Hungary and the EU are involved in both values-based and interest-based disputes, he said. Disputes over the handling of the migration crisis are examples of the former while the interest-based disputes cover business and trade policy such as regulating who can obtain land in Hungary, he added.

Lázár noted that the government has assigned tasks related to infringement procedures to the justice ministry, which now represents Hungary in the handling of such cases.

He said Hungary was among the member states that had not lost EU funds over the recent period, which he said was a result of good organisation on the government’s part.

He recommended that parliament hold a debate about the lessons learned from the uses of EU funds over the previous funding period. He said reorganising the system around EU funds had involved risks and difficulties since it was an area of the government that needed “saving”.

Such an overhaul can only be carried out if there are no major disputes among parties, he added. Lázár said the government is in the middle of reorganising Hungary’s Permanent Representation in Brussels, which he said is currently the country’s most crucial foreign office where officials must represent Hungary’s direct interest.

“Representatives in this office need to be good. In fact they need to be very good,” he said. In response to a question by Socialist lawmaker Zsolt Legény, Lázár said that so far 22 of the 90 people working at the Brussels office have been let go. Szabolcs Takács, state secretary for European affairs, said that the EU today faces both external and internal crises, the handling of which will be difficult for member states, as well as the EU as a whole.

Among the bloc’s external challenges, Takács mentioned the migration crisis, the threat of terrorism and doubts surrounding the UK’s EU membership.

Regarding the migration crisis he said recent developments had vindicated Hungary’s stance, adding that Hungary wants member states to work together closely on resolving the crisis.

It is also important to safeguard the EU’s key achievements such as citizens’ right to free movement.

On the subject of terrorism, Takács said Hungary must demonstrate that the rest of the bloc can rely on it, adding, however, that “human rights cannot be given priority over human life itself”.

On the migration issue, Lázár said there are some in the EU who wish to organise immigration to the continent, saying that Europe will benefit from it, while Hungary says the migration flow into Europe should be stopped.

He said Hungary has respected certain countries’ need for migrants, but this cannot result in mandating the relocation of migrants to Hungary.

Responding to questions from Tibor Bana, of the radical nationalist Jobbik party and István Józsa, of the Socialists, Lázár said Hungary would have access to the EU’s cohesion funding in 2020, but since schemes are likely to change, Hungary will need to be creative and innovative with its projects.

The government office chief added that it was not certain that all of Hungary’s regions will be able to benefit from cohesion funds, since “EU taxpayers are growing sceptical of whether central Europe still needs to be given money since it is clear that these countries have not spent the funds carelessly”.

Answering another question from Józsa, Lázár said Roma leaders bear great responsibility in the social inclusion of the Roma in Hungary since all governments have made efforts to integrate them.

If a social inclusion programme proves to be unsuccessful, there is a chance that society will think that supporting such causes is pointless, he said.

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