The Hungarian Government is awaiting the results of a probe by the European Commission into the fourth amendment to the Hungarian Fundamental Law, and is ready to discuss possible issues, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced at a press conference in Bilbao on Monday evening.

“We are democrats, we believe in the strength of facts and arguments,” he said on the sidelines of a two-day official visit.
The Prime Minister called suggestions that Hungary could be deprived of some of its rights under Article 7 of the Lisbon Treaty a “bad joke”, adding that those provisions are only applied against countries that disrespect democratic values.

The Prime Minister said that Hungary had succeeded in thriving without financial bailout programmes and highlighted some economic measures, such as reducing state debt and the budget deficit, increasing employment and making the tax system more equitable, as convincing for decision-makers of the community.

Economic achievements and the general elections held in 2014 “will calm down the European public”, he concluded. Hungary succeeded in achieving all these because it has walked its own path, he stressed, expressing his hope that the Government would receive more respect in return.
In Bilbao, Viktor Orbán addressed the conference entitled “Catholics in Public Life”, where he emphasized the role of Christianity in Europe’s past and called for the respect of human resources as well as cultural traditions.
Following this, Viktor Orbán held talks with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy where he stated that Hungary insists on pursuing its own economic policy until it adopts the common European currency.

Discussions focused on crisis management and the two heads of government agreed that Europe needs to seek to boost its economic performance in the face of much better output elsewhere around the world.
The two governments share the opinion that closer cooperation between eurozone member states is desirable, whereas those outside the eurozone, such as Hungary, require more flexibility. The situation in Hungary and Spain is different, but both countries have an interest in strong European integration, Viktor Orbán explained.

The Prime Minister is travelling to Strasbourg today to participate at an EPP parliamentary group meeting prior to the plenary debate concerning Hungary in the evening.

On Wednesday, he will be in London to attend the funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

(Prime Minister's Office)