Justice minister: Government responding to ‘unprecedented attacks by Brussels’

Hungary has been attacked by Brussels “on an unprecedented proportion only because the protection of children and families remains our priority, and in view of this, we are unwilling to let LGBTQ lobby into our schools and kindergartens,” Justice Minister Judit Varga said on Facebook.

The government has responded to “indecent attacks, as well as to the Rule of Law Report of the Commission,” she added in an English-language entry posted late on Monday.

“We have had many disputes with the institutions in Brussels before, however, we have settled them officially by answering all questions correctly, we have addressed all concerns, furthermore, we have always complied with the Treaties.

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“We hit a nerve in Brussels only because we consider the protection of children more important than pampering the LGBTQ lobby. So now they’re using all tools, bringing back old debates, thus foisting everything on us,” she added.

Varga said the sources of the report were one-sided and politically biased, reflecting a double standard against Hungary, “thus, its findings are inaccurate”.

“They expect the independent constitutional organs of Hungary to take decisions that the Commission considers desirable in specific cases – regardless of both facts and regulations,” Varga said. “This is an abuse of power by the Commission,” she added.

“The independence, organisation and administration of the Hungarian judiciary have been examined by international fora,” she said. “Based on these, it can be ascertained that the Hungarian constitutional framework is in line with European standards and provides for a wider range of institutional guarantees than those of many EU Member States,” she added.

“We reject the unfounded and politically motivated concerns of the European Commission regarding the fight against corruption in Hungary. Even in a European comparison, a detailed anti-corruption strategy, an effective whistle-blower protection system and strict criminal law provisions apply in Hungary,” Varga said.

Varga insisted that contrary to the European Commission’s assessment, genuine pluralism prevailed in the media in Hungary. “As opposed to the Western European media landscape, which is largely dominated by left-wing and liberal media channels, the Hungarian situation is more balanced, since all political views and directions can reach the public”, he said.

“Contrary to the unfounded concerns of the European Commission, the diversity of civil society in Hungary is evidenced by around sixty thousand civil society organisations established and operating freely,” she said.

“The 2021 Rule of Law Report of the European Commission is yet another tool for political pressure,” Varga said. “It does not present an objective and substantiated picture of the rule of law situation in Hungary or in other Member States of the European Union. This Report cannot serve as a basis for further EU mechanisms or procedures,” she added.

“We condemn the European Commission’s attempts to intervene in the operation of Hungary’s independent constitutional organs and, as Hungary’s representative in the European Union, we reject on behalf of all the bodies involved the pressure exerted by the European Commission as regards the handling of specific cases,” Varga said.

She said she would share the Hungarian Government’s position “regarding such unprecedented attacks” with the institutions and member states of the European Union in different languages.

“Let common sense prevail,” Varga said.

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Source: MTI