Hungary has a vested interest in a strong European Union, however, to be strong the Union must change, the Hungarian minister of foreign affairs and trade stated on Saturday.

Minister Peter Szijjarto talked to journalists before the Civic Picnic event organised by the Foundation for a Civic Hungary.

Mr Sijjarto said 77-78 per cent of Hungary’s export goes to the EU so it is in the country’s interest to be in the EU, and it is also in the EU’s interest to have Hungary as a member. In response to a press question, he stated he would still vote for Hungary’s EU membership, if the decision were today.

The Hungarian foreign minister also said that at the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Slovenia on Friday, he had observed,

“they failed to understand that by inviting migrants in without restrictions in 2015, they had caused the biggest challenge and crisis the EU had ever faced.”

“Now the same thing is happening from the „big players”, although increasingly more of us dare to speak out against this,” he noted, adding that the V4 countries remain the strongest alliance within the EU, despite attempts to weaken their unity.

Responding to a question about the events transpiring at Thursday’s football match between the national teams of Hungary and England in Budapest, Mr Szijjarto said that he

condemns racist remarks, “hurtful generalisations” about Hungarians and the use of double standards. He also took point with the Budapest match being referred to as having a hostile and racist atmosphere.

“There were racist remarks, but it is absurd to make such generalisations about the behaviour of 60-70 thousand people on that basis,” the minister said.