Szegedist
05-21-2013, 09:03 PM
The Hungarian government firmly rejects Hungary being drawn into the German election campaign, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
The ministry noted in a statement that several leading German politicians, among them Guido Westerwelle, the foreign minister, had recently condemned Prime Minister Viktor Orban for comments made in connection with Germany.
Peer Steinbruck, the Social Democratic candidate in Germany’s autumn elections, recently raised expelling Hungary from the European Union in a televised debate with the Chancellor. Merkel, referring to Steinbruck’s use of the word “cavalry” in another context, replied: “It is not necessary to send in the cavalry right away.”
Orban said in a radio interview on Friday that “the Germans have in the past sent the cavalry against Hungary in the form of tanks, and we ask them not to send them again. It was not a good idea, it did not work.”
The ministry said in its statement that it had learnt of these political statements with regret and such statements prove that Orban’s Friday radio interview comments had been misunderstood. The prime minister reacted to Steinbruck’s proposal that Hungary could be excluded from the European Union. Orban completely agreed with Merkel’s reaction who rejected this proposal, the ministry said. The proposal to exclude Hungary clearly serves campaign purposes in Germany, where the parliamentary elections will be held on September. the ministry added.
“The Hungarian government resolutely rejects all attempts to provoke tension and will maintain constructive dialogue on disputed issues,” the statement said.
MTI (Magyar Távirati Iroda) is the Hungarian news agency.
The ministry noted in a statement that several leading German politicians, among them Guido Westerwelle, the foreign minister, had recently condemned Prime Minister Viktor Orban for comments made in connection with Germany.
Peer Steinbruck, the Social Democratic candidate in Germany’s autumn elections, recently raised expelling Hungary from the European Union in a televised debate with the Chancellor. Merkel, referring to Steinbruck’s use of the word “cavalry” in another context, replied: “It is not necessary to send in the cavalry right away.”
Orban said in a radio interview on Friday that “the Germans have in the past sent the cavalry against Hungary in the form of tanks, and we ask them not to send them again. It was not a good idea, it did not work.”
The ministry said in its statement that it had learnt of these political statements with regret and such statements prove that Orban’s Friday radio interview comments had been misunderstood. The prime minister reacted to Steinbruck’s proposal that Hungary could be excluded from the European Union. Orban completely agreed with Merkel’s reaction who rejected this proposal, the ministry said. The proposal to exclude Hungary clearly serves campaign purposes in Germany, where the parliamentary elections will be held on September. the ministry added.
“The Hungarian government resolutely rejects all attempts to provoke tension and will maintain constructive dialogue on disputed issues,” the statement said.
MTI (Magyar Távirati Iroda) is the Hungarian news agency.