Deutsch: Fidesz MEPs turn to EC on ‘collusion with dollar left’

Deutsch said that leftist opposition leader Ferenc Gyurcsany had “admitted” in a radio interview MEPs of the “Hungarian dollar left” were putting all their energies into “undermining their own country and Hungarians”.

The statement said Gyurcsany had conceded that there was no legal basis for the European Commission to raise objections against Hungary regarding the rule of law, and the EC’s actions were “political” and went against the EU’s basic treaty.

“Gyurcsany also admitted” that left-wing MEPs had participated “vigorously” in work to put legal finery on what was in reality political pressure.

Deutsch accused the left-wing MEPs of constantly consulting with EC officials on setting political expectations for Hungary, the “so-called” rule-of-law milestones.

The letter of Hungary’s ruling parties’ MEPs letter to the EC puts “three clear and simple questions”: how many times EC officials “conducted secret … political consultations with Hungarian left-wing politicians prior to EC decisions … affecting Hungary; precisely which political demands dressed in legal garb were proposed by Hungarian left-wing politicians; and was repealing the Hungarian Child Protection Act a matter of discussion.

Deutsch accused Momentum politician Anna Donath of having repeatedly denied consulting with European commissioners with the purpose of putting political pressure on Hungary, before later admitting to having done so.

Deutsch said the MEPs would give the commission a month to respond to the questions.

He also referred to corruption cases in Brussels, saying “the system of corruption [involves] actors outside European Union institutions — Eastern states, Western NGOs, businesses — illegally buying political influence in exchange for money and other benefits…” Noting next year’s European elections, he said voters would have the chance to “drain the swamp of corruption” in Brussels.

Brussels, ‘dollar left’ must stop hindering energy storage development

Brussels and the “dollar left” must stop hindering the development of energy storage projects, an MEP of ruling Fidesz said in a statement after a plenary debate in the European Parliament on the topic of energy storage on Tuesday. Gas storage has played a key role in mitigating the effects of the energy crisis that developed as a consequence of the EU’s “flawed sanctions policy”, Andras Gyurk said, adding that the large-scale development of electricity storage was essential.

He said Brussels and the left wing should “stop blocking access to EU funds” required for developing storage.

Gyurk called for the swift and effective development of electricity storage technologies. This, he said, required “a stable regulatory environment” and a “technology-neutral approach”, and adequate support for related industrial and R+D projects.

The construction of modern energy storage facilities is a costly process, Gyurk noted, calling on the European Commission to give every EU member state “immediate access to the funding they are entitled to”.

“This is why it is important that Brussels and the dollar left should stop hindering the creation of energy independence and climate protection in central Europe. For this, they must stop blocking the payment of EU funds to Hungary and Poland,” said Gyurk.