Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in an interview with public broadcaster Kossuth Rádio that, without the EU’s unrealistic legislation, Hungary would be able to defend itself against economic immigrants. Other issues discussed in the interview were the death penalty, reducing the banking tax and the Hungarian National Bank’s proposal to convert foreign-exchange car and personal loans into forint-denominated debt.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán: crossing the border illegally is a crime
On the issue of illegal immigration, the Prime Minister declared that it must be regarded as a crime, and not a “forgivable sin”, or some “cheerful afternoon fun”.
Mr. Orbán said that the civic consolidation aimed at by the Government will have no chance at all “if we do not regulate immigration, but announce a sort of dorm house party, saying that everyone who has the time and inclination can come and stay to party into the morning hours” .
He drew attention to the fact that within three years the number of those crossing the Hungarian borders has increased twentyfold, which is extreme by European standards. He went on to say that if the Germans and Austrians prevent the illegal crossing of their borders, “all the immigrants who have arrived in Hungary illegally will stay here – as if in a giant sack”; this would endanger livelihoods and jobs.
However, he said that “if the EU does not force unrealistic rules on us […] if we are able to shake these off – and that is what we plan to do – we will be able to defend Hungary against economic immigrants”.
People crossing the borders illegally must be detained, procedures must be conducted, and in those cases in which it turns out that the person concerned is a political refugee, the possibility to stay in Europe must be provided, Mr. Orbán said, noting that most of the immigrants are economic ones.
He said that he regards Brussels’ reactions to the Hungarian plan as an acknowledgement and not as a critique. Hungary is the only country to talk about this problem openly and clearly, and people who do this naturally invite debate, he added.
In the Prime Minister’s view, the European concept of “someone letting immigrants into their country” and then “distributing” them among the other Member States is a mad and unfair idea.
According to Mr. Orbán, now it is not solidarity that we need, but the enforcing of laws. Everyone should defend their own borders, he proposed, adding that joint European action should be aimed at placing the problem outside Europe. He said he agrees with the destruction or seizure of human traffickers’ vessels and with the need to prevent immigrants who can only enter Europe illegally from setting off in the first place. He also urged investing effort in strengthening those countries from which immigrants set off, so that they can defend their own borders.
One thousand billion forints to be returned to families from the banks
In his interview the Prime Minister also pointed out that he regards as reasonable the Hungarian National Bank’s proposal to convert foreign-exchange car and personal loans into forint-denominated debt. He said that “it is a reasonable proposal and we are working on it. […] I cannot responsibly say now whether we will be able to implement it, but we are working on it”.
Talking about the current process of making the banks accountable, Mr. Orbán said that one thousand billion forints will be returned to families from the banks, which – “despite the individual accountability problems” – is unprecedented in Hungarian history. He said that the “walls” which place limits on the process were set up by the courts: “we can go up as far as the wall, and we have in fact gone as far as that”.
At the same time he noted that the Government also regards as suitable for discussion the proposal from government party KDNP on the introduction of the category of personal bankruptcy.
On the issue of reducing the banking tax, the Prime Minister said that although there is such a proposal – from the Hungarian National Bank, for example – the law does not provide for increased lending as a precondition for reduction in the banking tax. He noted that he will suggest analysing whether there has been an increase in the level of lending without legal obligation, and if there has not been after one year, they will return to the issue.
Public thinking about the death penalty is becoming more balanced
Mr. Orbán suggests making the issue of introducing the death penalty the competency of EU Members States.
“We wish to establish a European public opinion, which tends to support once more making the introduction or non-introduction of the death penalty a matter of national competency. […] There is no reason why we should think about this issue the same way as another country may think”, the Prime Minister explained. He went on to say that once this has been achieved, “we can decide whether or not it should be introduced”.
Answering a question on whether he supports the death penalty, Mr. Orbán said: “I am pro-life”. He said that he regards the issue from the perspective of what is needed to protect law-abiding citizens. “If we can protect them without introducing the death penalty, then we should protect them that way; if, however, there is no other way, than it must be introduced”, he said.
On the need to keep the issue of the death penalty on the agenda, he explained that “people believe – there are many of us who believe – that we have more security if the death penalty exists, or if the threat of the death penalty exists for certain crimes”. He added that there is great debate whether this really is the case or not, but knowing what people think about this is an important issue.
At the same time, the Prime Minister said that he was happy about the fact that he had played a part in initiating this discussion, as “public thinking is becoming more balanced on the issue”. Usually the public is only concerned with the rights and lives of the murderers – those who have survived the crime.
Therefore the Prime Minister asked those participating in the debate to consider the problem for at least a moment as if their child, wife, father or mother had been murdered.
(Prime Minister's Office/MTI)