PM Orbán’s chief advisor slammed Ukraine’s minority policy

The war in Ukraine cannot justify that country’s curbing the rights of ethnic minorities and “cannot exempt Ukraine from meeting the European Union’s criteria for candidate members,” Katalin Szili, the prime minister’s chief advisor, said at the 32nd “Tusványos” summer university course at Băile Tușnad (Tusnádfürdő), in central Romania, on Thursday.

“Obviously, making peace is of paramount importance but if EU integration is a priority for Ukraine it needs to meet all criteria that the EU has defined for all aspirants,” Szili said. Szili insisted that a Ukrainian law passed in December last year “clearly stipulates assimilation for ethnics”, adding that “the closer Ukraine is to the EU, the more it dismantles ethnic minority rights”.

Being in a war situation “does not mean that Hungary should keep quiet over ethnic minority issues”, Szili said, adding that “Romania and all other neighbouring countries” had spoken up in protection of ethnic kin. “Ethnic minorities living in blocs should be granted self-governance, communities in the diaspora should be granted cultural autonomy, just as is done elsewhere in Europe,” Szili said.

EU could be torn apart if it tries to dictate in legislation

It will tear the European Union apart if Brussels tries to dictate in legislation because this process will lead to member states not complying with EU decisions, incoming Justice Minister Bence Tuzson said in a panel discussion at the “Tusványos” Summer University in Băile Tușnad, Romania, on Thursday.

Tuzson said the EU wants to force its will on member states through stealthy legislation, by loosening legal concepts, setting indefinable standards of rule of law and enforcing European law against national law by judicial means. Yet EU law can only be enforced if it does not conflict with the constitution of member states so this harmful trend can be stopped by the constitutional court, the minister said.