds for a long time, and it is not the case that the country’s prosperity depends on the bloc, he said, “but our aim is to get hold of all our EU funds”.
Regarding Visegrád Group cooperation, he said Hungary diverged from Poland on whether Russia was a danger to NATO member states. “Were it up to the Poles, we’d have to get mired in the war,” he said, adding that cooperation with the Poland within the EU was good but “less than spectacular”. Regarding Slovakia and Poland, he said the situation was “not as good as it was a few years ago”, but following elections in both countries and once the war is over, V4 cooperation would improve, he said.
Asked about the project to expand the Paks nuclear power station, he said if construction started next year, it was realistic that the plant could start operating around 2032. Gulyás said one difficulty was that the American and German companies were among suppliers that still wanted to be part of the project, but this required the permission of the respective state. “Let’s see if Siemens gets this,” he said. Siemens, he added, was “not essential” and 3-4 western European companies could step in if it came to it.
Read also Here is when Russia starts building Hungary’s new nuclear power plant
Meanwhile, he said that if Ukraine did not amend its language and education law that makes use of the Hungarian language difficult its route to joining NATO and the EU would be blocked. But he welcomed Ukraine’s recent offer to agree on changing the laws bilaterally as “good news”.
Source: MTI
3 Comments
https://www.nzz.ch/gesellschaft/koenig-orbans-reich-ld.1723532?reduced=true – great factual article, even if it is in German!
So – Hungary receives 2.5 – 5 billion EURO a year from “Brussels”. This equals around 3 percent on our gross domestic product
or GDP. Economists estimate this covers 6 – 7 percent of our national budget. Without this European Union funding, it would be
very hard to demonstrate any economic growth or success.
Gergely Gulyas – Head of the “Yes Prime Ministers” Department – AGAIN – makes predictions, that ADD to his excessive WRONGFUL opinions post February 2020 – on the Factual occurring – decimation of the Hungarian Economy.
Incompetence or just “toeing” the Orban party line?
Gulyas likened to the Foreign Minister – Peter Szijjarto – the BOLD and repetitive USE of PROPAGANDA – keeps coming up, adding to the PILE, that is False News and totally lacking in TRUTH.
Gergely Gulyas – refer Norberts comments, the SURVIVAL of Hungary – as spoken by Gulyas absolute RUBBISH.
Orbans Government – is functioning at this point in time in a DEEPENING red position.
They are driving us have driven us Hungary, into a MASSIVE deepening UGLY Hole.
Hungary a FUTURE with no European Union Membership – PERILOUS.
Hungary – what is going to SUSTAIN our “Trashed” economy?
Hungary – what is going to Stabilize our “Abused” misused Economy?
Hungary – who is going to Invest in Hungary?
Gulyas – dangerous in his continual opinion on our ECOMONY.
To the PM’s Office:
Who are you kidding, and good luck with that (pipe) dream!