Latest news with #Bóka
Budapest Times
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
Bóka: Hungary is working to strengthen transparency regarding EU funding of NGOs
János Bóka, the minister of EU affairs, said in Brussels on Tuesday that Hungary is working to strengthen transparency regarding the European Union funding of NGOs, adding that there was a 'fundamental misunderstanding regarding the role of NGOs in a democratic society'. After a meeting of EU affairs ministers, Minister Bóka said Hungary and Slovakia did not support a proposal by the Polish presidency of the Council of the EU on strengthening democratic resilience in Europe. 'The text conflates the situation of constitutional institutions and NGOs, as well as the place of political parties and NGOs in a democratic society,' he said. 'In our opinion, European institutions and certain member states misinterpret [the concept of] democratic resilience,' Minister Bóka said, warning that democratic resilience would be used 'to justify foreign interference into member states' democratic processes rather than to strengthen their democratic institutions.' Commenting on Hungary's eighth hearing at the General Affairs Council within the framework of the Article 7 procedure against the country, Minister Bóka said that 'after a long wait', the European Commission had closed the infringement procedures launched in connection with Hungarian legislation on the Central European University and the 'Stop Soros' package of laws. 'The infringement procedures were closed because the European Commission itself has established that the Hungarian legislation currently in force is in line with EU legislation.' Regarding preparations for the EU summit in late June, Minister Bóka said Hungary supported that the European Council tabled'the situation in the Western Balkans'. 'We trust that the EU's leaders will send the positive message to the region that their future is in Europe,' he said. Hungary also supported a Swedish proposal that cross-border organised crime should be tabled in the EU as a risk to security and the rule of law. Hungary agreed that the fight against organised crime was in many areas a European task, 'including, for example, organised crime groups organising illegal migration from outside the EU,' he said.
Budapest Times
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
Hungary maintains a zero-tolerance policy against anti-Semitism
Upon the announcement that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has tasked EU affairs minister János Bóka with coordinating action against anti-Semitism, the EU affairs ministry said Hungary maintains a zero-tolerance policy against anti-Semitism. Minister Bóka will present proposals to curb alarmingly growing anti-Semitism in Europe and liaise with the relevant European and international players and EU institutions, the statement said. He will also 'use his experience in the EU to promote the fight anti-Semitism with active and conscious communication, and with domestic and international initiatives,' the ministry said. Hungary's government has maintained a zero-tolerance policy against anti-Semitic phenomena and actions for a long time, it said. 'The Hungarian government guarantees the safety of the varied and robust Jewish community in Hungary and supports its activities. [The government] feels responsible for the security and prosperity of all European Jewish communities, because European Jewish life is part of our shared European heritage,' it said. Later on Sunday, Minister Bóka told an event marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel organised by the MERKAZ Hebrew and Israeli Cultural Centre in Budapest, that Hungary had a responsibility to fight anti-Semitism and promote 'Jewish life'. As the coordinator of action against anti-Semitism, Minister Bóka said he was preparing to perform 'visible, pro-active work based on partnerships'. 'We have a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of anti-Semitism, including anti-Semitism disguised as anti-Zionism and as opposition to Israel,' he said.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hungary to continue blocking Ukraine's EU accession over espionage scandals
Hungary currently has no intention of approving the opening of negotiation clusters in Ukraine's EU accession talks due to tense bilateral political relations. Source: Hungarian EU Affairs Minister János Bóka, as reported by European Pravda Details: Bóka, speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting of the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels on 27 May, accused Ukraine of conducting espionage activities on Hungarian territory. "At this moment, Ukraine is conducting numerous informational and intelligence operations in Hungary aimed at influencing democratic decision-making processes. In such a political context, it is extremely difficult to conduct constructive negotiations," he said. Background: On 20 May, Hungarian intelligence services claimed to have uncovered two Ukrainian "spies": Roland Tseber and István Holló. A Hungarian court stated there were grounds to suspect that Holló, acting on behalf of Ukrainian military intelligence, had been conducting activities in Hungary which, if proven, would constitute the crime of espionage. Tensions in Ukraine-Hungary relations escalated after Ukraine's Security Service announced on the morning of 9 May that it had uncovered a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast and conducting espionage. Following this, Budapest expelled two Ukrainian diplomats, accusing them of spying. Ukraine responded by expelling two Hungarian diplomats. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Budapest Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
Bóka: EC's initiative is harming bloc's competitiveness and putting energy security at risk
János Bóka, the minister for EU affairs, said the European Commission's initiative is harming the bloc's competitiveness and putting its energy security at risk. Minister Bóka said on Facebook that together with his Slovak counterpart, they turned to the EC in a joint statement 'in the interest of Hungary and Slovakia's safe and affordable energy supply'. Minister Bóka said that the heads of state and government of the EU had tasked the EC with aiding European citizens' and companies' access to safe, reliable and affordable energy, 'but the Commission's schedule for REPowerEU is the direct opposite of those aims.' The joint statement called on the EC to prepare 'thorough, country-specific impact studies on energy security, energy prices and competitiveness; to engage in consultation with the most-hit member states to identify the adequate measures to fight damaging effects; to look into ways to compensate those member states for their costs in energy diversification; and to provide financial guarantees covering possible indemnity obligations resulting from the proposed legislations,' the post said. Minister Bóka warned that the EC's plans were directly impacting the energy security of member states, as well as their sovereign choice of energy mix, nuclear security and energy prices. Hungary and Slovakia stand by respecting the sovereignty and energy security of member states while implementing EU energy policies, he added. Member states must retain the right to decide over their energy mix, resources of procurement and their diversification, he said. Meanwhile, the signatories also warned the EC that member states' leaders had not given it a mandate to restrict the peaceful use of nuclear energy in any way, including the imports of nuclear fuel.
Budapest Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
EU affairs minister welcomes court decision on releasing EC-Pfizer text messages
The EU court has made such a significant decision that "it is visible even from the Moon," Minister Bóka said on Facebook. János Bóka, Hungary's EU affairs minister, has welcomed a ruling passed by the EU court, according to which the European Commission should have made public the text messages it had exchanged with Covid vaccine supplier Pfizer during the pandemic. The EU court has made such a significant decision that 'it is visible even from the Moon,' Minister Bóka said on Facebook. 'The Commission has until now stated that those messages did not even exist', the minister said. 'But as it now turns out, they in fact did, and the EC should release those,' he added. 'We, however, still don't know what those messages contain. We don't know what happened around placing an order for the purchase of 1.8 billion doses of vaccines and the payment of several tens of billions of euros,' said Minister Bóka.
