Conference marking the first anniversary of the death of Helmut Kohl – Orbán: No compromise over migration

A compromise cannot be made in the dispute over migration, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Saturday, and added that “there is no need for such a compromise”.

Orbán addressed a conference marking the first anniversary of the death of German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and said we know of no such document that says “if you join the European Union, you must become a country for migrants”.

Orbán also said that

“Hungary is aware of its strength, weight and responsibilities in the EU and does not seek to assume a political role at the European level”.

“We are a proud people, which knows itself and assesses the situation realistically. Where we do have definite ambitions is Central Europe and the Visegrad Four,” he insisted. He added that Hungary wants to be one of the region’s “strong and closely cooperating countries which help and encourage each other”.

The prime minister said that building a strong Europe requires strong nation-states. Concerning the EU, he said that the community was “still rich but weakening” and insisted that the future of Europe was conditional on its ability to protect its external borders. Once those borders are protected, he said, the migrants already in Europe “will not need to be distributed but returned home”.

Orbán said that

Hungary could help common European policies in several areas such as “offering a good example in economic reforms or assistance in returning migrants back home”.

“Assistance needs to be exported rather than importing problems,” he added. He also said that, apart from its readiness to help and advise Europe, Hungary will continue to stick to its position and “will not be forced to do something we do not want”. He said that

if members of the community “cannot accept or at least tolerate each other’s standpoint concerning migration or the EU budget, they should wait for voters to express their wish at the European Parliamentary elections in 2019″.

“Then come what may,” he added.

Photo: MTI

Source: MTI