V4-plus-Austria summit: Europe must be able to protect its own borders, says Orbán
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Thursday said the Visegrad Group and Austria agreed that the European Union must be in a position to protect its external borders against migrants and ensure security for its citizens.
At a joint international press conference after the V4-plus-Austria summit, Orbán said ties between members of the EU should be “characterised by cooperation rather than confrontation”.
Migration should be handled “with a focus on issues on which consensus can be reached”,
he said. Border protection and setting up refugee camps outside the EU were two such areas, Orbán added.
The prime minister said there was “no point in pushing issues” such as quotas when there is no agreement on them.
Orbán said Thursday’s meeting was “special” because migration, the EU budget, and cooperation in central Europe were on the agenda. The Austrian chancellor, present at the summit, had a “crucial role” in those areas, he added.
Orbán noted that the summit was also an event that marked the end of Hungary’s V4 presidency, which is to be taken over by Slovakia.
Sebastian Kurz, the Austrian chancellor, was invited to present his plans for Austria’s European Union presidency in the next six months, Orbán said. He said that
Austria’s opinion was crucial for Hungary, Austria being the country’s most important business partner.
The success of the Austrian presidency is in Hungary’s interest, he added. “We trust that the EU will be a stronger, fairer and more secure community than it is now after Austria’s presidency.”
At the meeting, matters in which there is no agreement with Austria were also broached, Orbán said, mentioning nuclear energy and Austria’s family benefit system as examples.
The prime minister said the talks between “five serious countries” confirmed his conviction that central Europe “is not just a part of the EU”. “In light of its culture, the skills and courage of its leaders, hopefully the region does not take away from Europe’s strength but adds to it.”
“We are looking forward to Europe rising, and the Slovak V4 presidency and Austria’s EU presidency will be part of that process,” Orbán said.
Orbán also announced that European Council head Donald Tusk will visit Hungary on Friday.
The fact that Austria is joining the V-4 group is a major success for Mr. Orbán Viktor. In the past years he had tried to convince the leaders of European countries to protect the people they said to respresent. In reality it is the other way around. They rather represent the devil himself with the name Schwartz György, also known as George Soros. Hopefully more countries will join the team to save this continent in time and to avoid attacks on innocent, decent people. As said before: It is a pity that Holland has not such a strong leader as Orbán, but times will be changing.