Hungarian government: Ukraine war not moving in direction of peace
The war in Ukraine “is not moving in the direction of peace” and the likelihood of a swift peace settlement has been diminished by events of the past week, Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, told a government news briefing on Wednesday.
Brussels, he added, “does not support peace talks but continues to support the war”. Gulyás said the result of the presidential election in Poland, however, gave “cause for hope” that other views in Europe may prevail.
Meanwhile, he said Hungarian intelligence officials briefed ministers on “foreign financing of war propaganda” in Hungary, which originated in Ukraine, Russia and elsewhere. “It’s clearly the case that journalists in Hungary are being paid to peddle the war propaganda of both countries”, he said.
Gulyás: Pride March ‘can be held in line with child protection law’
The government’s position is that the Pride March can be held in line with Hungary’s child protection law, Gulyás said, adding that the question was “whether the aim of the organisers was to provoke or hold the event lawfully.”
Gulyás told a government press briefing that in view of the increased interest on the matter in the press and internationally, the government was sticking to its standpoint of enforcing the child protection law. “The government wants to stand up for the protection of children, not against sexual minorities,” he said.
“The government’s strong opinion is that it is possible to hold the march in line with the law, and this is why Kincsem Park has been offered as a venue to the organisers, but they are free to choose another place,” he said, referring to a race course and equestrian venue in Budapest’s 10th district.
The question, Gulyás said, was whether the aim of organisers was to hold the event lawfully or to mount a provocation, adding that the former would be possible in cooperation with the authorities.
Gulyás: ‘Karácsony-Tisza coalition’ bankrupted the capital in less than a year
The “coalition” of the mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, and the opposition Tisza Party has “bankrupted Budapest in less than a year”, Gulyás said, adding that sole responsibility lay with the capital’s leadership. The government, he said, was “ready to help out”, but the capital’s operations must be investigated first.
Six years ago, Budapest was left with big reserves, Gulyás said. Insolvency, even last year, was not an issue, and the “Karácsony-Tisza coalition, by their own admission”, bankrupted the city in less than a year, he added. Budapest residents would suffer the consequences, he said, adding, however, that the government was ready to step in and provide help.
Beforehand, however, an examination was needed of why the city’s leadership failed to manage its finances, even when business tax revenues “grew much more than the solidarity tax”. Csaba Latorcai, the prime ministerial state secretary for public administration and regional development, will head the probe, he said.
Gulyás: Praid disaster – Hungarian govt providing every assistance
Human negligence is “clearly” at the root of the disaster in the Praid salt mine in Romania, Gulyás said, adding that Hungary’s government was providing all the aid it possibly could.
At the cabinet meeting earlier on Wednesday, the government discussed natural disasters in Szeklerland, and heard a briefing by Botond Barna Biro, the head of Harghita county council, Gulyás said.
He said it was “clear” that the disaster could have been avoided had the stream above the mine been diverted ahead of time. “This is a huge human omission,” he said, adding that identifying those responsible was a task for the Romanian authorities.
The Hungarian government is in contact with the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), and the Harghita county council and is ready to provide all the aid in its power to do so, he said.
Hungarian researchers are taking part in the space geodesy monitoring programme aiding the work there, and Hungarian water management and disaster management experts have arrived in the region, he said.
Lőrinc Nacsa, the state secretary for policies for Hungarians across the borders, is representing the government at the site, he added. The government has allocated 10 million forints (EUR 25,000) as express aid, and the Hungarian Interchurch Aid has also launched an aid drive, Gulyás added.
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