Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky objected to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s comparison of Hitler’s intentions for Europe to European integration. Mr Lipavsky pointed out that Hungary is not forced to be part of the European Union.
Speaking at a TV debate on Czech Television, Czech Foreign Minister Lipavsky stated, “No one is forcing Hungarians to be a part of this community if they feel this uncomfortable.”
Even Adolf Hitler dreamed of European unity and eventually referred to the idea of “ever closer union,” Orban said in the west of Hungary, which sparked criticism in Europe.
In the meantime, EU Commissioner Vera Jourova disclosed that Hungarians stay away from her in Brussels because they fear “persecution at home.”
Jourova claimed that each such statement damages Hungary’s reputation.
When asked if she still thought of Hungary as a democratic nation, the speaker responded, “I have long-standing doubts about this.”
She emphasized that some Hungarian diplomats are still open to an eventual compromise on items requiring a unanimity vote at the EU level, including anti-Russian sanctions, despite Orban’s rhetoric.
Jourova added that the attitude taken by Hungarian authorities demonstrates that the nation “desperately needs money” and that “there are also professional and hard-working Hungarian officials who negotiate with us on the introduction of reforms in the judiciary or public procurement.”
Vera Jourova added that some Hungarian visitors to Brussels, including students, professors, and organizations, “wish to keep these meetings in secret” and do not want to be photographed with her so “they would not face persecution at home.”
