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کمیسر اتحادیه اروپا مکگراث به یورونیوز: مجارستان باید برای مردمش اصلاح شود نه برای اتحادیه اروپا
کمیسیونر عدالت اتحادیه اروپا در گفتگویی مفصل با یورونیوز امیدها برای پرداخت زودهنگام وجوه بلوکهشده مجارستان را کمرنگ کرد.
لب بیشتر : http://parsi.euronews.com/2026/05/29/hungary-must-reform-for-its-people-not-for-the-eu-commissioner-mcgrath-tells-euronews
مشترک شوید: یورونیوز به یازده زبان دیگر در دسترس شماست
کمیسیونر عدالت اتحادیه اروپا در گفتگویی مفصل با یورونیوز امیدها برای پرداخت زودهنگام وجوه بلوکهشده مجارستان را کمرنگ کرد.
لب بیشتر : http://parsi.euronews.com/2026/05/29/hungary-must-reform-for-its-people-not-for-the-eu-commissioner-mcgrath-tells-euronews
مشترک شوید: یورونیوز به یازده زبان دیگر در دسترس شماست
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NewsTranscript
00:07Hello and welcome to the program. I'm Stefan Grobe. My guest today has been described as
00:13conservative, both socially and economically, with an excellent grasp of economics and a strong
00:19attention to detail. Something that served him well when he was Irish Minister for Finance and
00:24Minister for Public Expenditure and now as EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of
00:30Law and Consumer Protection. Michael McGrath, thank you for coming on the show today. Thank you, Stefan.
00:37Pleasure to be here with you. So when I was researching your approach to politics, I found
00:42this quote of yours and it goes like this. Everyone should have the opportunity to progress irrespective
00:49of their background. There should be a safety net for everyone who needs it. Now, to me, that doesn't
00:55sound like a conservative politician. That sounds like Obama. Well, I'm not sure about these labels
01:01anymore, but I'm happy to talk about myself and my views and my journey. And I think that quote
01:08reflects where I came from. I came from a very normal, humble, working class background in Cork,
01:15in Ireland and had the great opportunity through education to progress and to follow my own dreams,
01:23which ultimately led me into national politics and now European politics. So the point I was
01:28making there was that every person deserves to have that opportunity to progress and to create a better
01:37future for themselves and their families. And that is what good societies and good economies can create,
01:44is that opportunity for progression. And it has to be coupled with the safety net that I referred
01:50to there because there will be times in people's lives and there will be people in circumstances
01:55where support is needed. And I think in Europe, we have a very strong social market economy.
02:01And I think that in many ways is our USP. You started your political career when you were in your
02:09early
02:0920s as a local council member. Now, that vast experience in Irish politics, what did it teach you
02:18to tackle the issues here in Brussels? It taught me the importance of staying connected to people
02:26people that you represent, which in electoral politics, that is your role. It's a representational
02:31role. In Irish politics, in particular, elected representatives are very close to the people
02:37that they represent and are really anchored in their local communities. And if you don't continue with
02:43that work, even as a member of parliament and even as a government minister, you will not be re-elected.
02:50For me, I started at the age of 22 in my local town, where the population was about 5,000
02:56people,
02:57ran in my first election and served at the most local level of democracy and then moved up through
03:03the different levels. So it taught me the importance of listening to people, trying to understand where
03:09people were coming from on different issues and doing your best to represent them and also to provide leadership.
03:16Is Irish politics body sport?
03:18It's tough, but I think politics everywhere is tough now. And I think it has changed through the
03:25currency of social media as well. That's certainly the big shift that I experienced and I saw from the
03:31time that I came into politics to the time that I left Irish politics to become a European commissioner.
03:37It is 24-7, but the scrutiny and indeed the abuse and the online commentary can be difficult for some
03:47people to grapple with.
03:49And I think we do have to think about safety in politics in the broadest we will bring forward,
03:57a European commission recommendation on safety in politics. But for me, it's crucial that we remove barriers to entry
04:03and that people who have something to offer and who are willing to become involved in public life take on
04:11that challenge.
04:12It's crucial that they do and that we have a new generation of people coming through.
04:17You are the EU's commissioner for democracy and rule of law. But across Europe, trust in democratic institutions is falling.
04:27Where do you think has the EU failed its citizens? Why is that the case?
04:37Well, I think it's a complex story and we have 27 member states and you will find different levels of
04:44satisfaction and indeed trust across the European Union.
04:49I think it's important that politics delivers for people. If people feel that there is a disconnect between them and
04:57their aspirations and their concerns
05:00with what is being conducted in politics, then inevitably their level of trust and their level of support will diminish.
05:08So it's important that everybody in politics, including governments, including those serving at a local level and a regional level
05:14and those of us who are privileged to serve at a European level, that we work for people and we
05:19always think about what is the North Star.
05:22The North Star is what is in the interest of the people that we are there to serve.
05:26And I think if we have that as our guidance, then we won't go far wrong.
05:31Now, there are a lot of Europeans who believe that the EU is being too bureaucratic, too moralizing, disconnected from
05:41everyday concerns.
05:42How serious is this problem for you, for the European Union?
05:47You know, when I sit back and think about it, I genuinely believe that the EU is the best place
05:52in the world to live and to work and to have a family and to grow old.
05:58When you think about our values, what we stand for, the fact that we do have that social market economy
06:04where we have a high level of spend, quite rightly,
06:07on social protection and social security supports.
06:11And when you think about what the EU has helped us all to achieve, first of all, you know, peace
06:18on our continent.
06:18We have this brutal war of aggression now by Russia in Ukraine for the last four and a half years.
06:25But in broad terms, if you look at the journey since World War II, the EU has been probably the
06:31most successful peace project in the world.
06:34Why is it then that right-wing populism is gaining ground?
06:38The Eurosceptics, the anti-Europeans, their power is gaining ground in Europe.
06:43Why is that the case?
06:44If you say the EU is the best place?
06:46Well, look, people will vote for whomever they choose and often for very different reasons.
06:52But I think we have a strong case to make that the European Union has, without question, improved the quality
07:00of life of EU citizens,
07:02has created economic opportunity.
07:06Integration has undoubtedly helped all of us.
07:09That right to travel, to work, to study anywhere in the European Union is fundamental.
07:15And if we cast our minds back and we think what life was like and would be like again if
07:22the European Union did not exist,
07:23and in my mind it would be a much poorer place, and it would be a place where the quality
07:29of life would be greatly, greatly diminished.
07:32So I think, look, we have to look at what works well, but also acknowledge perhaps our failings and acknowledge
07:38where we need to do better.
07:40This new commission is in office for the last 18 months, and we are very focused on trying to ease
07:47that burden of regulation,
07:48make life a little bit simpler for citizens, for businesses.
07:52So tap into all that is good about the European Union, the single market of 450 million people and all
07:59of those rights that I spoke about,
08:00but also acknowledging that there have been times when the EU has overdone it on the question of regulation and
08:07red tape.
08:08And there is a need now to try to wind some of that back.
08:11And that's what we are trying to do.
08:13One of your core responsibilities is rule of law.
08:17And in the past, the country that created the biggest headaches for the commission was Hungary.
08:24Now Hungary has a new government, a new leadership.
08:28How long will it take for the new government in Hungary to undo all the legal manipulations by the old
08:36government under Orban
08:39so that the frozen funds can be unfrozen?
08:43Well, there will be challenges for sure, and there will be complexity, and it's not possible to do everything overnight.
08:49From our point of view in the European Commission, what is important is that we see a sustained commitment to
08:55rule of law
08:56and to introducing the necessary reforms in Hungary and, indeed, undoing some of what was done in recent years.
09:04And in the European Commission, they will find a willing partner and a supportive partner.
09:08That's why I'll visit Budapest next week to meet with my direct counterpart, the Minister for Justice.
09:15It's why the Hungarian Prime Minister is meeting President von der Leyen again tomorrow.
09:20So the contact is ongoing and is intensive.
09:23Good progress is being made, and we will support Hungary on their path to restoring rule of law in the
09:30interest of their citizens.
09:31It's not that they need to do this for the EU.
09:33They need to do this for themselves and for the Hungarian people so that they can enjoy the rights and
09:39benefits and freedoms and privileges
09:42that European Union membership confers on people.
09:45I think about the Hungarian students, many of whom have been denied access to Erasmus, not because of the EU,
09:52but because of what the previous Hungarian government did.
09:55So the sooner we can fix these things, the better, and that the life experience of ordinary Hungarian citizens is
10:03improved.
10:04And that is what this is all about.
10:05The new Prime Minister, Peter Magyar, has called on several top office holders from the Orban era to resign, including
10:15the current president.
10:16And he threatened that he will change the Constitution if they don't do it.
10:20Is that legitimate?
10:23You know, it is inevitable when you have such a seismic change in the political landscape of a country that
10:31there will be issues and there will be changes in personnel.
10:35I think that is normal in such a scenario.
10:40What is important is the due process is always followed and that the rights of every individual citizen, including those
10:47serving in public office, are respected.
10:51So that is all part of having a good rule of law environment, is that you have checks and balances,
10:56that you have supports in place,
10:59that you have recourse to appeals mechanisms, you have recourse to independent courts in the justice system, for example.
11:07So all of these things are important.
11:09So there will be churn and there will be change in personnel.
11:12It's inevitable when you have such a significant shift in the political landscape.
11:17But it's important also that that is done in a way that respects the rights of individuals.
11:21Are you monitoring the situation?
11:24Of course we are.
11:25We are monitoring the situation in every member state of the European Union.
11:29And my team are now working intensively on the next round of rule of law country chapters,
11:37which we will publish in July of this year, where we look at every single country in the EU under
11:42a number of headings.
11:43There's also this new legislative initiative in Hungary to amend the constitution so that a prime minister can only serve
11:51for two terms,
11:52which would make it impossible for Viktor Orban ever to occupy that post again.
11:58Any comments on this?
11:59That's a matter for the national authorities and for the government in any member state to decide on matters such
12:07as that.
12:07When it comes to electoral politics and electoral matters and the conduct of elections,
12:13it's a national competence and we respect the competence of the member states to make decisions of that nature.
12:19Good. You mentioned electoral politics.
12:22We've seen interference, fake news, propaganda online ahead of elections in Europe.
12:30Should social media platforms be legally liable when disinformation campaigns threaten elections in Europe?
12:38Well, they already have clear obligations under the Digital Services Act, including in relation to the integrity of electoral processes
12:49and the impact that content disseminated on the platform may have on those electoral processes.
12:55It may sound quite technical, but they are required to mitigate the systemic risk.
13:00And so our colleagues in DG Connect and the European Commission, led by the executive vice president, Tenevere Cunnan, are
13:08doing a lot of work in this space.
13:10And there are actions underway under the DSA to make sure that those obligations are upheld.
13:18And fundamentally, Stefan, what we want to see in the European Union is a situation where every citizen gets to
13:24exercise their democratic franchise at the ballot box in free and fair elections
13:29and that they get the representatives that they choose.
13:33And that is what our goal is within the European Union.
13:36Now, with artificial intelligence, disinformation is becoming more sophisticated.
13:43Is Europe ready or prepared for this wave of digital manipulation?
13:50I think the whole world is grappling with this issue and struggling to keep pace.
13:56I think in the EU we are better positioned than most because we do have a mature regulatory rulebook, not
14:04just the DSA,
14:05but now the AI Act as well.
14:07And we've made some targeted amendments to the AI Act.
14:10So it will involve, for example, the requirement to label AI-generated deepfakes because we know the impact that they
14:19could have if they are released in the days leading up to an election.
14:23And the quality is getting better and better.
14:25Let's be honest.
14:26It can be increasingly difficult for all of us, I think, to distinguish between what's real now and what's AI
14:32-generated.
14:33So, again, we do have the regulatory rulebook, but enforcement is what matters.
14:39And ultimately, this is about empowering the citizens so that they can make that free decision that I spoke about
14:45earlier on without undue interference.
14:47You mentioned – you said enforcement is key here.
14:51Now, you met with Sam Altman and some other U.S. AI corporate leaders.
14:57Do they understand where we're coming from?
15:00Do they understand European regulation and why it is in place?
15:04I think they do.
15:04Sometimes I feel that we're talking on two different levels here.
15:08No, I think they do.
15:10If you put aside the rhetoric that we hear from time to time, I think U.S. Big Tech recognise
15:16that the European Union is a fantastic market for them to be operating in.
15:22For many of them, it is their single biggest and most lucrative market in the world.
15:27And I think they recognise that the EU has its own digital rulebook, which, by the way, is now being
15:34examined and replicated around the world.
15:37Wherever I travel on behalf of the European Commission, I get asked about the DSA, about the AI Act by
15:43other countries who are looking at it because they are further back on the journey and they have not introduced
15:49measures that are proportionate and balanced.
15:53Of course, we keep all of this under review and that's why we have brought forward certain targeted amendments to
15:58the AI Act, for example.
16:00I've brought forward amendments to the GDPR.
16:03We always have to be conscious of the interplay between different instruments of EU regulation that we have.
16:09We have to make sure the law is clear, consistent and can be enforced uniformly around the European Union.
16:16But I think the big tech firms, including the AI companies that you mentioned, recognise that there is a need
16:23for guardrails because we want AI to serve us rather than the other way around.
16:29We want to have control as human beings about how AI is helping us to bring about positive changes in
16:37our working lives, in our personal lives and in our wider society.
16:41I have to ask you this.
16:42You're a family man.
16:43You're a father of seven.
16:44Do you support restricted access to social media for kids, something that has been discussed in various countries?
16:53Should the EU consider a blanket ban?
16:57Kids will probably find a way around that, right?
17:00Yeah.
17:00Well, we are considering what to do.
17:03We haven't made any decision yet.
17:04As you know, President von der Leyen set up an expert panel on child safety online.
17:10We expect that they will report back in the coming weeks and the Commission will then make a decision on
17:16next steps.
17:17I think it is likely that there will be an EU-wide initiative in this space.
17:22I'm not saying that it will be a hard ban or anything of the sort.
17:26How likely?
17:27This is all to be decided.
17:29OK.
17:29Well, you know, we've given the experts a job to do, so let's allow them to do their job.
17:34They'll report back.
17:35They'll make recommendations.
17:36But I think it's a very healthy thing that there is now a mature and open debate on the role
17:43of social media and the impact on children.
17:46And I'm looking at this issue in a wider way through the Digital Fairness Act I'll bring forward later on
17:52this year,
17:53which will involve measures to better protect children online.
17:56But on your question on social media, you know, you have a spectrum of options from the so-called hard
18:02ban that you talk about
18:04to dealing with issues like addictive design, you know, infinite autoplay.
18:11Do we make it easier for parents to exercise oversight and control?
18:16For a lot of parents, it can be very intimidating trying to understand how to navigate these systems.
18:21And I count myself among them.
18:23It is challenging, I think, for all of us.
18:25So we're looking at a spectrum of options, no decision made yet.
18:28On that note, you're also in charge of consumer protection.
18:32Yes.
18:32Now, why do many Europeans still feel powerless against big tech platforms when it comes to scams, addictive algorithms and
18:44misuse of personal data?
18:46So these are among the issues that will feature in the Digital Fairness Act later on this year.
18:53Again, I would say overall that in the area of consumer protection, we have the highest standards in the world
18:58in the European Union.
19:00But we need to make sure that those protections keep pace with technological development.
19:06And the truth is that when it comes to consumer protection laws, they have not been designed with the digital
19:14age in mind.
19:15And so when we speak about issues like dark patterns and addictive design and unfair personalisation or dynamic pricing when
19:23it comes to being on a queue to buy a concert ticket, these issues need to be examined.
19:30Subscription traps where you sign up to a free trial and it just rolls on into a permanent commitment that
19:35you find difficult to get out of.
19:36They're the very kind of issues that I and my team are now working through in the context of this
19:41Digital Fairness Act, which we'll bring forward before the end of this year.
19:45All right. Michael McGrath, EU Commissioner for Democracy, Rule of Law, Consumer Protection and Justice.
19:53Thank you so much for coming on the show today.
19:55Thank you, Stefan. Pleasure.
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