Latest news with #TamásDeutsch
Budapest Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
MEP: Fast-tracking Ukraine into EU is not about enlargement or peace, but about Brussels being directly involved in war
Fidesz MEP Tamás Deutsch told a European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg on Wednesday that fast-tracking Ukraine into the EU is not about enlargement or peace, but about Brussels being directly involved in the war. Deutsch said Brussels bureaucrats were 'forcing the war doctrine' and were 'not bothered about the fate of Ukrainians'. Rather, they assumed the mantle of a 'great power' and wanted a military victory 'at any cost'. Yet Europeans wanted peace and rejected Ukraine's fast-tracked EU accession 'with disastrous economic consequences', he said, noting that Hungary is holding a referendum to gauge people's opinion on the matter. Fidesz MEP Kinga Gál also addressed the plenary, noting that the EU has financed Ukraine to the tune of more than 150 billion euros while 'hundreds of thousands have died' on the battlefield. 'This is the failed balance sheet' of Europe's strategy, she said. The EU must take action to secure a ceasefire and a lasting peace while supporting diplomatic efforts aimed accordingly, she said. Gál said left-liberal and EPP politicians had hijacked the legitimate goal of developing European defence capabilities to give Ukraine 'even more weapons and money', while this was against Europe's interests. Neither was it in Europe's interests to give Ukraine EU membership by 2030 purely for political reasons, she said, adding that opening the country to the EU's internal market before it met accession conditions was equally unacceptable.
Budapest Times
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
MEPs: EP's grand coalition with backing from Tisza and DK voted to continue the war
The EP, in a plenary session on Wednesday, held a vote on the legislative assembly's plans regarding the 2026 European Union budget. The MEP group of the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance said on Wednesday that the European Parliament's 'grand coalition', with the backing of Hungary's opposition Tisza and Democratic Coalition (DK) parties, voted to continue the war. The MEP group said in a statement that the EP, in a plenary session on Wednesday, held a vote on the legislative assembly's plans regarding the 2026 European Union budget. They cited Fidesz MEP Tamás Deutsch as saying that the Patriots for Europe (PfE) group and Fidesz and the Christian Democrats had rejected the 'pro-war' parliamentary text, which they said had also 'attacked member states' sovereignty, supported illegal migration and spread gender madness'. 'The grand coalition of parties of Péter Magyar, [Ferenc] Gyurcsany and Momentum in Brussels, on the other hand, wants to allocate further billions of euros to the war, the Soros organisations which have been deemed ineligible for US funding, the left-liberal media and political activists,' the statement said. These opposition parties, the group added, also favored the implementation of the EU's migration pact and continued to force the Green Deal. They cited Deutsch as saying that the EP resolution backed by the 'Brussels grand coalition', Tisza and DK called for ensuring the implementation of the asylum and migration pact and the 'continuation of the rule-of-law jihad'. The resolution, he added, also called for more military aid for Ukraine. Deutsch said the Hungarian opposition parties had voted down the PfE group's proposals, including one calling for the European Commission to withdraw a 'discriminatory decision' that excludes Hungarian universities and researchers from the EU's Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programmes. They had also rejected a proposal to unfreeze EU funds for Hungary, he said.
Budapest Times
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
Deutsch: European cooperation or any kind of unity between EU member states is an illusion
Tamás Deutsch said that at the root of the "incredibly irresponsible political cold war" were "attempts in Brussels to create an empire", to which sovereign member states were a hindrance. Tamás Deutsch, an MEP of the ruling Fidesz party, said on Tuesday that it is an illusion to talk of lasting European cooperation or 'any kind of unity' between EU member states, adding that the European Commission 'has made political cold war against member states a part of its everyday operations'. According to MTI, Deutsch said that at the root of the 'incredibly irresponsible political cold war' were 'attempts in Brussels to create an empire', to which sovereign member states were a hindrance. 'The clearest proof and most prevalent symptom of that is the rule-of-law jihad conducted against many member states, but especially Hungary,' Deutsch said. He accused the EU of operating the 'largest consciously constructed system of political corruption, led by the European Commission. This system ploughs billions of euros into supporting NGOs, but actually it finances political action groups, leftist-liberal media outlets that aim to interfere in member states' domestic affairs and weaken democratically elected governments, especially those opposed to Brussels's imperial endeavours,' he said. Regarding the EP debate on European defence, Deutsch said that the debate highlighted the deep crisis within the EU, 'and the pro-war speeches … further reinforced that image'. The European cooperation is in a deep crisis, and as a consequence, Europe lags more and more behind Asia and North America, he said. In the debate, 'hardly any contributions represented the goal, backed by hundreds of millions of Europeans, for the EU to take immediate and definitive steps to end the war in Ukraine, and in the interest of a ceasefire and peace talks.' The talks were mostly about 'continuing the war' and providing 'military support' which would 'eat up all resources', he said. Manfred Weber, the head of the European People's Party, said at the debate that 'the EU is alone'. 'Hungary, on the other hand, has been saying for a long time that the EU is isolated,' Deutsch said. Deutsch said the US had seen a 'patriotic turnabout'. Meanwhile, the EU ceased all diplomatic ties with Russia three years ago, he said, adding that this may lead to the bloc's isolation 'because it can't get out of the pro-war madhouse and is committing blindly to continuing the war.' The EU is also committing to financing Ukraine during and after the war 'despite Ukraine's insolvency', he said. Deutsch said EU leaders were also 'daydreaming about fast-tracking Ukraine's EU accession', and such a step'would bring the EU to its knees'. The better part of the bloc's farm and cohesion funding would flow to Ukraine, 'and the EU would become Ukraine's donor organisation'. Based on the 'clear' accession rules, Ukraine can't become a member state' for the foreseeable future', he said. Meanwhile, European leaders are planning to radically increase defence spending, 'even if that increases member states' deficits', he said. The EU would also shoulder the costs of setting up a European security and weapons manufacturing industry, he added. While spending 'enormous sums' on financing the war in Ukraine, the EU was neglecting its competitiveness, cohesion policy and common agricultural policy after 2027, which could lead to the bloc's economic collapse, he warned. 'Hungary's government has been asking for a long time why those funds were not spent on ensuring the security and defence of EU member states rather than supporting Ukrainian military,' he said. Deutsch also noted that the EU aimed to invoke Article 122 of the European Treaty to strengthen European defence capabilities. That article was designed for cases of natural disasters or wars with a direct impact on an EU country, he said. Invoking Article 122 'basically raises the question of whether the EU wants to get involved in the war as a warring party as well as a financier of Ukraine … that at a time when brokering peace could start,' he added. He said Europe should leave the 'spiral of war' behind and stand on the side of brokering peace, because conflicts 'can be resolved only through negotiations'.
Budapest Times
24-02-2025
- Business
- Budapest Times
Deutsch: Fidesz favors the efficient use of EU funding instead of using them for ‘power aims'
Red tape for small and medium-sized enterprises should be reduced and environmental protection measures should not hinder economic performance and competitiveness. Tamás Deutsch, the head of the Fidesz-Christian Democrat European Parliament group, said on Thursday that Fidesz and the Patriots have put forward amendment proposals 'against the power aims' of Brussels and in favor of increasing the efficient use of EU funding, ensuring that cohesion funds are not reduced in the next multiannual budget. The EP Committee on Regional Development (REGI) discussed Deutsch's proposals for EU development funding made in his capacity as the development spokesman for the Patriots for Europe group, the Fidesz-Christian Democrat delegation said in a statement in connection with the ninth cohesion report. He said the EU had used cohesion funds as a tool for political blackmail, and his amendment put forward legal regulation aimed at 'putting an end to this shameful Brussels practice' and ensuring that funding helped less developed regions in the process of catching up. Further, red tape for small and medium-sized enterprises should be reduced and environmental protection measures should not hinder economic performance and competitiveness, he added. Also, the statement said the proposals aim to provide training and job opportunities for farmers, especially those of the new generation. Regarding the MFF after 2028, Deutsch insisted the European Commission strove to hand itself even more powers, while the Fidesz-Christian Democrat EP group wanted an EU budget aimed at boosting European competitiveness, preserving support for the regions and European agriculture, and guaranteeing the sovereignty of member states.
Budapest Times
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Budapest Times
Deutsch: Patriots for Europe group wants to ‘make Europe great again'
Tamás Deutsch slammed the EC for plans to continue financing the war in Ukraine with "incomprehensibly large amounts" despite "a changed geopolitical reality". Tamás Deutsch, the leader of the delegation of Hungary's ruling parties in the European Parliament, said the Patriots for Europe group wants to 'make Europe great again', whereas the European Commission's work program for 2025 is 'nothing but a plan of keeping Europe small and weak'. Speaking in Strasbourg on Wednesday, Deutsch told Hungarian reporters that the 'extremely thin and pro-migration' document contained 'nothing but opportunities, chances, and ideas.' The EC disregards violent crimes and terrorist attacks committed by illegal migrants in several countries of the EU and 'keeps pressing for the implementation of the catastrophic migration pact', he said. MEPs of the Fidesz and Christian Democrat parties 'most firmly reject' those endeavours, he added. Deutsch slammed the EC for plans to continue financing the war in Ukraine with 'incomprehensibly large amounts' despite 'a changed geopolitical reality'. Despite soaring energy prices and inflation due to the EU's 'ill-advised sanctions' the commission still advocates further support to Ukraine 'as long as the Ukrainians request it,' he said. According to Deutsch, the longest chapter in the document has been dedicated to the 'gender madness'. 'The EC is kicking a dead horse; the gender madness is over,' he said.
