In an interview published in full on Thursday on the website of the German mass-circulation newspaper Bild, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that borders must be defended, with no one brought in or let in.
“Everyone who is rescued must return to Africa. This is the only way we can prevent mass deaths at sea”, the Prime Minister stressed. He added that immigration policy is not one of the European Union’s joint tasks, but is a national matter for each individual Member State.
The Prime Minister stated that responsibility primarily lies with those who set out, but blame also falls on European politicians who encourage migrants and create the impression that it is worth setting out for Europe.
“Therefore if we want to save lives we must detain people at the southern shores of the Mediterranean, before they embark on a hopeless journey”, the Prime Minister said.
“Every decision which sends migrants the message that they can come here will result in ever more tragedies”, he stressed.
He explained that since 2015 the Hungarian solution has rested on three pillars: we must defend our own external borders; assistance must be taken to where people in distress live; and if a Member State decides for itself to let in migrants, it may do so voluntarily. Asked whether Hungary will take in migrants on a voluntary basis, the Prime Minister made it clear that the Hungarian people have decided that they do not want immigration. He added that women and children are given help at the border, but Hungary does not admit economic immigrants.
The Prime Minister was asked about German chancellor Angela Merkel’s statement after the latest EU summit, to the effect that an agreement for the admission and readmission of refugees had been concluded with Hungary. Mr. Orbán said that in Brussels Mrs. Merkel had asked who was prepared to negotiate on this, and Hungary had replied that it can be discussed at any time. The Prime Minister said that this was all that had happened, and nothing more.
Mr. Orbán stressed that for years the Hungarian position has been that problems should not be brought to Europe, but instead assistance must be taken to where it is needed. The Prime Minister said that refugees’ countries of origin need comprehensive plans: projects which preclude the outflow of migrants. “Hungary would be happy to take part in such an effort”, the Prime Minister said.
Mr. Orbán was also asked for his evaluation of Angela Merkel’s actions. He made it clear that it is not his duty to judge the Chancellor’s work: that is a task for German voters. “Mrs. Merkel has never criticised me”, the Prime Minister added. He pointed out that he is always frank in making it clear if he holds a different view on a particular area, and the issue of migration is one such area.
“Mrs. Merkel has no remit to decide who may live in Hungary. I myself would not presume to have the authority to decide who may live in Germany and who may not. We say this in the most courteous manner possible,” he explained. He observed that if he were to pursue the same kind of refugee policy as Angela Merkel, the people would send him packing the very same day. He pointed out that, as a people who lived under occupation for decades, Hungarians are sensitive about their national independence.
Bild also asked Mr. Orbán whom he believes is the greater threat: US president Donald Trump or Russian president Vladimir Putin. The Prime Minister said that if the Washington administration believes that they cannot afford any trade deficit with Europe and are able to compete with China, they should discuss this within the “transatlantic family”. Regarding Russia, he underlined that Mr. Putin poses a genuine geopolitical threat to some EU Member States, and this is why countries such as Poland and the Baltic states need specific security guarantees from NATO and the EU. “These guarantees must be given to them, and this is why for years I have been urging the establishment of a joint European army”, the Prime Minister pointed out, adding that he does not see such a threat for other regions, such as Hungary and Western Europe.
In the interview Bild asked Mr. Orbán about George Soros and anti-Semitism. He replied that he sees George Soros as an old Hungarian speculator, “a representative of casino capitalism, who spends his money on promoting immigration”.
“As regards anti-Semitism, it is declining in Central Europe”, he said, “while in Western Europe anti-Semitism is manifesting itself in ever more extreme forms linked to immigration, which we observe with concern.”
He also stated that he is proud of the government campaign related to George Soros. “We attacked a speculator who finances migration. We revealed his true intentions to the Hungarian people. Soros is a Hungarian, but he is also fiercely criticised in Israel, for instance. If he were Swabian, we would have acted in exactly the same manner”, he explained.
The Prime Minister was also asked about next year’s EU elections. He said that we have never before faced such crucial elections.
In his view there is a French concept which envisages a French-led EU which is nonetheless financed by the Germans, but “I reject notions of this kind. We do not want a European Union led by France, and nor do we want to live off other people’s money”.
Mr. Orbán said that the opinions of the European people must be heard, and on important European decisions such as the EU budget and migration one must wait until the upcoming European Parliament elections.