Hungarian foreign minister: EU can only be built on strong nation-states

Budapest, December 9 (MTI) – The European Union can only be built on the foundation of strong nation-states, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in evidence to parliament’s European affairs committee on Friday.

Szijjártó singled out as threats to European integration the migration crisis and “the resulting threat of terrorism”, the conflict in Ukraine, uncertainty over energy supplies and Brexit.

He said an emotional argument was being waged between federalists and those who backed sovereignty over the future of European integration rather than one based on a rational strategy. The former are placing more and more powers at the centre of Brussels, and this means that integration is being built on weak member states, he said, adding that this would lead to a cul-de-sac.

“Eleven weak football players do not equal a good football team; neither do eleven strong players guarantee one, but at least there’s a chance,” he said.

“This dispute can only be resolved if we choose to call a spade a spade and leave behind the era of political correctness and hypocrisy,” Szijjártó said. He said the “right path” for Europe to take was providing “real answers to real issues”.

Szijjártó said that in order for Europe to find a way out of its crisis, it would first have to “return to its values”. Europe must first and foremost declare itself Christian, he insisted. The EU must also acknowledge that illegal immigration is harmful for the continent, he added.

Further, instead of imposing sanctions, the EU should pursue “pragmatic economic expansion”, Szijjártó said, urging the bloc to pursue free trade deals.

The EU should also develop its north-south infrastructure, the minister said, adding that the bloc must change its “hypocritical attitude” towards Ukraine. He said the EU should stop criticising other countries’ — such as Hungary’s — approach to Ukraine when it, too, is blocking two crucial matters for Ukraine: granting the country visa-free status and approving the Ukraine-EU free trade deal.

He added that the EU should also stop making decisions that “damage its credibility”, such as not granting Georgia visa-free status in spite of the fact that the country has met all the conditions of obtaining a visa waiver.

Further, “fatal errors like tricking Turkey” into believing that its migration deal with the EU is tied to its receipt of visa-free status “should not become common European practice”, Szijjártó said.

He also urged the continuation of EU enlargement in the western Balkans, “stopping the European Parliament’s overreach of power” and driving back the use of double standards which he said was being applied between the more powerful and less influential member states.

Source: MTI