“No Compromise” – Viktor Orbán Rejects European Migrant Quota Proposal

There is no chance of reaching an agreement on migration between the leaders of the EU member states, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday in Granada, arriving at a meeting of EU heads of state and government.

He added that this was politically impossible, as it had previously been agreed that a unanimous decision is required on migration, but this was recently changed and the package was pushed through bypassing Hungary and Poland, “legally forcing” them to accept it.

There is no chance of compromise or agreement after this, not just now but for years to come,

he said.

On EU enlargement, he said: Hungary is a promoter and supporter of the process, but at the same time many member states claim enlargement fatigue, which is not fair to those waiting for membership. The EU needs new member states, he said.
Hungary supports Georgia’s accession and a joint government meeting will be held in Tbilisi next week, he said.

He added that, as far as Ukraine’s accession to the EU is concerned, a strategic review is needed, because the EU has never considered admitting a country at war. He maintained that

We need to understand why it is good for the EU to admit Ukraine, what the consequences are, (…) how much money we are talking about.”

Ukraine’s accession raises new questions, not only on security but also on cohesion policy and agriculture, for example. With Kiev’s accession, “a whole new agriculture will be born” in the EU, he said.
In response to journalists’ questions, Mr Orbán also touched on energy-related issues. He stated that Azerbaijan is a key country, without which energy independence from Russia cannot be achieved. Hungary already has an agreement with Baku on gas supplies. He also stressed that the southern energy corridor is vital for Hungary, especially after the damage caused by the terrorist attack in the north (Nord Stream II pipeline). Therefore, particular attention should be paid to guaranteeing the security of the southern corridor.

On the tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, Viktor Orbán pointed out that Pristina needs to change its attitude, because over the past two years it has been regularly provoking the Serbs, and provocation upsets stability. He said that there is no stability without Serbia and stated that his clear position is that Serbia must be helped to stabilize the region. As for possible sanctions against Belgrade, he said that this was an impossible and ridiculous idea.

Featured Image: MTI