Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán has warned that the migrant crisis is a long-term phenomenon, and that Europe’s nation-states must be prepared to correct the EU’s mistakes.
Speaking on the Good Morning Hungary show on Kossuth Rádió, the Hungarian leader noted that “There were many mistakes in the past five years, which Brussels let slip” — and that his own Fidesz party would not be resting on its laurels after a crushing victory in the recent European Parliament elections.
“We will only be able to celebrate our success once the problem of terrorism, public security and migration have been resolved,” he explained, reiterating his belief that Europe could not be strong without strong nation-states — an implicit repudiation of the centralising tendencies of the Brussels establishment, which favours further centralisation towards a more federal polity, along similar lines to the United States of America.
Prime Minister Orbán stressed that the migrant crisis, which anti-populist politicians often claim came to an end in 2016 when massive sea crossings to Greece were brought under relative control, or in 2017-18 when similar crossings to Italy were reduced from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands, is far from over, and that, in fact, “The pressure of migration will only grow further in coming decades.”
“The European population has been on the decline, while the opposite is the case in places like Asia or Africa,” the Hungarian observed.
“This situation will necessitate a much stronger border control system. Millions will arrive, and one of our most important tasks will be to defend our people.”
Not for the first time, the Fidesz leader stated his resolute opposition to the approach of centrists and left-liberals to increasing migration pressures in a time of declining demographics in the West.
“European politicians want to legalize immigration, thinking that’s the right solution. We see it otherwise” he said, insisting that fostering a more family-friendly society was the more appropriate course of action.
“[T]his puts us in the minority, as we took the chance to listen to the voice of our people,” he added ruefully.
“The question remains: how will we implement the allocated budgets? When will European parties realise that pro-migration has more disadvantages than benefits?”
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