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After a series of criticisms concerning Hungary’s migration policy, Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party, now argues that the EU should indeed finance border fences.
MEPs discussed the migratory challenges facing Europe, ahead of next week’s extraordinary European Council meeting in Stockholm. Manfred Weber, the group leader and president of the European People’s Party, said that
with more than 300,000 illegal border crossings, we must first re-establish control of our external borders. We believe the Commission should also financially support building fences in exceptional cases.”
This is all the more unexpected as the Hungarian government has been asking the European Commission for years to reimburse the cost of its southern border fence, and the Commission has always replied that the European Union will not finance barriers, according to Index.hu.
In December, Weber accused Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of opening the border to illegal migrants. Fidesz MEP Balázs Hidvéghi reacted that the Bavarian politician “has completely lost touch with reality.”
.@ManfredWeber actually believes that @PM_ViktorOrban has opened the borders and this causes #illegalimmigration into Europe. Talk about losing connection to reality… @Europarl_EN #eplenary #Hungary pic.twitter.com/nfYmdmG87j
— Hidvéghi Balázs (@BalazsHidveghi) December 14, 2022
Featured photo via the European Parliament