The Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly refuses and finds completely unacceptable such unprecedented accusation, whereby the president of the European Parliament declares a whole country anti-Semitic.

Hungary does not “count the Jews” and anti-Semitic incidents are condemned and sanctioned by the Government with the strongest terms; the legal tools for such measures have been created by the current Government. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared zero tolerance against anti-Semitism, as it is demonstrated – amongst others – by his speech at the World Jewish Congress.

There is an ongoing debate about Hungary in the European Parliament and it is of utmost importance to have an objective report as an outcome of this debate. The Government of Hungary therefore finds it particularly worrying if it is the president of this institution himself who makes it impossible to have a fact-based discussion by making politically motivated, but unfounded and thoroughly hurtful utterances. The above statement by Mr. Schulz is offending millions of honest and well-meaning Hungarians.

We expect Mr. Schulz to have the publication corrected, had he not made such statement. If he did indeed speak as quoted, we are firmly calling upon him to apologise to the unjustly accused Hungarian nation.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs