Orbán: Salvini stopped the migration at sea, Hungary stopped it on land

Matteo Salvini has succeeded in stopping migration at sea while Hungary has stopped it on land, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a public radio interview on Friday.

The Italian deputy PM “has put the last nail in the coffin of pro-migration politicians,” Orbán told Kossuth Radio in connection with the Liga leader’s visit to Hungary the previous day.

Orbán said Salvini, who is also Italy’s interior minister, had proven that pro-migration politicians were “lying” when they said migration was impossible to stop. Ever since Salvini banned ships carrying migrants from docking in Italy, the number of drowned migrants has dropped dramatically because they have not set off in the first place, he added.

Orbán said certain European leaders easily resorted to derogatory name-calling when talking about other leaders, neglecting that this disrespected not only the individuals concerned but their voters too.

He slammed German criticism of Salvini’s visit and an opposition Hungarian politician who had blasted the Italian deputy PM. Anyone who insults Salvini, a representative of the Italian people, also insults Italians, he added.

The prime minister said that “unlike the Brussels elite … who live in a bubble,” he welcomed new political players. He said the Brussels bubble spoke its own language and had “no idea about [the border station] Röszke and what it means for migrants to attack police or the danger posed by anonymous bank cards.” “They don’t get that they’re importing terrorism to Europe [through their support for migration] given there’s no threat of terror in their offices and well-protected flats.”

Commenting on the EP elections, Orbán said the question of who ends up heading the European Commission and Council was more important than party affiliation.

“What matters is whether they are pro-migration or anti-migration.”

He asked Hungarian voters to support Fidesz-Christian Democrats because this would be the best way to help anti-migration politicians advance to the most important positions.

Commenting on migrant quotas, Orbán said Germans now wanted to rid themselves of people whom they had “sheepishly” let in. “While they argue that it is an expression of humanity, they are only showing a simple anti-migrant reflex.”