It is essential that members of the public in the largest possible numbers return to the government the questionnaires of the national consultation also due to the intensifying pressure of migration and the EU attacks on the Hungarian Constitution, the Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister stated at a press conference held on Monday in Budapest.

György Bakondi stressed that what makes the 12th question of the questionnaire – which relates to the maintenance of stringent border protection measures – especially topical is that so far this year 40 per cent more illegal border crossing attempts have been made at the Southern border than during last year’s corresponding period.

In question 13, the Hungarian people are asked whether Hungary should insist on maintaining the constitutional rules that prohibit immigration even despite the fact that they are under attack from Brussels, the chief advisor added.

He said so far this year 13,189 illegal border crossing attempts have been made at the Southern border section. At the same time, proceedings have been instituted against 161 people smugglers; this number is higher than during the whole year in 2019. Additionally, he continued, there are some 150,000 migrants currently in the territory of Greece, and there is ever more migration pressure on Turkey and Italy as well.

This means that all relaxing measures could increase security and health risks in Hungary, thereby putting social care to the test and jeopardising jobs, he said.

At this time, the need also arises for consulting the Hungarian people due to the fact that the Court of Justice of the European Union declared the Hungarian legislation relating to transit zones to be contrary to EU law, he added.

He said the European Commission wants to attack the seventh amendment of the Hungarian Fundamental Law, laying down that foreign populations cannot be resettled in Hungary, and foreign nationals can only enter the country on the basis of applications assessed by the Hungarian authorities on an individual basis.

According to his information, the European Commission sent a notice to the Hungarian government in 2018 claiming that these provisions are contrary to EU law, while last year they instituted proceedings.

These circumstances combined, it is essential that – in harmony with its earlier practice – the government should consult the Hungarian people, Mr Bakondi said, asking everyone to complete the questionnaires and to send them back to the government.

In answer to a question, he pointed out that migrants also pose a potential threat of coronavirus infection. At the same time, they could aggravate the unemployment situation that has evolved in the wake of the epidemic by occupying remaining jobs, the chief advisor added.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)