"The decision in the June 9 European Parliamentary elections is between war and peace," Gergely Gulyas told those gathered at a public forum in the Jozsefvaros (8th) district of Budapest on Tuesday evening.
"Voting for the governing parties will send MEPs who speak out for peace to the European Parliament,"
the head of the prime minister's office underlined, adding that these MEPs will consistently stand by peace under all circumstances, whether they are in the minority or not.
"Europe has not been this close to war since the Second World War," the minister said, assessing the current situation. He underlined:
There are many in Europe now who would go to war or increase the threat of war.
In addition to the European political issues, Hungary's municipal elections carry high political stakes domestically, as voters will decide who will run local governments, he said.
During the district mayorship of Mate Kocsis, between 2009-2018, Jozsefvaros experienced extraordinary development, the politician recalled, pointing out that by contrast, in the last four and a half years public safety and cleanliness in the district have significantly deteriorated, and the homeless problem has reappeared. According to the minister, this is a clear indication of how much responsible city and district governments can contribute to the life of a community.
Gergely Gulyas also pointed out that
the situation in neighboring Ferencvaros (9th district) is similar to that in the 8th: the residential block rehabilitation program implemented by the civic-minded Right administration in previous years has slowed down considerably under the current mayor.
Besides the minister heading the PM's Office, the joint Fidesz-Christian Democrat (KDNP) 8th and 9th district mayoral candidates Botond Sara and Andrea Gyurakovics, respectively, also spoke at the forum.
