Orbán praises Salvini’s views on ‘migrant invasion’ and border protection

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Matteo Salvini, meeting in Budapest Thursday, expressed agreement on the importance of strong nation states, preserving Europe’s Christian culture and defending Europe’s borders.

Orbán told a joint press conference held with the Italian deputy PM and interior minister that they were both convinced that the bedrock of strong Europe was strong and successful nation states. The continent must prioritise a European culture founded on Christian values, and Europe’s borders must be protected against “the invasion of migrants”, the prime minister said.

Orbán praised Salvini for his efforts curb migration at sea as Hungary had done on land.

He said Europeans would be “better off” listening to Italy and Hungary when it came to border protection instead of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Orbán called Salvini’s visit an “honour”, saying cooperation between their two countries’ governments was at an all-time high.

The prime minister said he had shown Salvini the fence on Hungary’ southern border. He also told the Italian deputy PM that Hungary had spent more than one billion euros on its border protection measures and that Brussels had not reimbursed any of those costs.

Orbán also noted a Hungarian proposal for the establishment of a new body of Schengen interior ministers that would be charged with handling migration policy.

Asked about inter-party cooperation, Orbán said that after the European Parliament elections, the European Union would be governed either by “pro-migration or anti-migration forces”.

The European People’s Party, he said, had both kinds of politicians in its ranks, whereas the left only had politicians who supported migration and parties to the right of the EPP only politicians who opposed it. He said Fidesz wanted the EPP to cooperate with anti-migration forces, adding, however, that this was a minority view within the grouping.

Whether Fidesz remained a member of the EPP, he said, depended on “which way the EPP will turn”. Orbán said if the EPP “ties itself to the left”, which he said was “constantly losing the support of the people”, it would be hard to find a place for Fidesz in that sort of grouping.

The prime minister urged the EPP to be open to cooperating with parties to its right, such as Italy’s ruling Liga party. Europe needs an alliance of anti-migration political forces, he said.

“We’re tired of parties with barely visible support lecturing parties that have significant voter support in their own countries,” Orbán said.

He said this was what had happened with Fidesz in the EPP. He added that the party of Frans Timmermans, the spitzenkandidat of the European Socialists, “has practically ceased to exist as a serious party”.

Asked if Fidesz would join Salvini’s alliance of right-wing parties, Orbán said Hungarians decided for themselves whom they chose to cooperate with.