Lawmakers of five Hungarian parliamentary parties discussed issues around national identity and sovereignty at a roundtable panel held at the Summer Open University in the Carpathian Basin in Sátoraljaújhely, in north-eastern Hungary, on Friday afternoon.
 
Máté Kocsis, group leader of ruling Fidesz, said that “loosening national, religious and gender identity is the first, decisive step towards individuals and communities losing their sovereignty”.
“All three identities have come under attack in European public discourse
and the liberal mainstream media,” he said, adding that “these attacks have sneaked into domestic politics as well”.

Kocsis said that strong identity is a precondition of sovereignty, adding that “great powers are taking away that sovereignty from other states while small countries are fighting for their own”. “Hungarians have a kind of ability to gain sovereignty by fighting for it, this is why it is worth judging Hungary’s position through a central European eye,” Kocsis said.

István Simicskó, group leader of the co-ruling Christian Democrats, called globalisation, integration and migration as the three main challenges Hungary is facing. He said that all nations should be aware of their capabilities and values.

“The future of Hungary definitely lies in a strong, sovereign state based on stable values and a strong sense of identity,”
Simicskó said.
 
László Lóránt Keresztes, group leader of LMP, said the policy towards Hungarian communities abroad should never be the subject of partisan disputes. “It is the responsibility of all of us to be more successful in this area,” he said.

Attila Mesterházy, of the Socialists, said that the government’s policy towards ethnic Hungarian organisations abroad is aimed at increasing their dependence on Budapest.

Koloman Brenner, of Jobbik, called his party “a guarantee” for ensuring that the rights of Hungarian communities beyond the borders will not be curtailed by anyone.