Fidesz: Sweden has lost our trust, we have not engaged in blackmail

Gulyás said the government supported Sweden’s NATO accession and had submitted the issue to parliament. At the same time, he said it was important that “the vote takes place when the necessary majority is at hand, and that requires strengthening trust.”

Sweden and Hungary

“Since trust was lost due to the Swedes, this is their job,” Gulyás said. “Hungary has not engaged in blackmail or set conditions,” he added. The Swedish prime minister has been invited to Hungary, he noted.

He said the decision was now in the hands of the ruling parties’ parliamentary groups, noting that they command a two-thirds majority in parliament.

If the government made a mistake, it was making a promise on ratification that it could not fulfil on its own authority, he said. Sweden’s accession would strengthen NATO but not to a significant degree, he said.

Regarding teachers’ wage hikes, Gulyás said teachers working in disadvantaged regions or with children in difficult circumstances were eligible for additional income and the majority of teachers were happy with the increase.

Responding to a question on the National Consultation public survey, Gulyás said the survey was a means to boost the government’s position in the EU, where it was in opposition “on countless issues”. He said a large majority of Hungarian citizens had responded, thereby underpinning the government’s negotiating position.

Asked about a town hall meeting in Sóskút, near Budapest, regarding a planned metal recycling plant using cutting-edge technology which would create 160 jobs, Gulyás said it was “unacceptable” that the mayor and the head of the company looking to build the plant nearby had had to be rescued from the room. Issues such as worries over excessive water demand, a usual objection in the case of battery plants, “does not arise in this case”, he said. The town hall meeting would have been a way for residents to be fully consulted on the project, he added.

Read also:

• PM Orbán got into serious trouble in the NATO: what will follow?
• FM Szijjártó shared when the Hungarian parliament might vote about Sweden’s NATO accession

Budapest

Meanwhile, Gulyás said Fidesz’s candidate for Budapest mayor in the local elections this year would be named by March. Fidesz will field its own candidate, but not necessarily a party member, he said.

On another topic, Gulyás said the government hoped the revamped Belgrade-Budapest railway line would be up and running in this government cycle.

Also, the government “is hoping to announce” the purchase of Liszt Ferenc International Airport “within weeks”, Gulyás said.

Regarding a possible tightening of Hungary’s child protection law, Gulyás said that enforcing current legislation “would put Hungary in a very good position in European comparison”. At the same time, he said all amendment proposals would be considered.

In response to a question concerning whether local governments could keep operating such services if they finance them, he said health services were not a state monopoly and if any local government wanted to set up a doctor’s surgery, it was free to do so, and it would not be part of the state service.

Commenting on temporary suspension of certain hospital services, he said there were 38 such instances in the whole of Hungary in January, of which 8 only applied for a few hours and 5 for one day. Only three services had been suspended for more than 2 months, he added.

About Péter Szijjártó

Commenting on Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó’s talks in Qatar, he said that until the final agreement was signed on LNG imports to Hungary he was unable to provide information on the possible routes or volumes. Hungary, he added, was ready to receive LNG but this is more expensive than piped gas.