Fidesz has renewed its demand that the Hungarian government declare immediately that it will not implement the European Union’s migration pact, which is due to enter into force on 12 June.
In a statement sent to the Hungarian news agency MTI on Sunday, Fidesz communications director Bertalan Havasi said Hungarians should continue to decide “with whom they want to live”, adding that Prime Minister Péter Magyar was attempting to distract attention from the issue.
The statement follows a similar call issued on Saturday by Fidesz’s national board, which urged the government and the prime minister to announce without delay that Hungary would refuse to implement what the party refers to as the “Brussels migration pact”.
PM Magyar turns criticism back on Orbán
Prime Minister Péter Magyar responded sharply to the opposition’s criticism, questioning why former prime minister Viktor Orbán had failed to prevent the pact from being adopted at the European level.
“The failed prime minister is asking about the migration pact. Hungarians have a question too: why didn’t Viktor Orbán stop the pact from being adopted in the European Union?” Magyar wrote on Facebook.
Magyar promises “no illegal migrants” under Tisza government
In a fresh statement on Sunday, PM Magyar said that under a Tisza Party government, there would be no illegal migrants in Hungary.
“A Tisza government will not have illegal migrants in Hungary, and anyone who claims otherwise is lying and deceiving their own voters,” he wrote on Facebook.
Dispute over the contents of the migration pact
Beyond the political rhetoric, the two sides also disagree over what the migration pact would mean in practice for Hungary.
Speaking in Parliament earlier this week, Magyar accused Fidesz-KDNP of misrepresenting the contents of the agreement. According to the prime minister, the pact introduces several stricter migration measures and reflects a significant shift in EU migration policy towards positions that Hungary has advocated for years.
Magyar argued that claims suggesting Hungary would be forced to accept migrants are misleading. He pointed out that the pact includes flexibility mechanisms allowing member states to choose how they contribute during migration crises.
Under the agreement, countries can opt not to take in relocated migrants and instead provide other forms of support, such as operational assistance to frontline member states including Greece and Malta.
For this reason, Magyar said the pact does not automatically require Hungary to accept migrants or establish mandatory migrant quotas.
Denmark cited as an example
The prime minister also pointed to Denmark as an example of a country with a particularly strict migration policy that nevertheless maintains constructive relations with the European Union.
According to Magyar, Denmark’s migration rules are in several respects tougher than Hungary’s, yet the country continues to receive EU funds because it complies with EU law and maintains a government capable of negotiating effectively with Brussels.
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