In an interview with the conservative Spanish newspaper ABC, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the fence on the Hungarian border is working, as others elsewhere in Europe are – although people do not generally speak about those.

The Prime Minister, who attended the European People’s Party’s two-day congress in Madrid this week, at which migration was the main topic, said that “Ours is the fifth (country). There are fences in Spain (in Ceuta and Melilla), in Calais, on the border of Greece and Turkey, and in Bulgaria on the Turkish border – and they are all effective. No one says that this is an ideal solution, but you have to admit that this is the closest there is to ideal”.

The Hungarian premier took the view that the fence – which “has become the first line of defence” – is only the second-best solution. The best solution would be if the Greeks accepted European border protection assistance, he added.

He stressed that it is necessary to state loud and clear that Greece is not meeting its international obligations. It is Greece’s duty to protect the external borders of the EU, as Hungary has done. “This is a question of political will. If they cannot do it on their own, they should ask for help”, he remarked.

As Mr. Orbán pointed out, when Angela Merkel approved uncontrolled and unregulated entry into Europe for migrants, Hungary had been in a great deal of trouble. “Migrants had invaded our southern borders, but in observing the (Schengen) Agreement, we were unable to let them move on to the next Schengen country, in the direction of our western border. As a result, the number of migrants in Hungary had massively increased. From this point of view, Mrs. Merkel helped us a great deal”, he said.

In the interview Mr. Orbán also reiterated that the unregulated situation is a business opportunity for human traffickers, but human trafficking is a crime which can only be brought to an end if the traffickers are unable to take people to Germany. “We are therefore waiting to see what decision Germany takes”, he said.

The Prime Minister thinks that Turkey is a strategic partner for Europe, and without it the continent cannot succeed in finding a solution to the current situation. At the same time, before engaging in negotiations with Turkey, Europe should defend the Greek border, in order to show a “position of strength”. “If we are able to reinforce observance of the Schengen Agreement, we shall have sound foundations for starting negotiations with Turkey”, he concluded.

Regarding the Turkish President, Mr. Orbán told ABC: “I respect President Erdogan, though for the international press he is a black sheep. If they want Turkish society to grow, they need a strong leader, whether one likes it or not. Strong leaders are not well-liked in the European Union. For the European Union a good leader is a weak leader, and strong leaders are considered dangerous.”

In his view, the EU prefers institutional leadership, but collective leadership can only work in a time of prosperity; it simply does not work in a time of crisis.

The Hungarian prime minister went on to point out that from a migration point of view, Syria is not the only country posing a problem: migrants are also arriving in increasingly large numbers from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Africa. “If we maintain the policy of invitation, they will […] accept it”, Mr. Orbán said, adding that this challenge is greater than it appears at present.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)