Deputy State Secretary Gergely Prőhle dismissed the criticism of Hungary’s economic and cultural policies in an interview he gave the Austrian daily Kurier published on Wednesday.

He rejected the allegation made by some Austrian companies about „high taxes and harassment in Hungary” and said the Government wanted to ensure equal distribution of burdens resulting from the crisis between the population and the service providers.

Commenting on Austrian criticism voiced in the media regarding the latest developments in Hungarian cultural life, the Deputy State Secretary said „culture wars” had also been fought in Austria. He mentioned the examples of Thomas Bernhard and Elfriede Jelinek, internationally renowned authors who have been condemned at home for works critical of Austria. He stated that Hungary did not deserve the protest initiated by Director of Vienna’s Burgtheater Matthias Hartmann, adding also that the reason behind appointing a new director for Hungary’s National Theatre was that the mandate of the current director is coming to an end this year.

He declared that he knew of no Hungarian Jewish families who were moving to Austria as a result of rising anti-Semitism in Hungary adding that the country’s Jewish community can rely on the Government’s support. „Every anti-Semitic and racist statement must be condemned consistently,” he stated.

The original interview in German is available here.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)