Hungary becoming ’emigrant country’ at stake, says Vona in Transylvania

The true stake in the April 8 general election is whether or not Hungary becomes a “source of emigration”, Jobbik party leader Gábor Vona said on Saturday.

“If the incumbent government remains in office, further hundreds of thousands will probably leave Hungary,” Vona told a press conference in Cluj-Napoca/Kolozsvár, adding that his party offered the only hope for preventing that trend.

Should Jobbik come to power in April, it will protect Hungary from immigrants, set up a border guard, and reject the mandatory migrant quotas, he said.

Vona stressed the need to put an end to what he called Orbán’s “autocratic, anti-democratic rule”.

Paying a one-day trip to Romania’s Transylvania region inhabited by many ethnic Hungarians, Vona’s schedule also included visits to Targu Mures/Marosvásárhely and Odorheiu Secuiesc/Székelyudvarhely to expound his party’s programme, and particularly its approach to ethnic Hungarian minorities, in public forums.

He will also collect signatures for the Minority SafePack initiative.

Vona said that in its policy towards Hungarian communities abroad, Jobbik will retain all achievements of the Orbán government, including the voting rights of dual citizens and Hungarian government support for ethnic Hungarian schools, universities, business, churches and institutions.

Vona said Jobbik would continue to support the Hungarian communities’ autonomy endeavours, too.

In reply to a question, Vona expressed optimism about the chances of resolving Hungarian-Romanian disputes. There are plenty of issues in Europe that should be settled through joint efforts. “If forces of realpolitik and sober mind come to power in both countries, we will most probably find mutually acceptable solutions,” he said.

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During a public forum in the centre of Targu Mures Vona was met by a hostile group of some forty people. Some greeted the politician with the words Allahu Akbar and said his presence was a source of tension. Others voiced their support for Hungary’s ruling Fidesz and criticised Jobbik’s attempts to position itself as a people’s party. Vona finally involved the members of the group in a dialogue and said Jobbik was not planning to dismantle the border fence and let migrants in Hungary. He reiterated that

his party supported the autonomy endeavours of ethnic Hungarians in Transylvania and if it enters government, it will promote Transylvania Hungarians’ efforts in the international scene.

Photo: Klaudia Kiriák

Source: MTI