Fidesz parliamentary group leader, Máté Kocsis has called on the left wing to put an end to “public violence, bullying and lies”.
Commenting on domestic political developments, Kocsis told a press conference that László Varju of the opposition Democratic Coalition and András Fekete-Győr of Momentum should quit public life. Noting that Varju was convicted of assault and Fekete-Győr was sentenced for a violent act against an official, he said that anyone convicted of acts such as disorderly conduct and causing bodily harm should step down from their public duties. Kocsis insisted that acts of public aggression were increasing, and he referred to the recent actions by the Antifa movement in Hungary. He said political responsibility must be taken in the absence of legal responsibility, and he referred to András Jámbor and the Szikra Movement, saying that while he had not been convicted, he should also step down from public life. Regarding the issue of child protection, he said a second child protection law package will be debated in the spring session, involving the proposed amendment of around 20 laws. Penalties for crimes against children will be tightened further, he said, adding that proposals would include scrapping the statute of limitations in the case of sex crimes committed against anyone under the age of 18 as well as the possibility of parole. Further, such criminals would never again receive a certificate of attesting to the absence of a police record. Anyone who commits crimes of child abuse will be stained for life, he added.
Referring to a planned amendment to the child protection law, Kocsis said a “completely new” child protection system would be introduced with “clear rules and controls”. He said there were problems in child protection, but warned against a general bias under which “everybody working in child protection should be stigmatised as criminals”. “There are many fair and honest people working in child protection, but some sick and perverted people might have infiltrated, who must be removed by every means”.
Answering a question on the subject, Kocsis said Hungary “is sure to come under attack by Brussels for tightening the child protection law. Kocsis also said there did not appear to be any need to tighten the law on the sovereignty protection law in the spring session of parliament. Regarding Sweden’s NATO accession, he said the impending visit of the Swedish Prime Minister and talks over the past few days had taken the bilateral relationship “in a very good direction”. “This was the gesture we were waiting for,” he said, adding that he did not fear that MPs would withhold their vote for Sweden’s accession to the alliance. “We presented our earlier grievances, but now it’s right to step beyond this and open a new chapter with the Swedes,” he said.