At a meeting convened for the heads of Hungarian diplomatic missions abroad, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that conflicts should be handled where they emerge, because it is an illusion to believe that the migrants arriving in Europe can be sent back.
In his more than one-hour-long address in Budapest at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr. Orbán concentrated almost exclusively on the migration situation. At the beginning of his speech there were words of criticism, as in his view there is at present no European plan for the management of the migration crisis. Regarding a quota system, he said that the Hungarian position does not exclude the possibility of talking about a quota system at some point in time, in a fair manner; but he said that “we have a problem with its timing”.
Hungary does not support a quota system
A quota system would seek to remedy the consequences of migration before actually treating the causes, the Prime Minister said. In his view the main cause of the current situation is that Europe is unable to exercise control over its external borders.
The Prime Minister mentioned the issue of quotas several times, listing his objections: it is unclear upon what basis quota percentages would be determined; we do not know precisely how many people we are talking about; and, as people in the EU have the right to freedom of movement as a fundamental principle, there is no guarantee that migrants will actually want to go to the countries they are assigned to, and that they will stay there.
Mr. Orbán also drew attention to the fact that all international actors with the exception of Europe have prepared for the current situation. He said that neither Australia, the United States, Israel, nor the Gulf States are accepting anyone.
In his words, conflicts should be handled where they emerge because it is an illusion to believe that the migrants arriving in Europe can be sent back.
The Prime Minister stressed that sending back “anyone who is already here” would present greater political risks and would cause more human suffering than the localised management of conflicts. “Everyone would be better off” if financial aid were provided to the first countries where migrants could be given refuge, he said; if they did not come here, the overall costs would be lower.
In the Prime Minister’s view, in ninety per cent of European countries there is a wide gap between the views of the public and the policies of the elite; this is a major problem in democracies, given that in the long run democratic systems cannot live with this internal contradiction. By contrast, in Hungary – as a result of the National Consultation – there are areas of consensus between the people and the Government. This gives democratic stability to the functioning of the Government, and the Government is therefore standing by its asylum policy.
Mr. Orbán argued at length that, in his view, there will soon be a debate on whether countries have the right to declare that they do not wish their cultural and ethnic composition to change significantly as a result of external intervention. In this debate, he said, Hungary will have to assert that no one can legitimately demand that a country changes to such an extent, adding that Hungary likewise has no right to judge the experiments of other countries in this regard.
In this context, Mr. Orbán said that it is a historical feature of Hungary that it is home to hundreds of thousands of Roma citizens. This is a fact that no one can object to or call into question in any way. At the same time, however, “we cannot require others (…) to follow suit and demand that they should also live with a substantial Roma minority”.
The Prime Minister found it important to stress that Hungary does not take an “anti-Islamic” stance, and would not like the issue of migration to sour relations with countries of the Islamic faith. He highlighted the fact that Turkey is a friend of Hungary, and so are the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, while the Hungarian government would also like to reach out to and come to an understanding with Iran.
He further highlighted that the Government looks upon the Muslim community in Hungary – whose members are law-abiding – as a valuable asset. “We are perfectly happy to have kebab shops on our main streets. And at Easter we like to buy lamb from the local Syrian butcher”, he said, confirming that while Hungary appreciates the Muslim community living there, it does not wish to see a sudden dramatic increase in its size as a result of external intervention.
The country’s borders must be protected
Regarding the topic of border protection, the Prime Minister said that a country which has no borders or is unable to protect them is no country at all.
The EU made the right decision when it decided on “reducing the importance” of borders between the Member States to a minimum. Hungary, however, also has external borders which it undertook to protect; this was a legal obligation upon accession to the Schengen Area, he said.
The Prime Minister stressed that it is not possible to maintain certain rules based on common agreements, while at the same time saying that they cannot be enforced in reality. This is the first step towards the elimination of the trust which constitutes the foundations of the EU.
Hungary insists on the observance of the Schengen regulations; the problem is that, at this point in time, it is unable to do so. This is why Hungary decided on construction of a border fence, he said. He added that there is no guarantee that this will be sufficient, but everything humanly possible must be done to protect the Schengen Area’s external borders.
In his speech Mr. Orbán indicated that the question of migration raises the issue of moral responsibility. In this context, he said that he thinks politicians bear a responsibility for consequences, and if millions set out for Europe as a consequence of European political decisions, it is politicians who must accept moral responsibility.
“This is why (...) I put it as plainly as I do (...) when I say: ‘Do not come’. I beseech those who wish to come to Europe through Hungary: ‘Do not come’. I say this for moral reasons, because we Hungarians cannot be responsible for what may happen to you on the way (...) we cannot accept responsibility if the sea claims your lives”, the Prime Minister said.
He said that these people are not fleeing to safety, as those who have reached Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary or Austria are already safe. Therefore this issue has nothing to do with personal safety or with the moral responsibility we owe to people who are fleeing for their lives. These people are not fleeing for their lives, “they simply picked out the German lifestyle as something they see as desirable”, he said, adding that the Hungarian government therefore does not regard them as refugees, but as migrants.
The Hungarian position is humane and consistent
Mr. Orbán summed up the Hungarian position related to migrants as both humane and consistent.
He noted that if private individuals share in the associated costs – for instance, through donations – the national economy as a whole is not harmed; if costs are borne by the state alone, however, this could lead to catastrophe for the countries concerned.
He advised ambassadors not to be inflexible or patronising with their European partners; they should instead be cooperative, friendly and flexible, but in the absence of reasonable arguments should “not give an inch” on the Hungarian position.
The Prime Minister made mention of Hungary’s legislative amendments on the management of mass migration which were adopted last week and which will enter into force in mid-September. He pointed out that one cannot reasonably expect a tangible, overnight improvement to be noticeable the following day: on 16 September. The Government is expecting to make progress step by step. It is to be hoped that Hungary will reach the stage where its southern borders are completely sealed, while of course designated border crossing-points will continue to allow entry to Hungary, Mr. Orbán said.
Following his speech, in answer to a question from former Hungarian foreign minister László Kovács, the Prime Minister said that within the National Consultation everybody was given the opportunity to take part in the decision-making process on immigration; those who decided not to take this opportunity should resign themselves to accepting the decision.
In answer to a question from Hungary’s Ambassador to Paris, the Prime Minister said that “It is an indescribably shameful game” that whenever a reasonable argument presented by Hungary does not meet with the approval of its opponents, “they reach into their pocket and play the fascist card”, and Hungary is compelled to defend itself. The Prime Minister also asked what right the German press has to report on the revival of “old instincts”, when refugee camps there are being set on fire.
In answer to a question on Hungarian-US relations from Réka Szemerkényi, Hungary’s Ambassador to Washington, Mr. Orbán said that they are indeed more balanced today than earlier. Military cooperation has always been superb, and economic cooperation between the two countries has also been excellent; the only less-than-satisfactory aspect of relations has been the “political-ideological” one. Today the United States more highly appreciates the significance of military-security cooperation, and large US corporations are present in the country. Washington has also realised that the tone previously used to express ideological and political differences had a counterproductive effect in Hungary from the United States’ point of view. At the same time, Mr. Orbán added, Hungary appreciates that it is wiser not to bring to the fore those questions which pose difficulties.
The press release is available in English in the attached file.