Different opinions about the values that form the basis of the union must be respected, condemning those who think differently, or in their case, applying double standards, is the shortest way to the collapse of the European Union, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa said to foreign journalists in Ljubljana on Friday.
Janez Jansa held a press conference on the occasion that Slovenia will hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union for six months from the first of July.
"I am not in favor of stigmatizing anyone in Europe or the European family, be it an EU member state or its leader," said the Slovenian Prime Minister.
He stressed that he does not support the pigeonholing of member countries or their leaders, nor the application of double standards in any case. He mentioned as an example: while the European Commission does not object to a measure taken by one EU country, it initiates a procedure in the case of completely identical regulations of another member state, considering it to be faulty based on European standards. If something is right in one member state, it must also be right in another member state, he underlined.
In response to questions, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed his appreciation for his "services to Hungary, the holding of democratic elections, and his struggle to obtain European Union membership." He emphasized that the Hungarian government is a solid and stable cabinet supported by a two-thirds parliamentary majority.
As he said, the Hungarian Prime Minister has the right to express his opinion on the future of the European Union. In connection with this, he expressed his hope that no one would be excluded from the conference on the future of Europe in advance, such a case - in his opinion - would lead to further narrowing of the future possibilities of the Union.
Also in response to a question, he stated: "I am not a fan of the distinction between illiberal and liberal democracies." Democracy is democracy, he said. The real division is between democracy and technocracy and bureaucracy. The use of the term illiberal democracy is not the most appropriate, as it refers to a division that does not exist, he said. "All shades of democracy deserve equality," he added.
Jansa, in response to a question about the Hungarian law on the protection of children, which caused a lot of controversy, said that at the summit of the European Council, which brings together the heads of state and government of the member countries, held in the second half of June, there was a heated and in-depth discussion about the regulation, but the discussion was "less divided than it was it was set up by some media products."
Although the member states have different approaches to the sexual education of children, no one has questioned the fact that all people are born equal, that all people are entitled to the same rights, regardless of their origin, sexual orientation, or skin color, added the Slovenian Prime Minister.
Slovenia, which joined the European Union in May 2004, seeks to recover from the crisis and increase its resilience, rethink the future of the continent, promote the rule of law and European values, as well as security and stability in the European neighborhood as part of its presidency program.
MTI
Cover image source: Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
