Opposition’s Marki-Zay to meet EU officials in Brussels

Speaking to Hungarian reporters about his talks on Wednesday, Marki-Zay said the leaders of the Socialist and Green EP groups had been “open to a Hungary that is reinventing itself”, saying that they, too had an interest in Hungary’s commitment to European values and western European Christian culture.

The conservative mayor of Hodmezovasarhely underscored the importance of the eradication of corruption in Hungary. Marki-Zay said he was committed to having Hungary join the European public prosecutor’s office (EPPO) and adopting the euro following four to five years of preparatory work.

As regards security policy, Marki-Zay vowed to expel from Hungary “criminal migrants imported by Fidesz” if he got elected next spring. He promised to devote close attention to making sure that the EU “is more careful in its disbursement of funds”, which he said meant that EU funds should be used to improve the lives of Hungarians “rather than to enrich [Prime Minister Viktor] Orban’s family and criminals linked to [ruling] Fidesz”. Marki-Zay added that as prime minister he would also ensure that Hungary meets the EU’s rule of law criteria and that “European taxpayer money isn’t stolen”.

In response to a question about cuts in utility prices, Marki-Zay said that if Orban “wouldn’t be keeping Hungarians in poverty, they could afford to pay utility bills”. He said his government would help the population by promoting solar energy, providing firewood, supporting wall insulation, the replacement of doors and windows and the installation of heat pump boilers.

Meanwhile, he said Orban “did the right thing” by taking in refugees, adding, however, that the residency bond scheme posed a “national security risk” to the EU. He said the bloc should follow the examples of the United States and Canada when it came to the use of border fences and controlling immigration.

“If necessary, the EU shouldn’t just have a coast guard but also a fence,” Marki-Zay said. “If it works in the US and Canada, it should also work in the European Union.”