March 15 – Government official: ‘Hungary today needs legal, political tools, not arms to fight for its interests’

Commemorating the anniversary of the revolution, Barna Pal Zsigmond and the MEPs of ruling Fidesz laid a wreath at the plaque of reform poet and revolutionary Sandor Petofi in Strasbourg and paid respect to his young compatriots.

He said Hungary and its national sovereignty had faced a lot of attacks by the left, adding that “we will make every effort to protect Hungary’s sovereignty”.

Zsigmond said that the EP elections in June will have “huge stakes”, namely whether Europe will become a federation of sovereigntist nation states or embark on a federalist path.

He said the Hungarian government’s goal was for the EU to return to the concept of the founding fathers because a federation of sovereigntist nation states was the best framework for Hungary to represent its interests.

Speaking about Hungary’s upcoming EU presidency in the second half of the year, the state secretary said “an excellent presidency can be expected, similarly to the one Hungary held in 2011. We are prepared to represent the interests of Hungarians both in Strasbourg and in Brussels during it”.