In a speech in Jerusalem on foreign policy issues related to Hungary and the EU and on the European migration crisis, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said that the European Union must be able to protect its borders.
In reaction to fraction leaders’ replies to his address in Parliament on Monday, Viktor Orbán said that the Cabinet is absolutely opposed to “forced resettlement” and cross-border migrant returns: “as long as this government has breath in its body, there will be no quotas, and there will be no cross-border migrant returns from other countries”.
On Tuesday morning, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács told public television channel M1 that, with regard to illegal migration, “we must stop avoiding the subject”.
Speaking about Friday’s attacks in Paris in an address before the start of Parliament’s daily business on Monday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the European Union has been attacked, and Hungary is also in danger. The Prime Minister further pointed out that terrorists are deliberately exploiting mass migration to blend in among migrants.
On the day of national mourning held on Sunday for victims of the Paris terrorist attacks, the Hungarian National Flag was raised with military honours and flown at half-mast.
As shown on a video on the Prime Minister’s Instagram site, in front of the French Institute in Budapest on Sunday Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was among those paying tribute to the victims of the Paris attacks.
On Monday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will address the National Assembly before the start of daily business, in a speech entitled “Europe has been attacked”.
Security is in Europe’s best interest, and we must therefore wake up and start thinking where this path which Europe has set out on will lead us to, Minister of Justice László Trócsányi told the public service television news channel M1 on Saturday evening in front of the St. Stephen’s Basilica where the victims of the Paris attacks were commemorated.
Hundreds of people gathered together early in the evening on Saturday outside the French Institute in Budapest, at the commemoration held in tribute to the victims of the Friday attacks in Paris.
The Foreign Ministers in office of the Visegrád countries take the view that Europe and the European people have been attacked. According to the Saturday communiqué of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade forwarded to the Hungarian News Agency MTI, Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak and Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó conducted consultations.