At a Europe forum in Berlin organised by public-service broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Angela Merkel said she fully agreed with the European Commission that Hungary must change legislation which runs counter to EU treaties.

She added that she had discussed this on several occasions with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán who had each time reassured her that Hungary took criticism seriously. Merkel spoke in response to remarks by Social Democrat Peer Steinbrück, who said at the event that with regard to anti-democratic and exclusionary processes in Hungary, in principle, the option of exclusion from the EU should not be ruled out.

Gergely Prőhle, Deputy State Secretary at the Foreign Ministry, reacted on Thursday that Merkel’s remarks gave no reason for concern as the German Chancellor was right to trust that Hungary would choose “the European solution” and would proceed according to EU norms and regulations.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)