Jobbik backs ethnic Hungarian autonomy endeavours, says Vona

The opposition Jobbik party supports the autonomy endeavours of ethnic Hungarian communities in the Carpathian Basin, party leader Gábor Vona said on Friday. 

To attain this aim, there is a need for a strong Hungary and strong ethnic Hungarian communities, he told a press conference in Budapest.

Vona admitted that Hungary’s current government had made progress in its policy towards Hungarian communities abroad as against the previous Socialist-Free Democrat government, citing the law on the fast-track granting of Hungarian citizenship to ethnic kin.

He added, however, that the government failed to properly address the issues of emigration, assimilation and enforcing collective rights.

Vona criticised the government for “exporting party-policy conflicts and corruption” to Hungarian communities beyond the border, and for “not treating them as equals”.

The Jobbik leader also blamed the government for what he called its failure to raise autonomy issues during negotiations with leaders of the neighbouring countries.

Photo: Balázs Béli

Source: MTI