A debate on the preparation of the G20 summit was hold at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 7 and 8 July, in which Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President of the European Commission (EC), drew a parallel between today’s migration situations and the flow of refugees caused by the 1956 Hungarian Revolution again.

Pál Csáky, SMK-MKP (Party of the Hungarian Community) MEP, expressed in his written opinion that he would like to rectify the statement of Vice-President of the European Commission. Europe was a diverse, but unified continent until the Second World War, and its culture had been built on Judaeo-Christian foundation.

That unity was upset by the Communist regime by carrying out physical destruction and causing psychological trauma.
“That is also why the metaphor is unfortunate, namely that a few thousand Hungarian refugees in 1956 are the same as today’s mass influx of refugees from the African and Asian continent to the EU. As, following the events of 1956, some of people who continued to believe in freedom and democracy left Hungary in the expectation of a better life which would base on values that had been endorsed in their country in former times. I think it is unfair to alienate the eastern halves of the EU from its western halves with such statements which are not based on the truth. These statements do not serve European unity or lead to solutions,” the SMK-MKP MEP addressed Frans Timmermans.

Pál Csáky also stated that we, whilst solving problems coming from “outside”, must equally respect Europeans, whether they be Dutch, French, Hungarian or even minority, if we want to build a better Europe. “I am referring in particular to indigenous minorities, as the EU has not taken resolute action to protect their rights,” added Pál Csáky.
(www.csakypal.eu, 20 July 2017)