Socialists: Timmermans wants televised debate with Orban

Lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists (PES) for European Commission president Frans Timmermans is preparing for a televised debate with Prime Minister Viktor Orban initiated by news channel Euronews, opposition Socialist MEP Istvan Ujhelyi said on Friday, calling on Orban to accept the invitation. The prime minister's press chief said in reaction that "the prime minister has thanked the invitation but did not accept it". "It would be incorrect for the Hungarian prime minister to get involved in the election campaign of lead candidates Timmermans and Weber," Bertalan Havasi said referring to Manfred Weber, the Spitzenkandidat of the European People's Party.