Czechs reject Orbán's comparison of the unification of EU with Hitler's plans

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský rejected Viktor Orbán's comparison of the unification of Europe with Hitler's plans, pointing out that no one is forcing Hungary to be part of the European community.

The Hungarian Prime Minister spoke in Veszprém on Friday and said that cooperation between European states had always been difficult and complicated, but "since the fall of Rome, the dream, the temptation, has always hovered over the nation states: to reunite, to join the territories of the former Rome into one empire, that is, Europe", Orbán explained.

"Byzantium, Charlemagne, Otto, Napoleon, Hitler all dreamed of European unity on different grounds. And this is still the case today: the idea of an independent national existence and the idea of empire are both present. National culture and European values. Sovereignty and, as they say in Brussels, "an Ever Closer Union," Orbán explained.

Responding to this, speaking in a debate program on Czech television on Sunday, the Czech Foreign Minister said that "no one is forcing Hungarians to be members of this community if it makes them feel uncomfortable", Euractiv reports.

European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourová also joined the debate. When asked if she still considers Hungary a democratic country, she replied: "I have had doubts about that for a long time".

But she stressed that, despite Orbán's rhetoric, some Hungarian diplomats were still open to a possible compromise on issues requiring unanimity at EU level, such as sanctions.

"And there are also professional and hard-working Hungarian officials who are negotiating with us on the introduction of judicial or public procurement reforms," Jourová said, adding that the attitude of Hungarian officials showed that the country "desperately needs money". During the TV debate,

Jourová also said that some Hungarian students, teachers or organisations who visit her in Brussels "wish to keep these meetings secret" and do not want to be photographed with her so that "they do not have to face persecution at home".

Věra Jourová has previously been declared an undesirable person by the Hungarian government after calling the Hungarian state system a sick democracy, among other things. The Vice-President of the European Commission was previously interviewed by Telex, and you can find the interview by clicking on this link.