BUDAPEST, January 19. /TASS/. Hungary will by no means give in to the European Union’s blackmail over issues concerning immigration or LGBT propaganda, no matter how large a pot of frozen EU funds may be at stake, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
Budapest will not agree to change its position for any amount of money from Brussels-distributed funds, the head of government declared in a Kossuth Radio morning broadcast.
Orban noted that European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen’s January 17 speech before the European Parliament made it abundantly clear that Brussels' claims against Budapest have nothing at all to do with the rule of law, but rather are driven by the EU’s displeasure with Budapest’s steadfast refusal to open the gates to illegal migrant flows or to allow the dissemination of LGBT propaganda in Hungarian schools.
"This is what Brussels wants to impose on Hungarians," Orban said, recalling that the EC withheld some 20 bln euros in EU budget allocations and other funds that were owed to Hungary.
"What happens to our children and grandchildren is a whole lot more important than money," Orban stated. He slammed the EC's policies as akin to blackmail.
"There is no amount of money for which it might be admissible to let migrants into the country or LGBT propagandists into our schools," he said.
Orban dismissed criticism against Hungary over purported rule-of-law concerns and its domestic anti-corruption measures as groundless.
"All of this is nonsense and idle talk," he said, noting that "the Hungarian justice system meets all European standards" and the national public procurement system was connected to the EU's common system.
Orban expressed certainty that the Hungarian government's position on these issues enjoyed popular support during the national consultations that ended on January 17. More than 1.5 mln men and women voluntarily participated in the survey by mailing in questionnaires. The results of this opinion poll, which included questions on migration, LGBT propaganda, and Ukraine, among other issues, will be summarized and released within the next few days. Comparing himself to a postman, Orban vowed to convey the opinions of Hungarian citizens to the EU leaders, who are slated to convene in Brussels on February 1.