Hungarian Christian Democrats harshly criticise the EU in Madrid

The European Union should use all its powers and diplomatic skills to force through a ceasefire in Ukraine, followed by peace talks, deputy group leader of the co-ruling Christian Democrats said on Monday.

Lőrinc Nacsa told MTI in Madrid, where attended a conference of foreign affairs and defence committees of the European Parliament and the parliaments of EU member states, that Hungary resolutely stood up for the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia (Kárpátalja), “which the political establishment in Kiev has been systematically cutting back in recent years”.

“Fortunately, an increasing number of European politicians are aware of this situation and the situation of ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia, the education law and the narrowing of minority rights, so the issue is receiving increasing attention,” he said.

Attended by representatives of invited countries including Turkey, Serbia, Georgia, Norway and the UK, the meeting also reviewed external foreign policy and security policy challenges facing the EU. In addition to the war in Ukraine, the protection of the EU’s external borders and migration were also discussed.

“Instead of producing migrant pacts and creating migrant ghettos within its territory, the EU should protect its external borders and support countries that protect the external borders,” he said.

Participants at the conference discussed EU enlargement plans, Nacsa said, adding that enlargement was highly important for Hungary and that “delays are making the EU weaker”.

He said Georgia should receive member candidate status as soon as possible and progress should be made in Western Balkans integration, as well as approval of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession, he said.

He noted the importance of the European parliamentary elections next year to ensure that the EU becomes more effective and better represents the interests of European citizens.

“What we can see is that due to the unsuccessful policies of Brussels in recent years, the EU was in a weakened state when it was hit by multiple challenges,”

he said. “So, the governments and parliaments of member states must have a greater role in decision-making than the Brussels bureaucracy,” he added.

At the same time, the EU is strong only if it faces outwards united, so any deviation from unanimous decision-making rules or talks about this are against the EU’s interests, he added.

As we wrote a few days ago, following a decision by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Agency (NACA), OTP is temporarily removed from the list of war supporters. However, this is not enough for the Hungarian government. Details HERE.