PM Orban's political director: Everyone is dissatisfied with performance of Brussels leadership

Brüsszel, 2023. szeptember 27. Ursula von der Leyen, az Európai Bizottság (EB) elnöke (b) és Didier Reynders igazságügyi biztos beszélget az uniós testület heti rendes ülése kezdetén Brüsszelben 2023. szeptember 27-én. MTI/EPA/Olivier Hoslet Fotó: Olivier Hoslet

EP elections in focus

Conservative political forces held an exchange on the future of Europe in Rome on September 29-30 and began preparations for the European Parliament elections. International researchers and think tanks, EU representatives and Italian ministers worked together to find solutions to the continent's most important issues, including the challenge of migration. Among others, Balazs Orban, political adviser to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, delivered a speech at the meeting. He spoke about the preparations for the European Parliament elections, the need for right-wing forces to unite and the quota system introduced by Brussels, which was agreed on in the summer but has failed by now.

The Hungarian PM's political adviser said he was pleased to be able to participate in the forum, which gathers conservative and sovereigntist forces, for the second time.

The forum brings together participants from all over Europe to discuss the most important issues affecting the continent, with the focus on the EP the elections this time and how to implement a turnaround in Brussels.

In answer to a question from Magyar Nemzet, he stressed that everyone is dissatisfied with the performance of the Brussels leadership, which has failed in tackling migration and in implementing the Europe of nations project. Europe's competitiveness is also rather seriously problematic. Everyone feels the need for change. He highlighted the Italian political model with the center-right, the conservatives and the identitarians governing together as a possible example to follow. What has been achieved in Italy should be repeated in Brussels after the European Parliament elections. 

With regard to the migration situation affecting Europe, Balazs Orban said that the whole continent is in very serious trouble. The situation in Italy is very similar to that in 2016, when migration pressure was at its peak. Moreover, groups of illegal immigrants and human smugglers have become better organized and more aggressive since then.

He also pointed out that the migration pact - pushed through by Brussels against the will of Poland and Hungary - which was adopted in the summer, has failed by now. He reiterated the Hungarian government's position, namely that only those whose asylum applications have been assessed by the authorities should be admitted. It should not be possible for anyone to enter the Schengen area until their application is processed. No matter how much Brussels tries to oppose this, only this procedure can work. Any other solution will lead to the creation of migrant ghettos and to a renewed attempt to force mandatory quotas on members.

Viktor Orban was right

On the second day of the conference in Rome, Istvan Kovacs, strategic director of the Center for Fundamental Rights, spoke on a panel discussing the migration situation in Europe. He told Magyar Nemzet that in his speech, he stressed that a growing number of European member states are now loath to admit that Viktor Orban was right when back in 2015, he spoke about the emergency migration situation. 

Mr Kovacs said that it was interesting to be speaking on a panel alongside representatives of countries such as the UK and Italy, which, on a global scale, are wealthy, have large armies and are influential, adding how remarkable it was that a Hungarian speaker was invited to be on such a panel.

In his view, the Hungarian model shows that if a member state has the will to, it can stop modern illegal migration, despite the contrary efforts by the European Union - which should be doing the most to fight illegal migration - in working to legalize and manage the influx.

The strategic director noted that the Italians and the Spanish have now realized, in fact, even Sweden is being forced to face up to the harsh reality, that illegal migration brings Europe only crime and the deterioration of public safety. Immigration is extremely far from being the positive factor that the European Commission and the European elite continue to portray it to be.

Istvan Kovacs recalled that in his speech, he strove to emphasize that the Hungarian example proves that we must courageously speak out against injustice. 

Just as Viktor Orban did in January 2015, when on the day of the Charlie Hebdo victims' funeral, he said that Europe had been turned into a continent of immigrants and France into a country of immigrants, and that this was why such horrific deeds could happen.

Istvan Kovacs also pointed out that we are not wealthy enough to supply money to just any country. Hungary, therefore, also exemplifies that the onus cannot be heaped on nation states to reach agreements with every single third world country of migrant origin. This burden should be shared jointly by all EU member states, under the leadership of the European Commission and that of the foreign services, the Hungarian expert stressed. He concluded that, unfortunately, the Brussels elite, the European Parliament, the Commission and even the European Council are working in precisely the opposite direction. They are not preventing illegal migration, but organizing it.

Cover image: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (left) and Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders in Brussels at the start of the EU's weekly plenary session on September 27, 2023. (Photo: MTI/EPA/Olivier Hoslet)