Brexit

British ambassador: No change for Hungarians living in UK after Brexit

Nothing will change for Hungarians living in the United Kingdom after it leaves the European Union, the British ambassador to Hungary said on Thursday.

After the official date of Brexit, January 31, Hungarians can continue to freely travel to the UK until the end of 2020 and work or study there, Iain Lindsay told public news broadcaster M1.

When a country becomes an EU member state, it loses an element of its sovereignty, he said, adding that “we are regaining that sovereignty and want to take the opportunity to renew and strengthen our bilateral relations with Hungary among others”.

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Read also75 thousand Hungarians want to remain in the UK after Brexit

On February 1, Britain will become Hungary’s biggest non-EU trading partner, the ambassador said. Further, the UK has the biggest Hungarian-born population outside the Carpathian Basin and is the second or third largest destination for Hungarian students, the ambassador said, adding that Britain wants to strengthen bilateral relations.

On the topic of migration, he said that after Brexit Britain plans to introduce an Australian-style point-based system evaluating talent and skills. He said that after Brexit an important change would be that Britain will no longer be obliged to keep to decisions by the European Parliament and EU courts, he said.

The ambassador said that after Brexit Britain would also have “the autonomy” to conclude its own global trade deals.

EU, UK must renegotiate 600 agreements

The United Kingdom is a member of the EU in 600 international agreements, which expire at the end of the year when the transition period for Brexit expires and “the time to negotiate is very short”, said EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier here on Thursday.

“Britain has 600 international agreements. We have to rebuild everything and time is very short,”

he said at the European Commission Representation in Sweden. “If we agree on everything that is on the 36 pages, it will take much longer than 11 months.”

He listed three areas he wants to prioritize: firstly, to create a structure where the EU and the UK continue to meet regularly to coordinate their interests in climate issues, the Middle East peace and more. Secondly, to work closely with security issues to combat terrorism, cybercrime, threats from foreign powers and so on. Thirdly, to agree on a far-reaching trade agreement, including fishing, which is based on the UK’s compliance with EU labor law, environmental standards, tax levels and state aid.

“Competing for social and environmental standards only leads to a downward spiral where workers, consumers and the planet lose out,” Barnier emphasized.

According to Swedish Daily News (DN), Barnier came to Stockholm directly from a meeting in London. And he is on a tour of EU Member States to listen to various national interests ahead of the new negotiations pending with Britain.

Departure from EU just phase 1 of Brexit for UK

boris peoples government

Holding a majority of 80-seat in the House of Commons, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to win the sprint to leave the European Union (EU) on Jan. 31. However, any “leaving party” champagne celebrations will be short-lived as that “victory” is just phase one of a longer race — reaching a trade deal with the EU by the end of 2020.

Ivan Rogers, who served as Britain’s permanent representative to the EU, said the country’s departure from the bloc will be just the starting point in a rocky and uncertain journey that may continue for years.

Rather than having everything “boxed off” by the end of January, Rogers, speaking to Xinhua in a recent interview, said the negotiations could almost certainly stretch into the second half of third decade of the 21st century.

Johnson has repeatedly insisted that he will not extend the 11-month transition period, by the end of which the talks with Brussels on future relations are supposed to be concluded.

When Britain leaves the bloc at the end of January, the transition period will then begin and its trading relationship with the EU will remain the same. It will continue to follow the EU’s rules and contribute to its budget.

In an end-of-year interview with the French newspaper Les Echos, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said both sides needed to think seriously about whether the 2020 deadline was enough to reach an agreement.

Admitting that she was very worried about how little time was available, the president said: “It would be reasonable to evaluate the situation mid-year and then, if necessary, agree on extending the transition period.”

If a trade deal is not agreed by December 2020, without agreed extension, it would leave Britain trading on World Trade Organization terms with the EU, with the likelihood of tariffs on imports and exports.

Thomas Raines, head of Europe Program at the think-tank Chatham House, said the first order of business for Britain is to pass the withdrawal agreement.

“Then, the question becomes about the level of ambition … It is an exceptionally ambitious timetable to negotiate, ratify and implement a new relationship before the end of the transition period in December 2020,” said Raines in a recent article published on the website of the think-tank.

Raines spells out three possible outcomes: a “no trade deal” outcome; a bare-bones agreement to end the transition period, but with an extended period not called “extension” for further negotiation; Johnson extends the transition.

“No option is ideal. The first is the most economically disruptive, the second means the EU will be in an even stronger position to dictate terms and the third means breaking a manifesto pledge,” said Raines.

Commenting on the possibility of ending the negotiation and ratifying the trade deal in 2020, Rogers said: “There’s an absolutely zero chance of this happening … We’ve already had three and a half years (since the 2016 EU referendum) and we haven’t yet started the difficult stuff.”

Citing the example of the trade deal between the EU and Canada, Rogers said: “It took about seven years to negotiate from beginning to end.”

There was also a cautionary note from Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG UK.

“Overall we think the fact that the transition period is likely to be only a year is going to leave quite a lot of uncertainty for businesses. The possibility of a cliff edge at the end of the year is quite high, which is not great news. It is not something we’re likely to see resolved early. It is likely to drag until much later,” Selfin told the Daily Telegraph.

What the international landscape will be like in 2020

TRUMP, Donald

In 2020, what kind of stormy days will the world face or what type of sunny days will the world witness?

BREXIT: LESS MISTY

In 2020, the fog that has blurred for years Britain’s way to fulfill Brexit is expected to temporarily lift. After British Prime Minister Boris Johnson led the Conservatives to victory in a snap election, the House of Common has given overwhelming backing for Johnson’s re-shaped Brexit deal in principle, which has raised the probability of a formal Brexit on Jan. 31, 2020.

Even though Britain has taken such a crucial step, it does not mean that Brexit is done. According to the current Brexit agreement, after the divorce between Britain and the European Union, negotiations on the economic and trade relationship in post-Brexit era will begin, which may trigger a new round of protracted games.

U.S. ELECTIONS: CONTINUED HEAT

The U.S. presidential election will be held in November 2020.

Catalyzed by the impeachment case against President Donald Trump, U.S. political polarization has intensified, and so have the conflicts between Democrats and Republicans. The race is to be continued in 2020.

After the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed two articles of impeachment against Trump, the Senate is expected to begin a trial in January. With Republicans controlling the majority in the Senate, the case is highly expected to be vetoed.

Nevertheless, how will the case affect Trump’s election? There is little doubt that the outcome of the presidential election will exert a significant influence on the United States and the rest of the world as well.

RUSSIA-WEST RELATIONS: GENERALLY FROSTY

Just like a never-ending winter, the frosty relations between Russia and Western countries have lasted for more than five years since the Ukraine crisis. The differences between Russia and the United States remain difficult to resolve on thorny issues such as the Syrian crisis and the Iran nuclear issue.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an annual press conference that he is willing to promote the normalization of Russia-Europe relations. Moreover, leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany concluded their first meeting in three years in Paris in December, agreeing to meet each other again in four months.

It is expected that the temperature will still remain low in 2020, but there is still hope for occasional warmth.

KOREAN PENINSULA: UNPREDICTABLE

The year 2019 has been on a roller coaster for the Korean Peninsula. On Feb. 28, top leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and Trump ended their second summit in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. The two met again in June in the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom.

On Oct. 5, negotiators from both countries met in Stockholm, Sweden in an effort to resume denuclearization talks. However, the talks ended without progress. The two sides jumped into a war of words at the end of the year.

The situation of the peninsula is set to remain unpredictable in 2020.

The DPRK hopes to get rid of sanctions early through negotiations and is committed to developing its economy. Although the United States has said that it is willing to resolve the nuclear issue of the peninsula through negotiations, it has yet to walk the talk. As the United States enters an election year, the situation of the peninsula will become even more elusive.

IRAN NUCLEAR ISSUE: OVERCAST

Since May this year, Iran has gradually suspended the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal in response to the U.S. withdrawal from the agreement and the resumption of U.S. sanctions.

As it is bracing for the 2020 presidential election, the United States is less likely to launch a military strike against Iran, but more likely to continue to exert “maximum pressure” on the Middle East country.

Despite great pressure from sanctions, Iran’s economy is not projected to collapse in the short term. Moreover, Iran will not easily throw in the towel as it still holds such strategic cards as restarting the nuclear process and blocking the Strait of Hormuz.

In 2020, the intensity of U.S. sanctions against Iran, the speed at which Iran resumes nuclear activities and the extent to which some European nations will mediate are all likely to affect the progress of the Iran nuclear issue. It is expected that the cloud will not disperse soon.

GLOBAL TRADE: WARMING UP IN EAST

In 2019, international economic and trade frictions have intensified and the global free trade system has been under threat. The United States has taken unilateral actions against its major trading partners, damaging global trade as a whole.

The International Monetary Fund and other institutions have forecast that the world’s major economies are likely to suffer a slowdown in growth in 2020. The downward pressure on the economy may lead to a further contraction in demand, thus causing rising protectionism from some countries and increasing the uncertainty of global growth.

Nevertheless, negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was mostly concluded in early November this year. China, Japan and South Korea have actively promoted the signing of RCEP as scheduled in 2020, which will inject tremendous vitality into the economic and trade development in the Asia-Pacific region and bring plenty of positives to global trade.

DIGITAL CURRENCY: ROLLING THUNDERS

In 2019, U.S. social media and technology company Facebook put forward the concept of “Libra,” which has sparked a heated debate worldwide over digital currencies.

Several central banks around the world have announced their research and development progress in digital currencies. France will start testing a central bank digital currency for financial institutions since 2020. European Central Bank officials said the bank’s research and development in digital currency has entered the technical level.

Meanwhile, the Bank for International Settlements plans to launch a central bank digital currency for inter-bank wholesale businesses. The People’s Bank of China is also accelerating its research for legal digital currencies.

Waves of thunderstorms arising from central bank digital currencies indicate a changing global monetary system. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has reckoned the creation of a network of central bank digital currencies as a means of overcoming the destabilizing dominance of the U.S. dollar on international trade.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: UNCERTAIN

New progress has been made in artificial intelligence (AI) research in 2019. Pluribus, an AI program developed by Carnegie Mellon University in cooperation with Facebook, defeated many of the world’s top poker professionals in six-player Texas Hold’em. It proves that AI can not only defeat human beings in duo games like chess, but also triumph in multi-player strategic games more similar with the real world.

In 2020, with the large-scale commercial application of 5G technology, AI will obtain more data support and its application will be further expanded.

However, this also requires more urgent formulation of relevant ethics and rules. In particular, whether the competition among some big countries in military use of AI can be effectively controlled will determine whether this new technology brings more benefits or harm to mankind.

UK lawmakers give massive backing to PM’s new Brexit bill

boris johnson brexit

Lawmakers in Britain’s House of Commons gave overwhelming backing Friday for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s re-shaped Brexit deal.

By 358 votes to 234, a majority of 124, MPs voted in favor of the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill, giving Johnson a clear run to end Britain’s membership of the bloc on Jan. 31.

Johnson, buoyed by the 80-seat majority he won in last week’s general election opened a debate in the House of Commons, told MPs:

“We come together as a new parliament to break the deadlock and finally to get Brexit done. Now is the moment, as we leave the European Union, to reunite our country.”

Although the bill will have to return to the Commons and the House of Lords in early next year, it now seems unstoppable in completing the legislative procedures ahead of receiving Royal Assent by Queen Elizabeth II in the first half of January.

In his opening statement during Friday’s debate, Johnson said the Brexit bill must not be seen as a victory for one party over another, or one faction over another.

“This is the time when we move on and discard the old labels of leave and remain. In fact, the very words seem tired to me as I speak them,” he said.

The re-shaped bill, as well as ending Britain’s membership of the EU on Jan. 31, also requires a future permanent trading deal to be agreed with Brussels by the end of 2020.
It overturns an earlier bill which would have enabled talks to continue for up to two years beyond the end of 2020.

“This bill learns the emphatic lesson of the last parliament and rejects any further delay. It ensures that we depart from the EU on 31 January, and at that point Brexit will be done — it will be over,” Johnson said.

75 thousand Hungarians want to remain in the UK after Brexit

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The British Home Office says that based on the latest data, the number of those foreigners who asked for a permanent residence permit is more than 2.5 million.

According to index.hu, the British government decided in favour of those EU-citizens who live in the United Kingdom. They can remain in the country even after the Brexit and their rights will remain unchanged, but they have to ask for a permanent residence permit in case they want to stay. Based on an announcement of the British Home Office (HO), until November 30, 2,592,800 foreigners did so. According to the data of the HO, around 3.2 million foreign EU-citizens live in the country.

On the first place of the list, there are the Poles with 438,800 applications

while in the second place there are the Romanians with 411 thousand ones. Among Hungarians, there are 75,400 who asked for a permanent residence permit. Furthermore, there are 272,600 Italian, 161,100 Spanish, 97,400 French, and 70,700 German citizens who did so up until the end of the last month.

To receive such a permit, the foreigner EU-citizens have to prove not only their identity but also that they live in the United Kingdom permanently. Moreover, they have to report to the authorities if a court sentenced them for committing a crime.

The British Home Office said that most of the processed

2.23 million applications were evaluated positively; only 5 were rejected.

52 pc of those who handed in their applications received a settled while 47 pc of them a pre-settled status. The latter is given to those who did not spend at least five years in the United Kingdom, but they can remain there and can hand in their application for the settled status later. Until then, their already-existing rights in the UK remain unchanged.

According to the British statistical office, immigration from the member states of the European Union touched a 1.5 decades’ bottom. Furthermore, more Eastern-European citizens leave the British Isles than arrive there. From the eight member states joining the EU in 2004, 37 thousand people arrived in the United Kingdom between 2018 June and 2019 June, but 42 thousand citizens left the isles. Therefore,

the balance is negative.

Boris Johnson, the winner of the parliamentary elections, said that until the end of the next year he would like to settle all questions with the EU regarding the Brexit and then he wants to leave the community.

Conservatives win massive majority in UK election

boris johnson wins

An exit poll published after voting closed in the British election on Thursday night suggested the Conservatives are on course to win a massive Parliamentary majority.

The results of the poll were released by Britain’s main television organizations as soon as thousands of polling stations across Britain closed at 10 p.m. local time.

Based on interviews at more than 140 polling stations, the exit poll gave Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s governing Conservatives 368 seats in the 650-member House of Commons and the main opposition Labour 191 seats.

If the results of the exit poll turn out to be accurate, Conservatives would have an 86-seat majority in the Commons.

Boris Johnson
Read alsoBoris Johnson would welcome Hungarian scientists

British Home Secretary Priti Patel said it puts Johnson on course to carry out his pledge to end Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU) within weeks.

It would be enough to give Johnson the majority he needs to pave the way for Britain’s exit from the EU on Jan. 31, 2020.

It would match a victory won by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1987 and Labour’s worst performance in a general election since the early 1980s.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, of the Labour Party, described the result, if confirmed in the counts, as a catastrophe.

McDonnell said it was clearly a Brexit election and many voters had opted to use their votes to get the question of Britain’s EU membership out of the way.

Previous exit polls have usually proved to be an accurate litmus test of what to expect when the results start to pour in during the early hours of Friday from the 650 constituencies across Britain.

This time, divisions over Brexit between leavers and remainers could have an impact on the results.

Johnson went into the election heading a minority government with 318 seats, unable to get support in parliament for the Brexit deal he brokered with Brussels.

The exit poll gave the minority Liberal Democrats 13 seats while Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party will win no seat. The Scottish National Party would have 55 seats.

More than 20,000 people were asked how they voted as they left polling stations.

Sterling shot up by 2 percent to 1.35 U.S. dollars seconds after the exit poll result was published.

Britain’s political leaders gear up for general election

JOHNSON, Boris campaign

Thousands of polling stations in Britain will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, and the political leaders of the country are ready for the general election process.

The 46 million voters in Britain will be handed slips of paper containing the names of candidates in their respective constituencies, and some of them have already voted via postal votes, waiting to be added to the final toll.

The Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Labour main opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn were set for the last push for votes.

The general election was called in a bid to break the Brexit deadlock, which has gripped Britain ever since the seismic 2016 referendum vote to leave the European Union (EU). After struggling to lead a minority administration, Johnson hopes to secure a majority government that will enable him to take Britain out of the bloc on Jan. 31.

The first results from some of the smaller constituencies will be announced around an hour after the counting starts. But the majority of results will start to emerge as the returning officers announce the results. This is when the first accurate picture emerges of the likely winner of the election, and of who will be heading to 10 Downing Street.
Managers of the political parties will be eagerly watching the emerging results, hoping their party will pass the magic number of 326, exactly half plus one of the number of constituencies, which is 650.

If either the governing Conservatives and the main opposition Labour pass the finishing line “326,” they will be declared the winners to form the government.

If neither of the two big parties succeed in reaching 326, Britain faces another hung parliament.

It is only after a new government is in place, either a majority administration or a coalition, that the party leader could head to Buckingham Palace to seek authority from Queen Elizabeth to form a government. That is the exact moment when the next prime minister is “crowned.”

Unlike in a presidential system, people in Britain do not elect prime ministers, but vote for party candidates, and it is the leader of the winning party who will serve as prime minister.

A new poll of YouGov, which interviewed about 100,000 panelists over the past seven days, forecasted that the Conservatives would take 339 seats (up 22 on the last general election in 2017), and the Labour main opposition 231 (down 31).

The Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) was on course for 41 seats, up six, while the Liberal Democrats are set for 15 seats, up three.

YouGov also warned that the final number of Conservative seats could be between 311 — hung parliament territory — and 367.

If the pollsters are correct, Johnson will return to 10 Downing Street on Friday.

The general election result will also determine Britain’s future. Johnson has vowed Tuesday to demolish three years of stalemate over Brexit, which is called the “Get Brexit Done” pledge, if he wins the election.

Government official: Hungary losing ‘strong ally on national sovereignty’ with Brexit

With the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, Hungary will lose a staunch defender of national sovereignty, the foreign ministry’s commissioner for Brexit told a conference on Friday.

Szabolcs Takács said Hungary would be “losing a lot” with Brexit as the UK promoted a “sovereigntist” approach to the EU as against the “federalist” view of the commission, he said. “Hungary is part of that minority and will lose and important ally with Brexit,” he said.

Speaking at the Fourth European Blue Sky Conference in Budapest, he said the Hungarian government “regrets but respects the decision” of the British people to leave the EU.

He added that Brexit was currently being hindered by British political infighting rather than by member states, the European Commission or the European Council.

Takács said it was important to define what a European lifestyle means “at a time when Europe’s ethnic setup is changing”.

Orbán: Government ready to work with cooperative local councils – UPDATE

Orbán

The government is ready to “cooperate with all mayors and local councils that are themselves ready to cooperate,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in parliament’s opening autumn session on Monday.

Referring to the recent local elections, Orbán said that “everybody, regardless of party affiliation, must work for Hungary and the Hungarian people.” “The nation cannot be in opposition,” he added.

Concerning the election results, Orbán said it was “a great honour” for the ruling parties to have captured over 50 percent of votes nationwide. This equals an endorsement of the government’s major policies, he said, enumerating among them a work-based and pro-family economy, higher wages, help for young people to buy or renovate homes and national cohesion.

He said the government had “lived up to its responsibilities in terms of organising and conducting the election to the satisfaction of the public” and thanked voters who took part in the elections, thereby “contributing to the functioning of Hungarian democracy”. “Hungarians are still committed to democracy and believe in Hungary’s future,” he said.

Orbán said

the government’s family protection action plan was gaining momentum, with more than 65,000 people having joined the scheme.

Altogether, 650 billion forints (EUR 1.96bn) of funding has been channelled towards families, he added.

The economy has responded positively to this policy, he said, recording growth of 5.2 percent in the first half.

“We switched to a job-based economy and the unemployment rate has dropped to 3.4 percent, while the number of jobs has increased by 808,000 since 2010,” he said,

adding that 4.5 million people have jobs in the country. Orbán said nevertheless the government “wants more and better”, and intends to catch up with the Czech Republic in this regard.

The prime minister said that in the first seven months of the year average wages had increased by 10.6 percent, while the rise in the minimum wage was the fourth highest in the EU.

Orbán also noted big changes in government debt, which has fallen to 68 percent to GDP. And whereas in 2010 foreign currency loans accounted for 50 percent of the total, today they stand below 20 percent, he added.

Regarding the EU, Orbán said the incoming president of the European Commission was someone who could remedy the mistakes of previous years. He said he had felt obliged to prevent the election of a commission head who spoke disrespectfully of Hungarians, and who wanted to implement plans contrary to the will of Hungarians on migration. “We have achieved our goal,” he said.

On the topic of Brexit, Orbán said “a fair and just agreement” for the British had been made for their departure from the bloc. Also, an agreement had been struck that would protect the interests of Hungarians working in Britain.

At the same time, speaking about the EU accession prospects of North Macedonia and Albania, he said the EU council of ministers had rejected starting negotiations with the two countries. “This is a bad decision, but I hope it is not a tragic one,” he said. It would be tragic for Serbia, he added, if its prospects were blocked. Serbia, he said, was a “key country in our region and in terms of our stability”. Stabilising the Balkans would be impossible without EU membership, he said, adding that Hungary continued to support the accession of all Balkan countries, especially Serbia and Montenegro, as rapidly as possible.

Meanwhile, Orbán said Hungary’s economy could be made carbon neutral by 2050 by implementing radical schemes but “a significant contribution” from the European Union would be needed. A combined 150 billion euros will be needed to make Hungary’s energy production emissions free, to eliminate natural gas and to replace all traditional vehicles with electric ones, Orbán said.

On another subject, Orbán said that his European counterparts had started discussing the EU’s next seven-year budget. He added that “there is no consensus even on fundamental issues” and “the positions are wide apart in all important areas”.

During the prime minister’s address, independent MP Ákos Hadházy held up banners emblazoned with the slogans:

“Stop propaganda” and “Stop corruption”.

László Kövér, the house speaker, rebuked Hadházy and called on all opposition deputies to drop their “aggressive” and “militant” attitude. He said deputies should observe house rules and “refrain from making a circus out of parliament”.

Meanwhile, ruling party MPs curtained off protesting Hadházy’s signs with the national flag, then snatched them from his hands.

Orbán calls on local politicians to keep people’s interests in mind

He has sent a letter to Fidesz politicians in local authorities, and called on them to support the interests of their localities from all positions they are holding after the local elections earlier in October, website origo.hu said on Monday.

In the letter, Orbán said local officials should continue to stand up for the people “under all circumstances and fight bravely against bad decisions harming the people’s interests.”

Orbán pledged to continue to “build the country” in government by raising support for families with children, strengthening the economy, creating further jobs and cutting taxes on employment.

The results of the October 13 local elections show that the ruling Fidesz – Christian Democrat alliance is still Hungary’s strongest force, albeit the party has also incurred big losses, Orbán said.

Most of the party’s local politicians remain in government, he said. “Hungary will continue to be our priority,” Orbán said.

Local elections – Karácsony hails ‘historic victory’ in Budapest

Secret Brexit compromise? – Is Hungary about to veto the EU extension?

Boris Johnson and Péter Szijjártó

UK PM Boris Johnson and Foreign Minister of Hungary Péter Szijjártó were in the same building along with the Hungarian Ambassador right before calling for an emergency meeting for the Cabinet on Friday. 

Péter Szijjártó and Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczk were caught on tape leaving the Cabinet office on Friday morning, express.co.uk reports. It was taken at the same time as Boris Johnson called for an emergency Cabinet meeting, providing a reason for speculation about a Hungarian veto for the Brexit extension request. 

“Keep an eye on Hungary. The fact that Boris Johnson is saying he’ll ask for #BrexitExtension soon after meeting with one of the countries most likely to want to veto the extension request… concerns me…” 

tweeted Femi Oluwole, a remain campaigner, on Twitter. Users joined the speculation immediately in the comment section: “Curious. Is Johnson getting Hungary to veto his EU extension?” Another wrote: “So the theory is, No. 10 had a chat with Hungary this week to get them to veto an extension to A50?”

“There is, so far as I can see, still one, and only one, way through for the Government to 31 October. If they can cause an r27 to veto the extension the statements to the court are fine and the PM gets to deliver his promise. If (as I now expect) the Court orders that the PM not frustrate or thwart the terms of the Benn Act in the terms we have sought then (I believe) the Government is screwed. We will not be able to make good on whatever we might have promised eg Hungary and they will know it,” 

Jolyon Maugham QC posted. Previously, Hungary refused to veto the Brexit extension. According to Péter Szijjártó,

“If there is such a request, we’ll make our own decision. A few large western European member states really want to put an end to this and want it decided one way or another, so probably it won’t be our decision that will be key on this issue,” 

said the Hungarian Foreign Minister.

Szijjártó
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/pg/egymillioanszijjartopeterhajaert/photos

On Thursday night, Szijjártó expressed his frustration about the EU by saying that he was “fed up” with their attitude towards Brexit. In his interview, he told BBC’s Newsnight:

“We are really fed up with all those approaches in Europe and in the world when some countries think that it’s homework for them to lecture others. And to tell others how they should accommodate their life and tell others how they should debate and again we don’t want to be ridiculous either. So, we will not give any kind of advice, we’ll not give any kind of comment, we’re not going to criticise, we’re not going to judge, we’ll just follow. And then we’ll see what’s the consequence. UK is a friend and ally, not to speak about the fact that you know I don’t like those statement and those approaches. Mostly on behalf of Brussels, which try to diminish the significance of the UK leaving the European Union. So saying that ‘oh it’s not going to hurt’ or ‘it’s not going to have an impact’, I mean this is simply not true.”

He continued:

“UK represents 14 per cent of the performance of the achievement of the European economy. 14 per cent, one-seventh, now you do not need to be a Nobel Prize winner to understand that if 14 per cent of an economy performance of an integration leaves, that will leave some challenges for those who remain.”

Boris Johnson science
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Photo: https://www.facebook.com/borisjohnson

UK PM Boris Johnson also seems confident, as he tweeted on Friday afternoon:

“New deal or no deal – but no delay. #GetBrexitDone #LeaveOct31.”

Moreover, Eurosceptic Tory MP Steve Baker also insists on meeting the deadline of 31 October, even if the government states that it would request an extension in order to prevent no-deal. 

You can read more about the view of Hungarian FM about Boris Johnson here. You can also read about the situation of Hungarian people who want to stay in the UK after Brexit here. 

Foreign minister: UK PM working to fulfill will of British people

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s work to fulfill the people’s will as expressed in a referendum should command respect rather than attacks, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday in London, where he was scheduled to meet Dominic Raab, the foreign minister, and Steve Barclay, the minister overseeing Brexit, for bilateral talks.

Speaking to Hungarian public media, Szijjártó called the “attacks” levelled at Johnson by the international media “unjust“.

Hungary’s interest is to eliminate all factors that might stand in the way of further cooperation, he said.

“We have seen the challenges that the European media’s pressure on the US president have created in European-US relations,” he said, adding: “It would be good to avoid that this time.”

Referring to British press speculation that Johnson had asked certain EU countries, including Hungary, to veto any extension to the Brexit deadline, Szijjártó said: “We have read the rumours about this but the Hungarian government has not been approached with such a request.”

Szijjártó said he had met more than thirty company heads during his visit to London, and, based on the talks held, “we can safely say that British investors are very satisfied with the investment environment in Hungary”. They appreciated, he added, one of the lowest corporate taxes in Europe and policies that cut red tape and promote investment.

Concerning the rights of Hungarians living in the UK, Szijjártó said they must not be infringed after Brexit. Hungary’s aim is to maintain an earlier agreement which states that, regardless of the form of Brexit, citizens’ rights must be mutually guaranteed regardless of whether they live in the EU or in the UK.

“We have done our homework because we approved a package of laws this year that guarantees the rights of Brits living in Hungary regardless of the outcome of the Brexit process,” Szijjártó said.

The UK government has decided that all EU citizens who live legally and permanently in the UK can stay in the country after Brexit and their extant rights, but they must apply to the British Home Office in order to receive permanent resident status. According to latest ministry figures, over 1.5 million people have applied for permanent residence, almost 40,000 of them Hungarian.

Several diplomatic missions in London recently indicated that various problems had emerged recently. Polish Ambassador Arkady Rzegocki told BBC that the embassy had been notified by Polish citizens that they had received only preliminary permanent resident status despite having lived in the UK for ten years or longer.

Answering a question about whether the Hungarian government had any similar information, Szijjártó said no such reports had been forthcoming. But if such reports are received, the ministerial commissioner in charge of handling the consequences of Brexit will contact the British authorities, he said. Hungary would immediately intervene because it is considered a priority that the extant rights of Hungarians living and studying in the UK are respected, he added.

The minister said that no British prime minister, since the Brexit referendum, had questioned the UK living up to these obligations.

Government takes steps to protect healthcare access for UK nationals living in the EU after Brexit

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UK government commits to funding healthcare for over 180,000 UK nationals living in the EU for 6 months following Brexit if they leave without a deal.

Press release – People already living in the EU who have their healthcare funded by the UK, including pensioners and students, will have their healthcare costs covered for 6 months if we leave without a deal.

The government has proposed to each EU member state that, if we leave without a deal, existing healthcare arrangements continue until 31 December 2020 in the same way that they do now.

Discussions are ongoing but if arrangements with all member states have not been finalised by 31 October, Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has today confirmed the government will provide support to around 180,000 UK nationals living in the EU who currently have their healthcare costs paid for by the UK for a 6-month period following exit day. This includes pensioners, students, those on disability benefits and UK workers temporarily posted in the EU.

The government has also committed to covering the costs of UK nationals in the EU who are in the middle of treatment when we leave the EU, for up to a year.

The government will also provide cover during the time it takes to be registered with a local healthcare scheme. This is to ensure people are not exposed to gaps in healthcare coverage and potentially high costs while they register for healthcare locally. To be eligible for this support, people must apply within local timeframes or no later than 6 months after we leave, whichever is the shortest.

The NHS is writing to 180,000 UK nationals living in the EU to make them aware of the information they need in the country they live in:

The value of the commitment will ultimately depend on which EU countries accept the government’s offer. Modelling has been performed to assess the likely costs of the policy if it is required. This suggests the maximum expenditure the government would expect to make under this commitment if no further bilateral agreements are finalised may be in the region of £50 million in 2019 to 2020 and £100 million in 2020 to 2021 but could be significantly lower.

In addition to this, the government has committed to:

  • cover the healthcare costs for students who began their courses in the EU ahead of 31 October for the duration of their course
  • cover the healthcare costs of UK visitors to the EU who commenced their trip before the UK left the EU until they return to the UK
  • ensure that people currently insured by the UK living in the EU can return to use the NHS temporarily in England, Wales and Scotland free of charge

British citizens living in Ireland will be able to access healthcare in Ireland in the same way as before Brexit.

The UK and Spain have each taken steps to ensure that people living in each country can continue to access healthcare as they do now until at least 31 December 2020. This means that your healthcare access will remain the same after 31 October 2019, whatever the Brexit scenario.

See the NHS travelling and living abroad guides for the latest information on individual countries.

People should not delay taking action to put appropriate permanent arrangements in place for after exit day, particularly as for some EU countries the timeframe for UK nationals to register with their domestic health system is far shorter than 6 months.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

Protecting the healthcare rights of UK nationals is a priority of this government.

While the government continues to work towards a good deal, I am today announcing that pensioners, students and UK workers living in the EU will have their healthcare costs covered for 6 months after 31 October, whatever the circumstances of Brexit.

All UK nationals in the EU should act now and take the simple steps needed to secure their access to healthcare.

Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Nick Archer, said:

We are pleased to confirm this additional support, which has been offered to pensioners and others who have their healthcare covered by the UK.

These transitional arrangements provide welcome reassurance to thousands of our UK residents living i

Building a better Europe common task, says Finnish PM Rinne in Budapest

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Building a better Europe is a common task, Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne said on Monday after meeting Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán in Budapest.

He told a joint press conference that he had discussed with Orbán the tasks of Finland’s European Union presidency, including EU enlargement, Brexit and the budget.

He said he believed that measures against climate change and observing the principles of constitutionality must be preconditions for getting access to European Union funding. Commenting on the latter, he said a well-balanced and legally clear method was needed.

Regarding EU enlargement, he said

Finland would like to see a decision made at October’s EU summit about the start of talks with Albania and North Macedonia.

A convincing perspective should be offered to the Western Balkans if reforms progress as needed, and constitutionality is also an important precondition, he added.

Commenting on Brexit, he said there were great differences in opinion among EU member states. Britain’s exit will hopefully happen in line with a deal but there is not much time left for talks, he added.

In response to a question, he said that

the principles that the EU was based on had created peace and stability in Europe and the system of values played a central role in this, which were built on equality, respect for human rights and constitutionality.

In response to another question, he said four countries had set a common goal in Malta to reach a temporary agreement on the distribution of migrants arriving on the Mediterranean. As the holding the EU presidency, Finland is monitoring this process, he added.

He also said in response to a question that there were well-functioning control systems for monitoring the use of EU resources and if they were not being used in line with regulations sanctions would be implemented.

He praised Finnish-Hungarian bilateral relations and said that the two countries had been cooperating in several areas for a long time.

Orbán proposes Olivér Várhelyi for commissioner designate

Get ready for Brexit campaign launches in Hungary

The UK Government has on 16 September launched a major information campaign urging UK nationals living in Hungary to get ready for Brexit on 31 October.

Press release – The UK Government has on Monday (16 September) launched a major information campaign urging UK nationals living in Hungary to get ready for Brexit on 31 October. It is part of a wider communications campaign effort across Europe.

UK nationals in Hungary will receive information about specific actions they need to take to keep their rights and access to services in Hungary, including around residency, healthcare, driving licences and passports.

The campaign will use multiple channels – including Facebook posts urging people to take action ahead of 31 October.

The British Embassy has already been doing a lot over recent months to inform UK nationals, including town hall information meetings with the Ambassador, Consular experts and Hungarian government officials. Our next town hall meeting will take place in Budapest on 24 September and you can register here.

Iain Lindsay, British Ambassador to Hungary, said:

Protecting the rights of UK nationals is an absolute priority as we leave the European Union. I’d urge UK nationals to visit our Living in Guide for Hungary where they can find out about the steps they need to take and get specific information about residency, healthcare, passports and driving in Hungary.

There are more than one million UK nationals living in the EU, with around 5000 living in Hungary.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:

We are stepping up efforts to ensure Britons abroad are prepared for Brexit on 31 October. This campaign provides practical advice to the more than one million British people living in the EU, as well as British tourists and business travellers.

The UK Government recently announced up to £3 million in grant funding for charities and other voluntary organisations who can inform UK nationals about the need to register or apply for residency and to support them as they complete their applications.

The Government also allocated an extra £300,000 to British Embassies and Consulates across the EU to engage with ‘hard to reach’ UK nationals such as disabled people, those living in remote areas or people who might need extra help to complete any paperwork in preparation for Brexit.

This extra assistance will build on the support that British Embassies are already providing with more than 541 outreach events with UK nationals since November 2017.

The new information campaign asks UK nationals to take action to prepare for Brexit by checking the Living in Hungary Guide at gov.uk/livinginhungary and:

  • apply for residency
  • register for healthcare
  • check their passport is valid for travel

Orbán cabinet to veto EU budget in present form

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Hungary is prepared to veto the next European Union budget if it proceeds in its current form, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office told Reuters in an interview on Monday.

Gulyás said it would be unacceptable for the distribution of EU funds to be based on political considerations.

The EU wants to make access to funds contingent on respecting the rule of law.

“What we reject is that it is not the standard of living and the (fiscal) performance that would matter,” Gulyás said. “In this (present) form Hungary would definitely veto it.”

“We refuse to count on living standards and (budget) performance,” Reuters quoted the minister as saying.

Meanwhile, Gulyás told Reuters that Hungary would not on its own veto a new delay to Britain’s departure from the European Union.

He said the Hungarian government had not decided to veto a Brexit delay:

“No decision has been made in this respect.”

“The Prime Minister, similarly to the prime ministers of the 26 other countries, is free to decide on what he will do in case there is a fresh (Brexit) delay but it can be excluded that Hungary would make a move alone,” Gulyás said.

Read the Reuters interview HERE.

After Brexit: 40 thousand Hungarians would like to remain in the UK

After Brexit: 40 thousand Hungarians would like to remain in the UK

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We do not know the exact number of those Hungarians who are currently working in the United Kingdom, but we know how many of them asked for a permanent residence permit.

According to the data published yesterday by the British Ministry of the Interior, there are more than 1.5 million EU citizens who turned to the authorities for a permanent residence permit, and 39,700 of them are Hungarian, Index reported.

Based on the decision of the British government, those foreigners who live in Great Britain when the UK leaves the European Union can remain in the country, and their rights and entitlements will remain unchanged. However, they have to apply for a  permanent residence permit from the British Ministry of the Interior.

On Wednesday, the British government made Operation Yellowhammer, the worst-case scenario of Brexit, accessible. This is about what happens if London leaves the EU without an agreement. Its content was leaked already in August, saying that authorities and people have to prepare for long queues at the doors of shops and the borders, and they should also expect more

expensive medicines, food, and social care.

Based on the information provided by the Ministry, out of 3.2 million citizens from EU countries living in the United Kingdom, 1.34 million asked for a permanent residence permit by the end of August, but their number has exceeded 1.5 million since then. At the top of the list, there is Poland with 240 thousand permit applications.

As we reported before, the governments of the United Kingdom, Scotland, and Hungary were all fully open to guaranteeing citizens’ rights before. The state secretary for European affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office said then that the Hungarian government considered it a priority since the start of the Brexit negotiations to

preserve the acquired rights of Hungarians living in the UK.

For that matter, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó had previously voiced how the Hungarian government was interested in promoting a “fair” agreement between the UK and the EU, maintaining tight business relations and continuing a security cooperation with the UK, as well as ensuring that the acquired rights of Hungarian nationals living in the UK are maintained.

Foreign minister: Boris Johnson ‘knows what he is doing’, striving to fulfil popular will

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is an exceptionally good politician who knows what he wants and is working to fulfil the will of the people, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister said in an interview to public television M1 on Friday.

Szijjártó said the Hungarian government regretted that Britain was leaving the European Union, adding that Brexit represented a serious loss in political, economic, strategic and security terms. At the same time, its decision is something to be respected, he said.

He said it was only the British people who could decide on their own future, adding that Hungary had never considered it its job to criticise other countries when it came to matters that solely concern the country in question.

The minister said that anyone who contradicts the mainstream today comes under serious pressure in the international media. He called the attacks against Johnson “unbelievable and unseemly”, adding that no politician should be criticised for enacting the will of the people.

Szijjártó said, at the same time, nothing should be allowed that would further hinder cooperation between Britain and the EU up until the point of Brexit.

Britain, he noted, is among Hungary’s top 10 investors and trading partners. “Obviously, it’s in our interest that as few obstacles as possible are in the way of economic cooperation.”

Szijjártó said the aim was to achieve a deal as close as possible to a “free-trade agreement”.