If the European Union is unable to protect its borders at Greece, which is the Eastern gate of the Balkans, we have to do so at the western gate of the Balkans, at Hungary and Slovenia, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated at the Congress of the European People’s Party in Madrid.
If we expect the solution from others, that will make us exposed
The Hungarian Prime Minister stressed that Europe is at present rich and weak, and this is the most dangerous possible combination.
Mr Orbán highlighted that Turkey is an important strategic partner, but if we expect the solution from others, that will make us exposed. “If we do not want that, we have to protect our borders”, he stressed.
We have to throw away political correctness, and should launch a big debate
The migration crisis is able to destabilise governments, countries and the whole of Europe, the Prime Minister highlighted, who takes the view that in order to resolve the problem, we need open and sincere talk. We have to throw away political correctness, and should launch a big debate without hypocrisy and pharisaism.
“What do we think about our civilisation heritage? Can the change of cultural pattern be forced externally? Do we accept parallel societies? Or we defend our tolerant and rule-of-law-based way of life we have lived so far?”, Mr Orbán raised these questions.
The Prime Minister believes that first of all, we must clarify that what Europe is facing is not a refugee crisis. “This is a migratory movement composed of economic migrants, refugees and also foreign fighters. This is an uncontrolled and unregulated process”, the Prime Minister said, who takes the view that there is an unlimited supply of people taking part in this process.
At the same time, Mr Orbán stressed that the European Christian democratic approach does not tolerate any anti-Muslim policy. “Muslim faith which we honour and respect is not responsible for the root causes of this mass migratory movement”, he said.
This is the right time to make clear the nature of our moral responsibility
The Hungarian Prime Minister pointed out that this is the right time to clarify the nature of our moral responsibility. We have a heartfelt compassion for the people who left their homes. They are victims of the bad governance of their own countries, of bad international political decisions, of our European policy which raises expectations that cannot be fulfilled, and obviously of human traffickers as well, he said.
“But considering them victims must not turn ourselves into victims. (…) Our moral responsibility is to give back these people their homes and countries. It cannot be our objective to provide them with a new European life”, the Prime Minister highlighted.
Mr Orbán further repeated his former statement, based on which everyone has the right to human dignity and security, but a German, an Austrian or a Hungarian way of life is not everyone’s basic right. It is only a right of those who have contributed to it.
Delegates from 32 countries attended the congress in Madrid, including 14 heads of state and government, 11 EU commissioners and 750 delegates. The European migration crisis was one of the top topics of the congress.
(Prime Minister's Office)