Hungary's Defense Council comprising cabinet members and headed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was set up on Tuesday.
Bertalan Havasi, the prime minister’s press chief, said the protection of Hungary’s security and sovereignty put under pressure due to the war in Ukraine, the ensuing European economic crisis and growing migration pressure, will be a priority in the coming years. The Defense Council will operate within the Hungarian government and will devote itself to reports and proposals in connection with the intelligence services, public security, border protection, defence, migration, disaster management, counter-terrorism and armed forces development, Havasi said. The Defense Council will be headed by the prime minister, and its secretary the PM’s security advisor, György Bakondi. Members include Gergely Gulyás, the cabinet minister, Sándor Pintér, the interior minister, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, the defence minister, and Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade. It will hold bi-weekly meetings, while extraordinary meetings could be called by any of the members if they see fit.
Photo credit: MTI