Incoming Justice Minister Bence Tuzson has asked Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to remove European Union affairs from the justice ministry’s responsibilities.
Tuzson said that he planned to shape a “traditional ministry” focusing on the protection of legal sovereignty and the review of judicial practices. Tuzson was nominated after Judit Varga resigned on Wednesday, saying she was going to focus on the European parliamentary elections. Tuzson said Hungary’s sovereignty is the ministry’s focus as it had been “under attack” lately. It is especially important that member states can keep their current competencies, and keep the EU a “united alliance of member states with equal rights” rather than a “European empire”, he said. He said another important task of the ministry would be to review judicial practices to ensure they always served the interests of the people. Justice should be increasingly swift and effective while preserving its independence so that judicial practices are clear for the public, he said. As the justice minister, Tuzson said he would consult representatives of the judiciary and take legislative measures if necessary.