Now, the Hungarian government will not be joining the Euro Pact, nor be entering any military actions against Libya, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared in Budapest, on 22 March 2011, two days before the meeting of the European Council.

Before speaking to the press conference, Mr Orbán informed the Hungarian parliamentary parties about his plans regarding the summit. The Prime Minister defended the decision to stay out from the Euro Pact with Hungary’s intentions to maintain its tax independence.

“The Hungarian government has decided to maintain its tax independence, in the coming period,” Mr Orbán said. He added that none of the parliamentary parties has object to the government position. Hungary has a full national consensus not to give up its ambitions, to develop the most modern tax system in Central Europe, and later in all Europe, Mr Orban pointed out..

Referring to economists’ calculations, the Prime Minister argued that joining the Euro Pact would, “Go considerably against the modernisation of the Hungarian economy.”

Great success: The adoption of the legislative package on economic governance

Earlier, Mr Orbán expressed his concerns that the Euro Pact would be established outside the institutional system of the EU. Following the summit on EU and the Eurozone matters, on 11 March, President of the European Council, HermanVan Rompuy, guaranteedin Budapest that the Euro Pact, will be established within the EU institutional system; and Mr Orbán acknowledged with satisfaction.

The Prime Minister considered it a Hungarian success that the summit, which will take place on 24-25 March, will adopt the package of six legislative proposals on economic governance. “Hungary is about to achieve great success, as Member States have managed to agree on the final version of the six pieces of legislation, which the prime ministers will now adopt”, Mr Orbán said.

Libya: the Hungarian Government maintains its cautious position

In respect to the situation in Libya, Mr Orbán pointed out that, “The coalition of willing countries has been formed,” that is, the group of countries, which are willing to undertake military action in Libya. “We are not among the willing,” he added.

The Hungarian Prime Minister said that unless he is provided with new information about the state of affairs at the summit, Hungary would keep to its cautious position. He stressed that, “It is unacceptable that the military actions of a non-democratic regime should inflict violence towards civilians and causing casualties.”

In response to journalists’ questions, Mr Orbán explained his absence from the meeting held in Paris on 19 March by his opposition to the military actions against Libya.

On his previouspress conference on 12 March, Mr Orbán also called for cautious measures in relation to Libya. He said that, “Europe now has the chance to establish a long-term Christian-Muslim cooperation, so we should not do anything that would or could ruin this historic opportunity.”