The Union should “not force Member States to follow a migration policy that they do not want,” declared the Hungarian Prime Minister visiting Strasbourg.
“European populations do not want migrants.” In Strasbourg to present the priorities of the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union, Viktor Orban took the opportunity to criticize the bloc’s migration policy. The Union should not “not force Member States to follow a migration policy that they do not want”he declared during a full press conference, on the eve of a speech to the European Parliament, scheduled for Wednesday morning. “Illegal immigration has led to anti-Semitism, homophobia and violence against women”he said again.
Hungary informed European authorities at the start of the week of its desire not to apply common rules on asylum, a subject of long-standing dispute between Budapest and Brussels. Orban followed in the footsteps of the new government of the Netherlands, which took the same approach, without much chance of success, due to the lack of a revision of the European treaties. A condition of which both governments are well aware.
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“The migration crisis was a blow to Europe”continues Orban. This issue has, according to him, fractured unity between Europeans and favored the rise of populist parties in several countries, such as recently in the Netherlands and Austria. It is, to hear it, the “symptom” of a change of era within the EU, where “the Brussels elite is in the process of placing a sanitary cordon around itself”. He also welcomed Bruno Retailleau’s recent statements on the issue.
Viktor Orban proclaimed this conquering message this weekend, during a meeting of European far-right parties in Italy, at the invitation of Matteo Salvini, of the League, alongside the Dutchman Geert Wilders. “The patriots are getting stronger and stronger. Together, we will take back Brussels and “make Europe great again”. he said to X. He borrowed his slogan for the Hungarian EU presidency from Donald Trump, who campaigned on the theme of «make America great again».
The Hungarian leader made no secret of the fact that he would open “several bottles of champagne” in the event of victory for Trump, a great critic of the EU, on November 5. Referring to Donald Trump’s promise to end the war in Ukraine, the Hungarian nationalist leader said the EU must prepare to act quickly. He believes that “Ukrainians cannot win on the ground” and that it is therefore necessary to promote negotiations on peace. From the second day of the Hungarian presidency of the EU, at the beginning of July, Orban launched into a “peace mission” in kyiv, Moscow and Beijing. An initiative which earned him a boycott by Europeans of the informal ministerial meetings organized in Türkiye.
Glucksman: “We are facing an adversary, an enemy”
“If we had followed Orban, the war would not have lasted long: the Russians would be in kyiv, and perhaps in Poland, reacted Wednesday Raphaël Glucksman, co-president of the socialist delegation to the European Parliament. We are facing an adversary, an enemy.” For Valérie Hayer, president of the Renew group, “Orban is a true arsonist of the European idea”. According to her, “Hungary’s problem is not migration, but emigration, which reached a record level last year”.
The European Commission has initiated several procedures against Hungary. Last week, she took the matter to the EU courts over Hungary’s law on “sovereignty”which NGOs consider as a new offensive to muzzle counter-powers. In September, it decided to withhold 200 million euros in fines from European funds owed to Hungary, for non-compliance with treaties on the right to asylum, in addition to 19 billion euros in European funds. frozen for violations of the rule of law.
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“This Hungarian presidency is a joke that does not make us laugh. All Orban is interested in is causing a scandal. He talks about sovereignty but he sold Hungary to China and Russia. He betrayed my country.”says Klara Dobrev, MEP from the Hungarian Democratic Coalition.
