Migration will be at the heart of Hungary’s presidency as “Europe’s future is at stake”, he said. Central Europe has a major role in this area, he said, calling on the region to live up to its “serious obligations”.

Representing the V4’s interests in the post-2020 EU budget is another priority, he said. Lázár called the European Commission’s latest procedures launched against Poland “unfair”.

Hungary will always be prepared to defend Poland’s interests in the “European political theatre of war”, he said. On the topic of the European Commission’s account of Brexit talks at the European Council, Lázár said the EU “is in trouble, given that one of the most important member states is leaving the bloc”.

Around 100,000 Hungarians currently live in the UK and Hungary intends to defend their interests, he said, adding that Hungary would not hold bilateral talks on this issue with the UK.

A “fair Brexit” is in Hungary’s interest, Lázár said.

Answering a question about the Hungarian higher education law restricting regulations on foreign-funded universities in the country, Lázár said the Hungarian commissioner of the case will hold talks on Friday concerning the Central European University in the state of New York, where the university founded by George Soros in registered in.

Parliament is ready to amend the law if valid arguments warrant it, Lázár said. Regarding the law on the transparency on foreign-funded NGOs in Hungary, Lázár said the law will enter into force on June 27, and called on all concerned to observe it.

Lázár insisted that the Venice Commission’s suggestions amounted to a political declaration.

László Trócsányi, the justice minister, had already responded appropriately, he said, adding that the government is committed to creating transparency.

Meanwhile, Lázár said the government will comply with the verdict of the Court of Justice of the European Union concerning Hungarian regulations of online gambling, which the court ruled infringed on the freedom of services within the EU.

The Hungarian legislation on the authorisation of online gambling is not compatible with the principle of the freedom to provide services, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled.

Asked about Orbán’s description of Miklos Horthy, Hungary’s regent before and during the second world war, as an “exceptional statesman”, Lázár cited Jozsef Antall, Hungarian prime minister from 1989 to 1992, who said “I consider Miklos Horthy a Hungarian patriot”.

After the Trianon peace treaty, several politicians such as Istvan Bethlen, Kuno Klebersberg and Miklos Horthy “unquestionably saved the country”, Lázár said.

Horthy’s decision to stay on as head of state after the German invasion of the country in 1944 is an open question, Lázár said.

Resigning would have made it impossible for him to stop the deportation of Jews in summer 1944, he said, adding that this unfortunately did not save Hungarian Jews outside Budapest.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: Kovács Tamás