Fidesz poses no threat to democracy, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Public Administration and Justice said in response to foreign criticisms levelled against the Hungarian Government at a meeting with Hungarians living in the vicinity of Washington held at the Hungarian Embassy in the US capital Wednesday evening, local time.

"Fidesz poses no threat to democracy. As long as Fidesz is in power, democracy is not in danger of any kind because Fidesz was organised in 1988 for the purpose of creating democracy”, the Minister told his audience of some two hundred at the two-hour forum.

In his words, the larger government party is now guaranteeing this democracy with its two-third majority. He said he is convinced that representatives of the US Administration and legislators „receive less information from us than they should” for shaping their opinions on Hungary. He said that he offered both Senator Ben Cardin, Co-Chairman of the US Helsinki Commission and Philip Gordon, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, the possibility of direct consultation which may help disperse any misunderstandings. He also stated that his negotiating partners were not always fully informed of the latest positive developments related to Hungary, including the fact that an agreement was reached with the Council of Europe on the amendment of the media and justice legislation or that the Hungarian Government distanced itself from anti-Semitism at the level of the Prime Minister.

He remarked that criticisms related to Hungary appear to be less frequent recently. The Minister of Justice outlined the circumstances that led to the change of governments in 2010 and said that, after an intensive legislative phase, the transformation of the Hungarian legal system and the approval of sector-specific reforms, we are now in the phase of operating the systems and correcting any errors that may emerge „as we have one more year until the elections and in 2014, we shall have to give electors an account of what we have achieved".

"It is absolutely certain that there will be sharp debates; however, there is one thing that no one may claim, namely, that the Government has wasted time and has done nothing to lead the country out of the recession”, Navracsics said. At the same time, he voiced his doubts as to whether anyone in Europe has a sure solution for recovering from the crisis as, in his opinion, it is likewise unclear whether the crisis marks the beginning of a new era or merely a minor upset during a single cycle.

The Minister encouraged the members of his audience to take advantage of simplified naturalisation and to join Hungarian public life as citizens. In answer to questions, he said he is convinced that the nations of Central-Europe „are now facing an historic opportunity” because „the time has come to extend our hands to one another".

(MTI)