“I have this 54-page-long document here in my hand. Through these 54 pages, Brussels is demanding that we change our child protection law,” Prime Minister Orbán began his regular Friday morning interview on Kossuth Rádió. According to the prime minister, in a normal setting, when child protection concerns arise, the Hungarian parliament starts a debate about it and adopts legislation.
“Per the EU charter, just like with family law, questions regarding children’s rights belong under national competence,” PM Orbán said. However, in the prime minister’s view, Brussels has “attacked us” – and that is why we need a referendum to protect ourselves. “They are blackmailing and threatening us; they launch infringement procedures, delay the payment of funds we deserve,” PM Orbán said.
In a situation like this, the PM continued, we only have two options: to cave or not. “As this is about our children, it is about the future of our children, we must not give in,” the prime minister said, adding that the government alone wouldn’t be able to win this fight – we need every Hungarian to participate in the referendum. If there is popular support, then we can stop Brussels, just like Hungary stopped Brussels with the referendum on migrant quotas.
“The European Commission believes that schools and public education should take priority over parents’ rights,” PM Orbán said, adding that Brussels wants to allow LMBTQ activists into schools. In their view, the PM explained, this is not about the education of children, this is about the extension of “European ideals of freedom.” According to the Western, liberal mainstream, true freedom can only be reached by getting rid of one’s own sexuality.
Hungarians, PM Orbán said, do not think this way. Hungarians believe that there are adults and children. While adults are free to do whatever they wish, within the confines of the law, children are a “different matter.”
Commenting on the possible delay in EU recovery fund payments, Prime Minister Orbán said that Brussels can delay the payments, but it must pay at some point. “The government has decided that we will launch the programs that have already been approved by Brussels,” the PM said, adding that until the funds arrive from the EC, these projects will be covered by the Hungarian state budget.
Closing the interview with the topic of the coronavirus, PM Orbán said that the Delta variant of the virus has been found in 23 people in Hungary so far. However, with over 55 percent of the population already vaccinated with both shots, a proportion that is higher than in the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, Hungary is currently one of the safest countries from a pandemic perspective.