Hungary’s Foreign Minister slammed the European Union, blaming it for the continuation of the covid restrictions. Meanwhile, Hungary decided to strike a deal with China’s Sinopharm to buy its coronavirus vaccine. If approved, this would make Hungary the first country in the EU to accept a Chinese vaccine.
Hungary’s coronavirus-related restrictions cannot be lifted due to the European Commission’s “scandalously slow vaccine purchase procedures,” Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday at a press conference held on a different subject.
“In the wake of Brussels’ pledges at the end of last year and at the beginning of 2021, it was expected that the EU would start vaccination with enormous speed, and restrictions in member countries could be eased,” Szijjártó said, but added that “it has not happened due to the EC’s fault.”
The government will keep coronavirus-related restrictions in place until February 1, and secondary schools will continue digital education, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday.
In an interview with public broadcaster Kossuth Radio, Orbán said the restrictions will be maintained until enough vaccines are at hand.
Unlike in the West, the Hungarian government is unwilling to change the regulations until there are enough doses at hand, he said.
The doses delivered to Hungary so far are only enough to inoculate 80,000 people, Orbán said. That is why the operative body responsible for handling the epidemic had decided to keep restrictions in place, he said, adding that “although it feels like we have slowed the epidemic down, it is still a great danger.”
Cooperation between Hungary and Portugal is excellent, Szijjártó said.
According to a member of the Hungarian government, Brussels is to blame for the slow arrival of the Coronavirus vaccine in Hungary. Foreign Ministry State Secretary Tamás Menczer believes that the EU has made a bad and belated deal. According to the European Commission’s Health Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, there are no delays- the low supply […]Continue reading
In the featured photo illustration: Portugal Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva with Hungarian FM Péter Szijjártó. Photo by Árpád Szabó/Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI
Latest news
Coronavirus: Moderna Vaccine in Pipeline
Cecília Müller said the delivery will be sufficient to vaccinate 872,000 people.
The European Commission gave Moderna’s vaccine the provisional go-ahead on Wednesday, and the EU has ordered 160 million doses.
According to a member of the Hungarian government, Brussels is to blame for the slow arrival of the Coronavirus vaccine in Hungary. Foreign Ministry State Secretary Tamás Menczer believes that the EU has made a bad and belated deal. According to the European Commission’s Health Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, there are no delays- the low supply […]Continue reading
Featured photo illustration by MTI/AP pool/Paul Sancya