“The behaviour and statements of the Austrian Chancellor are totally unworthy of a 21st century leading European politician”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in reaction to comments by Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann published in Der Spiegel on Saturday.
In an interview published under the title “No solution without a quota”, Werner Faymann strongly criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The Chancellor declared that the Hungarian Prime Minster was “acting irresponsibly by suggesting that every migrant was an economic refugee” and was “deliberately pursuing a policy of deterrence”. “Sticking refugees in trains and sending them somewhere completely different to where they think they're going reminds us of the darkest chapter of our continent's history”, Faymann stated.
“The chancellor has been engaged in a ‘campaign of lies’ against Hungary for weeks now and his claims lack all substance in view of the fact that we are fully adhering to EU law and searching for an effective European solution to the immigration crisis”, Mr,. Szijjártó told Hungarian news agency MTI by phone.
“It is precisely the fact that certain politician such as the Chancellor are making irresponsible statements that instil false illusions and unfounded dreams in economic immigrants which is making this task increasingly difficult”, he added.
“Werner Faymann’s ‘rampage’ has now exceeded all margins of tolerance; it has in fact lifted the shroud that was covering his own incompetence’, the Minister said, adding that in his view the Chancellor was making “foolish” slanderous statements in the hope of internal political gains. “We reject and object to these statements in the strongest terms possible”, Mr. Szijjártó stressed.