In Komló on Friday Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács spoke at a press conference as part of the nationwide tour organised in connection with Fidesz’s petition launched on 6 November against the EU’s migrant resettlement quota.

Mr.  Kovács  announced that so far more than nine hundred thousand people have signed the petition – a number which has exceeded expectations. He said that he had also visited the towns of Celldömölk and Kiskunhalas, where he found that people are eager to express their opinions on this matter. The results of the national consultation held in the summer have already shown that 85–90 per cent of the public are against mandatory resettlement quotas.

On the subject of illegal migration, the Government Spokesperson emphasised that the developments of recent days and weeks prove that there is a tangible, clear connection between illegal migration and terrorism. Today everyone can see that this link does exist. In recent years and decades those who have committed terrorist attacks in Western Europe clearly had migrant backgrounds, and if we are not able to put a halt to illegal migration, the threat of terrorism will increase, Mr. Kovács warned.

According to the Government Spokesperson, we must stand by what Hungary has been consistently advocating – that the first step towards a solution must be protection of the EU’s borders. Hungary has protected its borders, it has set up the lines of defence and appropriate measures, and this is what all Member State should do, he said. Mr. Kovács also noted that Hungary is perhaps the only country – but definitely the first – in which the Government has asked its citizens for their opinion on migration and the related threats; this was back in May and June.

This national consultation highlighted that the Hungarian people expect strict, straightforward and determined action from the European Union on the issue, and they believe that so far the Union’s recent policy has been a failure. Six months have passed and the EU has still not enacted any clear measures, he said. He was hopeful that clear-cut decisions will be made at the Sunday summit, “otherwise, we will not be able to get any closer to the solution”.

Referring to his presentation on compulsory quotas and the launch of the petition against them, Mr. Kovács reminded the people of Komló that some 391,000 illegal migrants crossed into Hungary within a period of nine months, while yesterday’s figures show that to date 950,000 people have arrived in Germany.

It is clearly worth talking to more and more people as often as possible about how Europe is threatened by the illegal form of modern-day mass migration, he said.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister)