Pro-govt civil movement COF opens poster exhibition on migration – Reactions

Budapest (MTI) – The pro-government Civil Unity Forum (COF) on Monday opened an open-air poster exhibition about opposition politicians’ remarks on migrants.

The posters on display near MPs’ offices at Budapest’s Olimpia Park are aimed to contrast opposition statements with the “reality” about migrants, COF founder Laszlo Csizmadia said. Next to the photos and citations by Socialist, Democratic Coalition (DK) and Jobbik politicians, the posters show images of migrants shouting and pelting stones.

Csizmadia said at the opening event that as many as 300,000 migrants entered Hungary illegally, with the help of human smugglers, this year.

“If European leaders fail to act in time, Europe as we know it today will disappear, along with European Christian civilisation,” he said. Additional dangers include civil wars and the heightened threat of terror attacks.

No business or economic interests could justify the violation of Schengen borders and the EU’s common legal system, he added. The exploitation of workforce that grew up in a different culture could only be beneficial temporarily, he said.

Csizmadia said COF rejects remarks by party politicians that could bring danger to Hungary. If the left-wing parties were currently in power, the mass of people “would have uncontrollably flooded the country,” he added.

He insisted, however, that COF is against illegal migrants and human smugglers but not against political refugees.

The exhibition will be on display at Olimpia Park until Oct. 10 and it is possible it may tour around the country after that, Csizmadia said.