Parliament|On Thursday, during question time, Hungary’s upcoming EU presidency was discussed.
Sdp demanded a stricter Hungarian line from the government during question time in the parliament.
On Monday, it was reported that Hungary is trying to prevent the channeling of frozen Russian funds to support Ukraine. Hungary is about to take over the EU presidency after June.
Member of Parliament of SDP Maria Guzenina raised the danger that Hungary, as the presidency, will make decision-making related to support for Ukraine even more difficult.
“Are you going to act to ensure that Hungary does not become the EU presidency?” Guzenina asked.
prime minister Petteri Orpo (kok) did not answer the question directly, but stated that we must find ways to get Hungary involved in supporting Ukraine.
“I think in this context we will see if Hungary is in the group or not,” Orpo stated.
When Guzenina criticized Orpo for evading the question, Orpo replied that Finland could not accept that Hungary would stop EU support for Ukraine.
“It’s a really rude thing to do if you go for it. But supporting Ukraine is such an existential issue that it must also be on the table when we talk to Hungary,” Orpo stated regarding the postponement of Hungary’s presidency.
“It must be in the selection of means”, Orpo confirmed later in the conversation.
Sdp challenged Orpo also for his Italy and its prime minister Giorgia Melonia about the comments.
On Tuesday, during Ilta-Sanomi’s European election exam, Orpo emphasized Meloni’s constructive activities in the European Council of EU leaders.
“He is the person who got [Unkarin pääministerin Viktor] Orbán’s in support of Ukraine. He was the person who was in a decisive position when an agreement was reached on the joint budget.”
Sdp’s Jani Kokko pointed out that the Italian government is undermining the rule of law and media freedom in Italy.
“Do you see the difference between Orbán’s rule of law in Hungary and the rule of law of the current Italian prime minister?” he asked Orpo.
Orphan replied to this that he does not accept any deviation from the rule of law and certain actions of the Italian government in Italy.
“I simply stated that at the European summit he has acted constructively, things are not so black and white,” Orpo stated.
According to him, we are living in such a dangerous time in Europe because of Russia that we must be able to cooperate with everyone.
When the chairman of the Sdp parliamentary group Titti Tuppurainen commented on the issue that Orpo still gave “quite Maire’s testimony about the Italian government” and asked if the government has a clear picture of the situation on what kind of measures strong support for Ukraine should be taken in the EU, Orpo became nervous in the ministerial meeting.
“It’s a bit sad that Sdp’s policy has become such a policy of distortion and starvation,” Orpo acknowledged.
Also the former chairman of the Green Party Maria Ohisalon Orpo answered the question firmly. According to Ohisalo, the coalition cooperates with far-right parties both in Europe and in Finland.
“Opposition to immigration, climate skepticism and the erosion of the rule of law are repeated with different emphases”, Ohisalo described far-right parties and the extreme right.
“I think this was a rather strange speech, there is no far-right or extreme right in Finland”, Orpo replied.
“If you give the impression that some people are Putinists or pro-Russia, or that some party in Finland is actively destroying the rule of law, those are pretty harsh accusations. I hope it’s not about European election campaigning, but I don’t think this is relevant”
In question class MPs can ask ministers questions, which they must answer. Ministers do not know the questions in advance.
HS shows the question hour as a live broadcast.
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