Hungary's government is carrying out strong, swift and deep reforms and therefore criticisms by the European Union do not come as a surprise, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said during a visit to Munich on Thursday.

In an interview to public-service Bayerischer Rundfunk, Orban said the background to international political attacks against Hungary lay in the fact that the Hungarian electorate had voted the liberals out of parliament while the Socialists had lost their significance, the prime minister's spokesman told journalists.

"They are now trying to reestablish themselves from the outside," said Szijjarto, citing Orban.

Szijjarto said Orban had also told the broadcaster that Hungary's system for administration of justice was on the whole more democratic than Austria's or Germany's because in Hungary it is overseen by parliament whereas in Austria and Germany it is under government supervision.

Orban said the ruling Fidesz party had promised during the election campaign to introduce significant changes to the administration of justice system because people's trust in the system had deteriorated due to long drawn-out cases. Before the new Hungarian system gets condemned, it would be reasonable to at least wait for the first results and see how the new system works, he added.

Commenting on the freedom of the press, he said there was no reason to be ashamed given that a major part of the Hungarian media is under German ownership and they have never complained about problems with the freedom of the press, Szijjarto said, citing Orban.

He added that progress in Hungary's competitiveness was well demonstrated by the fact that Bavarian companies have invested more in Hungary than in China and India.

Orban is in Munich for a one-day visit where his schedule includes meetings with the management of Siemens and Audi, Bavarian Finance Minister Markus Soder and Minister-President of Bavaria Horst Seehofer. Later in the afternoon, the Hungarian Prime Minister will address a Bavarian chamber of commerce.

The Hungarian delegation also includes Economy Minister Gyorgy Matolcsy and Laszlo Parragh, head of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)