Quote:‘A serious corruption problem in Slovakia’ - Juncker admits EU funds being abusedSOURCE:
The European Union has a “serious corruption problem” with Slovakia , the Czech Republic
and prospective member state Ukraine, European Commission President Jean-Claude
Juncker has said.
'Mr Juncker made his remarks during a wide-ranging interview with Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita
in which he also underlined his ongoing commitment to expanding the bloc still further, and insisted
had had been joking when he described Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban as a dictator.
He said: “We have a serious corruption problem in Slovakia. “But I would never say that Slovaks are
corrupt. Like the Ukrainians want a country free from corruption.
“They want a system based on values, not on profits for several people.
“But not everyone in Slovakia is corrupt.”
In an implied criticism of Slovakia’s former Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar, he added:
“As in 1997, in Meciar’s time, I distinguish between some people in power and the Slovak people."
“Always in contacts with Ukrainians, I stress that the fight against corruption must be strengthened.”
In addition, the Commission was also investigating similar claims of corruption against the Czechs,
he added. Despite his acknowledgement of endemic corruption in some member states, Mr Juncker
said he had no regrets about EU expansion.
He said: “Thanks to the courage of the Central European countries, we were able to reconcile the
geography and history of our continent. “So I’m still a big advocate of enlargement! Because accession
to the Union was primarily the merit of nations, not governments.
“So I did not regret it for one second that we decided to bring ten countries back to the heart of Europe
at the same time. I always thought it was a great moment in history.”
Pressed about his testy relationship with Mr Orban, whose Fidesz party put up anti-EU billboards across
Hungary with pictures of Mr Juncker and US billionaire George Soros, he said: “Yes, for years I privately
called Orban a dictator, but he laughed at it.
“In Riga, I greeted him as always, joking, only that the microphone was on.
“This opened the ground for all kinds of false interpretations.
“I have the highest regard for Viktor Orban, I know him from the second half of the 90s, when he became
prime minister for the first time. “Earlier, I admired him for the courage he showed when the Soviet troops
were still stationed in Hungary. For me, he was always a hero.
“And I have good, personal relationships with him. “I’m sure he would say the same thing.”...'
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