urope needs a political force that preserves families, homelands and national independence within the EU, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Hungary’s public media on Friday. Mr Orban added that European politics must be renewed.
Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party has parted ways with the European People’s Party, PM Viktor Orban said, adding that he held talks with CDU’s new leader, a very successful minister-president, although it appears that his arrival to CDU was belated.
Mr Orban stressed that he held talks with several partners and that they are working on ways to renew European politics. We must build up Europe’s right wing without the EPP and we must renew European politics, national politics, sovereignty and the general approach to migration. We can go our own way and there’s no need to hurry, but Europe needs a political force within the EU that preserves families, homelands and national independence, Hungary’s prime minister said.
“Fidesz has left the European People’s Party Group in the European Parliament. It has refused to accept that the rights of Members of the European Parliament – and thus the rights of Hungarian voters – be restricted by an amendment of the Group’s statutes,…
Regarding the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Orban stressed that we were in its third phase now, which is bound to be stronger than the second wave, just as the second wave was more difficult than the first one.
We must prepare for the toughest times ahead, he said.
Fully, 862,953 people have been vaccinated in Hungary so far, with 2.9 million people having registered for the jab. We will reach 2.4 million inoculations in the first week of April, and this figure will rise to 4.7 million in early May and 8 million by early July, the prime minister said.
He added that hospitals will be under the highest pressure because the number of patients will spike. On Friday, health authorities have registered 6,369 new infections, 677 people were on ventilators and 6,867 were in hospital care. This number, however, can rise to 15-20 thousand, so steps are being taken to involve residents, medical students and even private doctors in the work.
There will be enough beds, ventilators and staff, PM Orban said.
He stressed that digital education will continue in secondary schools, and primary schools will also switch to that form. The country’s kindergartens, however, will be closed, a move already announced on Thursday.
The third wave of the coronavirus pandemic has also reached Hungary, so the government decided on further restrictions.
Hungary introduces new restrictions
As the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic is also affecting Hungary, the government has decided to impose tough,…
Regarding the services sector, the government decided that “whatever is essential for life will remain open.” This means that grocery stores and shops needed for spring garden preparations will remain open, but everything else – including restaurants, casinos, shops selling technical items – will need to close. As part of a new measure, florists can remain open on Monday, as 8 March is International Women’s Day, but they will need to shut up shop afterwards.
Concerning the EU’s arrangement for vaccine deliveries, PM Orban said the contracts were unenforceable. Under the agreement, EU member states would distribute the vaccines purchased by Brussels among themselves according to a quota system, but there is no vaccine.
Thanks to the Hungarian foreign minister’s efforts, the Chinese vaccines are arriving even earlier than scheduled, PM Orban said, adding that the Chinese had sent even more doses in keeping with the stipulated schedules. “Market demand for the Russian vaccine has grown enormously, making it difficult to obtain the contracted quantity, but we can still keep delivery deadlines,” Mr Orban said.
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