The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen today sharply criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, accusing him of not fighting illegal migration, but rather shifting the problem to neighboring countries. She reacted to Orbán's speech, in which he put the fight against migration as a top priority of the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU, quoted by BTA.
Von der Leyen stressed that tackling illegal migration requires unity and solidarity between member states, not just unilateral actions. She recalled that the Hungarian government had released human traffickers from prison early last year and asked Orbán about Russian citizens being invited without checks, as well as about Chinese police stationed on Hungarian territory, calling it “foreign influence through the back door”.
Von der Leyen also expressed displeasure with Hungary's continued obstacles to providing aid to Ukraine. She pointed out that Ukraine is on the threshold of its third year of war, and noted that there are people who, instead of blaming the aggressor, blame the attacked country. In her speech, she drew analogies to historical events such as the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 and the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968 to emphasize the importance of resistance to aggression.
Orbán rejected the comparison, saying that the EU is pursuing the wrong policy towards the war in Ukraine and that a change of strategy towards diplomatic work and direct communication is needed.
Von der Leyen also criticized Hungary for discriminating against higher-taxed European companies. She warned that this was undermining investor confidence and harming the EU's competitiveness. She also noted that instead of looking for alternative energy sources, Hungary continues to buy fossil fuels from Russia, which does not meet the principles of European solidarity.
She concluded by recalling the European aid provided to Hungary after severe flooding three weeks ago, stressing that whoever wants to be part of Europe must show solidarity.