Hungary is doing the most natural thing in connection with illegal migration: it is protecting its family, the Hungarian prime minister said in the Parliament on Monday. Opening the regular autumn session of the National Assembly, Viktor Orbán said Hungary has been an honoured member of the great European family for a thousand years and it is its historic and moral responsibility to protect Europe. When Hungary protects its borders, it protects Europe, too, he said.
Hungary is fighting on two fronts, while it is protecting borders it must also fight against “short-sighted European politics”. Europe cannot take on the grievances of the whole world, “we cannot support all economic migrants”. Hungary is at odds with Brussels, it has identified different problems and different solutions, and also different consequences of problems, Orbán said, adding that many European institutions should be revisited. As Europe is unable to protect its own external borders, new internal borders are closed one after the other, he added. Orbán criticised European politics, noting that while Europe demands its half a billion citizens to respect the law, it is unable to force migrants to simply register themselves.
The Hungarian police are able to protect the country’s border with Serbia, however, protection of the borders with Croatia and Slovenia requires the military, too, Orbán told lawmakers. In his speech the Prime Minister asked for the National Assembly’s authorization to involve the army in protecting the country’s borders. In his address, the prime minister told opposition deputies that those against using the military but criticising the Hungarian government for low efficiency of border control are “hypocritical”. After the debate the Parliament has passed the law amendments on the army’s role in border control with 151 governing and opposition Jobbik lawmakers in favour, 12 green LMP, left-wing DK and Együtt against and 27 Socialists (MSZP) abstaining.
via hungarymatters.hu and MTI photos: Noémi Bruzák – MTI