In an interview with German international public service TV channel Deutsche Welle, Minister of Human Capacities Zoltán Balog said that it is not the Hungarian government which equates migration with terrorism, but the terrorists themselves. The interview, broadcast on Sunday, was entitled “I hate the fence, but it was necessary”.
Speaking about the temporary border barrier, the minister said that Hungarians do not like to live behind fences, but as the EU’s institutions had reacted “belatedly, or not at all” to the migration crisis, Hungary had no choice but to erect a fence in order to enforce the EU’s laws. Mr. Balog stressed that Hungary was “unjustly criticised”, as it was the only Member State which was able and willing to abide by the community’s rules.
Answering a question on the disturbances at Röszke, Mr. Balog said that the Hungarian border came under attack in what was a “clear provocation”. The authorities are investigating the degree to which the attack could be blamed on manipulative and provocative human traffickers, Mr. Balog said, adding that the Röszke incident was not an isolated case in Europe recently.
Regarding the national consultation on immigration and terrorism, he said that time will tell whether the poster campaign was necessary, while on the larger issue he said that Hungary has indeed said “a resounding ‘no’ in its migration policy”. This is because Hungary has other goals, including social integration, and “culturally we wish to develop in a slightly different way”.
Regardless of this, Hungary is meeting all its legal and humanitarian responsibilities with regard to migrants, Mr. Balog said.
When asked whether the Hungarian government is being populist in stating that quotas increase the terrorist threat and endanger the country’s culture, the minister said that one year ago the Hungarian stance in refusing the mandatory refugee quota might have seemed populist, but the Paris and Brussels attacks have proved that there is a correlation between the “uncontrolled migration wave” and terrorism.
It is not us who equate migration with terrorism, but the terrorists themselves, he said. He added that Hungary must continue the integration of its Roma population, and Brussels is sending “a very bad signal” when it says that the integration of migrants must be solved with funds earmarked for the integration of the Roma. He said that as minister in charge of the issue he must defend Roma integration and establish priorities.
Regarding his relationship with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Mr. Balog said that Europe “lacks leadership”, and people have a right to be led along clear principles and be clearly informed about their situation and future. Mr. Orbán “does exactly that”, the minister said, adding that he has come to know him as a person whom he could influence with reasonable arguments, but also as one whom at other times “I could not persuade, and eventually it became clear that he was right”. Mr. Balog said that “He is now my boss, which is not always good for our friendship, but we have known each other for nearly thirty years and I am a good friend of him and his family”.
Answering a question about what he will do when German Chancellor Angela Merkel next visits Hungary, Mr. Balog said that he will “remind her of the time when she bought bread and milk at a small shop on the banks of the Danube”, and also remind her of “our common East-Central European history, which we should not forget, because the things we learned then must also be represented in our shared European home”.