As provided for in Article 4 of the Lisbon Treaty, “The Union shall respect the equality of Member States before the Treaties (…) The Member States shall facilitate the achievement of the Union’s tasks and refrain from any measure which could jeopardise the attainment of the Union’s objectives.” Therefore, the Union and the Member States are of equal rank and mutually help and support each other in the attainment of objectives.
On the other hand, we, the citizens of Hungary, have been experiencing a series of systematic, regular and concerted insults for months, which no other country has had to face in the history of the European Union. The new constitution, the media law, the adjudication practice of courts and the rules governing political advertising are challenged, and we are accused of being anti-minority, racist and anti-Semitic – and the list of examples could be continued.
And you, Ms Reding, the vice president of the European Commission and commissioner for fundamental rights, are unfortunately playing a key role in this series of infinitely unfair, biased and one-sided insults.
Ms Reding, you should know that we, the citizens of Hungary fundamentally disagree with and reject the criticism expressed by you and others. We live in this country and, believe it or not, we consider that this country loves freedom and respects democracy no less now, during the Orbán regime, than it did in 1956, when the whole world admired us for our revolt against Communist dictatorship. No government is perfect, including the government of your country, the constitution of which was amended six times within a period of six months and then twelve times within a period of six years. In your interview given to Der Standard, you made the following accusation against the Orbán government: “a constitution is not a toy that one can change every few months”. Is it not the application of a double standard, Ms Reding? Having read this, how can we give credit to your words and statements?
Believe us that we are aware that the Orbán government is not perfect. But can you find a perfect government anywhere in the world? In Hungary, there is democracy and freedom, human rights are promoted, and Jewish culture is flourishing (as it has been clearly stated recently by Ilan Mor, the Israeli ambassador to Hungary). Therefore, we strongly request and even demand you to treat us with trust and more openness. The Hungarian nation is a traditionally inclusive one, and we are pleased to cooperate with you and others in the attainment of EU objectives in the spirit of Article 4, if you can be our partner in cooperation on an equal footing.
Finally, you participated in this year’s annual meeting of the Bilderberg Group in the UK, where you are said to have voiced some astounding things. Please note that if it is true that you consulted with the Bilderberg Group on your intention to weaken the legitimacy of next year’s parliamentary elections in Hungary; if it is true that you have already agreed on the same with some non-governmental organisations and with Gordon Bajnai specifically, and if it is true that you and these organisations share the objective to make the international public believe before the elections that fear prevails in Hungary and the people do not dare to vote freely, if the above are true, then you are strongly called upon in the name of all members of the Intellectual National Defence Movement to resign from all your positions occupied within the EU with immediate effect, because you have abused the most sacred European values related to democracy and human rights, and have trodden on the value of national sovereignty, for which we deeply condemn you.
Nevertheless, we hope that the foregoing is not true. However, if you are unable to provide substantial and factual evidence to refute the above information, then you should not hold any position in European and democratic politics.
Regards,
Members of the Intellectual National Defence Movement
organised by the Civil Union Forum (CÖF) and the Civil Union Public Benefit Foundation (CÖKA)
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