Latest news with #Dömötör
Budapest Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Budapest Times
MEP: More than 1.2 million sign petition on Ukraine's potential EU membership
Csaba Dömötör said fast-tracking Ukraine into the EU would "devastate the already struggling European economy". Fidesz MEP Csaba Dömötör told a forum in Zalaegerszeg on Monday that more than 1.2 million people have already returned the questionnaire on Ukraine's potential EU membership, which would have an impact on the lives of all Europeans as well as the continent's future. Addressing the latest leg of Fidesz party's national tour, the MEP said fast-tracking Ukraine into the EU would 'devastate the already struggling European economy'. Dömötör said Brussels was treating it as a foregone conclusion that all accession chapters would be opened this year, aiming for Ukraine to achieve full membership by 2030. Rather than taking the candidate's merits into account, 'the Brussels elite believes its diktat must be accepted', he added. Cohesion funds and agricultural subsidies for Hungary, he said, would be reduced drastically, and markets, including in agriculture, may even open before full membership, with 'severe consequences' and big losses for Hungarian farmers, Dömötör said.
Budapest Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
MEP: EC signed at least 37,000 contracts with NGOs worth 17 billion euros in recent years
The list of organisations included a multitude of organisations that were supposed to be civic, but they were in fact involved in political activities. Csaba Dömötör, MEP of Hungary's ruling Fidesz, said that between 2019 and 2023, the European Commission signed at least 37,000 contracts with NGOs worth a total 17 billion euros. In a statement to the press in Strasbourg on Tuesday, Dömötör added that the list of organisations included 'a multitude of organisations that were supposed to be civic, but they were in fact involved in political activities'. 'We will publish the list of organisations because everybody has the right to know what European and Hungarian taxpayers' money is spent on,' Dömötör said. 'These NGOs do not represent groups in society but promote the interests of a small leftist elite: they echo the commission's position across Europe and weaken the border protection capabilities of member states; in many cases they have started lawsuits against member states in cooperation with immigrants, and organise action against democratically elected governments…' he said. 'Many of these organisations are financed by the European Commission and players overseas, while they do not have a local base of supporters; they are kept alive by a political will rather than locally organised groups of society,' Dömötör said. He added that 'several thousand of the subsidised organisations' were registered in Brussels. Meanwhile, the MEP said the European People's Party had recently adopted a resolution urging fast-tracking Ukraine's EU membership and preparation of the community for the next cycle of enlargement, adding that such issues as extra burdens or the impact of Ukraine's accession on public security or European agriculture were not even mentioned. Dömötör also said that Hungary's opposition Tisza Party 'obviously' supported Ukraine's EU accession.
Budapest Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
Fidesz MEP: Although Magyar may deny it, Brussels wants to fast-track Ukraine's EU accession
Csaba Dömötör said the screening process was taking place "with unprecedented speed" and the Commission was helping Ukraine full steam ahead. Fidesz MEP Csaba Dömötör said that although opposition Tisza Party leader Peter Magyar may deny it, various resolutions and statements 'prove that Brussels wants to fast-track Ukraine's EU accession'. Dömötör told Hungarian journalists in Brussels on Tuesday that certain Hungarian politicians, including Magyar, were attempting to brand the accession moves as 'a lie' and 'not even possible', yet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently said in Kyiv that Ukraine could become an EU member before 2030. Dömötör said: 'What's this if not fast-tracking?' Also, EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos has started to campaign to gain support for Ukrainian membership, he added, citing her as saying that Ukraine would become deeply integrated into the European economy 'no matter what'. Dömötör cited her as saying that this was 'already happening' and 'we will speed it up'. Domotor insisted that the EU wanted to accelerate Ukraine's integration into parts of the single market. The commissioner also talked of how the EU was 'aware of the consequences' for Ukraine's neighbours, including Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. The Fidesz MEP said the screening process was taking place 'with unprecedented speed' and the Commission was helping Ukraine full steam ahead. 'The enlargement plans are a priority for the Commission,' he said, adding that they were not even holding a debate on the matter and failing to address basic questions such as the consequences of admitting 'a country at war and full of weapons' to the bloc. Dömötör said no questions were asked about the burden to the EU budget or the budgets of member states, or indeed what impact all this would have on European agriculture and Hungarian farmers. He cited the 'European Commission-funded' Jacques Delors Institute as estimating that funding for Hungary is shrinking by 15-22 percent. 'But they say not a word about this in the European Parliament,' he added. 'What we're seeing is a highly elite policy implemented by excluding voters…' he said.
Budapest Times
22-04-2025
- Business
- Budapest Times
Dömötör: Tisza Party cannot deny support for Ukraine
Csaba Dömötör warned that Ukraine's possible membership, being "an issue involving thousands of billions of forints", could fundamentally impact the opportunities of the European and Hungarian economy. 'The Tisza Party cannot deny the importance of Ukraine's European Union entry … in Brussels, Tisza MEPs have supported a resolution on the European Union's budget that includes passages with regard to Ukraine,' Csaba Dömötör, MEP of ruling Fidesz, said. Dömötör told a press conference in Budapest on Wednesday that through adopting the resolution, Tisza's MEPs 'voted full and unconditional support for Ukraine … and voted for the EU to spend even more money on Ukraine and that Ukraine should proceed towards EU membership'. He said that, according to statements by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Ukraine could be granted a fast-track procedure to become a member with full rights even before 2030. He accused Tisza of trying to downplay the importance of the issue. Dömötör warned that Ukraine's possible membership, being 'an issue involving thousands of billions of forints', could fundamentally impact the opportunities of the European and Hungarian economy.
Budapest Times
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
Dömötör: EP admits Tisza party is intended beneficiary of rule-of-law procedure against Hungary
Fidesz MEP Csaba Dömötör said other opposition parties, the Democratic Coalition and Momentum, had quietly lobbied for punitive measures against Hungary. Fidesz MEP Csaba Dömötör said on Wednesday that the European Parliament has admitted that the opposition Tisza party is the intended beneficiary of the rule-of-law procedure against Hungary linked to withholding EU funds. Dömötör said this week's EP budget committee meeting saw Tisza MEP Kinga Kollar speak 'with shocking openness' about how damaging Hungary's economy strengthened the opposition, adding that she had 'clearly linked the rule-of-law procedure with the 2026 Hungarian elections'. The left-wing opposition, he said, pursued the policy of 'what is worse for the country is better for them'. The Fidesz MEP said other opposition parties, the Democratic Coalition and Momentum, had quietly lobbied for punitive measures against Hungary. 'Now Tisza is doing this openly,' he said. Dömötör said that the 'Brussels elite' wanted to install leaders in Hungary who would toe the line and vote for extra financing for the war, the migration pact, and 'accept ideological madness' by approving the gradual withdrawal the rights of member states. In return, opposition MEPs were being allowed to 'hide behind their immunity' and receive support for their political campaigns in Hungary, he added. Dömötör said that 'so-called' NGOs backed by the European Commission 'with huge sums of money' had also addressed the committee meeting, but rather than representing the civil sector, they had pocketed the commission's money and spoke about how 'rule-of-law procedures can influence election results'. The European Court of Auditors, he said, had found that the commission had spent almost 7 billion euros in recent years on opaque support for civilian political activist groups. 'But Hungary doesn't give in to political or financial blackmail,' he said. Voters in Hungary did not approve of parties that received foreign funding and adjusted their own policies to fit foreign expectations, he added. The Fidesz politician said EU institutions had taken a clear position on Ukraine's EU membership. He insisted that the question of whether Ukraine would be fast-tracked to join the bloc and whether it would receive additional EU budget support would fundamentally determine the bloc's future. Issues such as the future of agricultural policy were at stake, he added. Dömötör said the commission's president, Ursula von der Leyen's clear position was that Ukraine could join the bloc before 2030. Hungary, Dömötör added, did not believe the steps towards EU membership could be bypassed and candidate countries should not be handed a blank cheque. The resulting impact on public security, cohesion policy and agricultural policy was being dangerously ignored in Brussels, he said.
