Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban "does not plan to introduce the death penalty," his chief of staff Janos Lazar said Thursday, after strong EU criticism of Orban's call for debate on its reintroduction.

Orban informed European Parliament president Martin Schulz by telephone that "there is a debate about the death penalty, but at the same time the Prime Minister does not plan to introduce it in the country," Lazar said in a statement.