News in Brief Police find new migrant tunnel beneath Serbia-Hungary border Jan 14, 2021 Officers patrolling the border discovered the tunnel beneath the temporary border fence system on the outskirts of Ásotthalom on Tuesday.
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor: No real solution to migration in Europe has emerged Dec 30, 2020 Hungary will oppose endeavors to promote immigration, such as the resettlement quota system, and cooperate with like-minded countries.
Blog Der Aktionsplan der Europäischen Kommission zur Migration: 34 Millionen Migranten Dec 17, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács Ungarn, so Ministerpräsident Orbán, „wehrt sich mit aller Kraft“.
Blog European Commission’s Migration Action Plan: 34 million migrants Dec 17, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács Hungary, said Prime Minister Orbán, ‘opposes with all its might.’
News in Brief State Secretary: Double-dealing has been going on in Europe for years Dec 07, 2020 Zoltán Kovács said “double-dealing” has been going on in Europe ever since the migration crisis emerged in 2015.
News in Brief EC migration plan 'shocking' given that it coincides with battle against pandemic and budget talks Dec 04, 2020 Gergely Gulyás noted that the European Commission published a migration action plan last week, which he described as “shocking”, given that it coincided with the battle against pandemic and budget talks.
News in Brief FM: The issue of migration must remain a national competence Dec 01, 2020 Minister Szijjártó said Hungary’s position is that the EU must “make clear” in the agreement that the aim is to stop migration and only those should come to Europe who observe rules.
News in Brief MEP: Brussels preparing to implement Soros migrant plan Nov 26, 2020 Fidesz MEP Tamás Deutsch said Brussels was getting ready to implement a plan by US financier George Soros to import migrants into Europe.
Blog Five facts you should know about Hungary’s veto on the EU Budget Nov 26, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács Hungary and Poland are once again the black sheep of the European Union because we insist on keeping to the original agreement on the EU budget and recovery fund, delivered by the European Council this past July.
News in Brief EU institutions are using “financial blackmail” and “political retribution” against member states that refuse migrants Nov 20, 2020 Referring to the “Soros plan”, Zoltán Kovács cited Soros as suggesting in 2015 that countries refusing to take in migrants should be subjected to financial penalties.
News in Brief Soros calls for financial sanctions against countries that refuse to take in migrants Nov 20, 2020 Gergely Gulyás, Head of the Prime Minister’s Office, said Hungary “cannot accept any form of lecturing” from American-Hungarian financier George Soros.
News in Brief Government: Brussels only sees pro-migration countries as adhering to rule of law Nov 19, 2020 The Hungarian government has said in a statement that Brussels wants to use funding due to member states to support immigration.
News in Brief Justice Minister: Hungary treated as the black sheep for migration stance Nov 16, 2020 Justice Minister Judit Varga said that Hungary was treated as a “black sheep just for rejecting migration”, in an interview published in German daily Die Welt.
News in Brief Police discover yet another migrant tunnel in southern Hungary Oct 07, 2020 Local police said the 19-meter tunnel leading from Serbian territory to Hungary was discovered by a patrol during a field search near the town of Ásotthalom, on Monday afternoon.
News in Brief Justice Minister: We want to stop migration rather than manage it Oct 02, 2020 Justice Minister Judit Varga has given an interview to Germany's Die Zeit with the headline: “We want to stop migration".
News in Brief PM Orbán: Hungary does not support the new migration and refugee package Sep 28, 2020 Budapest will not agree to anything that could lead to Hungary being under obligation to take in people coming from the Middle East or Africa, the prime minister said.
News in Brief Justice Minister: Austria is “a most important ally” for Hungary in promoting its position against mandatory migrant quotas Sep 28, 2020 Justice Minister Judit Varga met Karoline Edtstadler, Austria’s minister for EU and constitutional affairs, for talks in Budapest on Friday.
Blog Raten Sie mal, wer mit der Idee eines obligatorischen Quotensystems zurück ist! Sep 26, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács Da die schwedische Establishment-Presse nur selten die Veröffentlichung von Nicht-Mainstream-Stellungnahmen zulässt, habe ich keine andere Wahl, als auf den besorgten Brief der schwedischen Linkspartei-Abgeordneten Malin Björk an die EU-Innenkommissarin Ylva Johansson hier, in dieser Rubrik zu antworten.
News in Brief State Secretary: EU should cooperate and ease pressure of illegal migration outside the community Sep 24, 2020 The state secretary said Europe’s borders must be controlled; hotspots should be created outside those borders where applications for asylum could be processed.
Blog Guess who’s back with the idea of a mandatory quota system Sep 24, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács As the establishment press in Sweden rarely allows non-mainstream opinions to be published, I have no other option but to respond to Swedish Left Party MEP Malin Björk’s concerned letter to EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson here, on About Hungary.
News in Brief Migration pressure is still increasing at Hungary’s southern border Sep 18, 2020 Increasing pressure on the southern border is shown by the total of 15,009 illegal entrants arrested or stopped in 3,372 instances since the start of the year, well above the figures during the same period of 2019.
News in Brief Hungary and Malta form alliance over problems facing EU and migration Sep 10, 2020 “We agree that migration should be stopped rather than managed, especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic which has brought about new dangers [in Malta], too,” the foreign minister said.
News in Brief Authorities discover three tunnels buried below fence on Hungary’s southern border Sep 03, 2020 Illegal entry attempts are on the rise along the Bács-Kiskun County stretch of the southern border, police said, adding that patrols are set to be stepped up along those sections.
News in Brief Migrant group attacks south Hungary border Aug 10, 2020 The Hungarian police forces have reported that another migrant group attempted to violently cross into Hungary from Serbia on Friday.
News in Brief Migration pressure grows at Hungarian-Serbian border Aug 07, 2020 Migration pressure has grown significantly on the Hungarian-Serbian border after a lull in the spring due to the coronavirus epidemic.
News in Brief Foreign Minister calls for strengthening the EU's external borders Jul 14, 2020 The foreign minister said the coronavirus pandemic may lead to new waves of migration.
Blog Prime Minister PM Orbán: If Hungary wants peace, it must take action against migration Jul 03, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács “We must resist the pressure to allow people into the country without proper controls,” said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán this morning. The PM also said that Central Europe is ready to help the southern member states in the current economic crisis.
News in Brief FM: The EU should sign a new migration deal with Turkey Jul 01, 2020 Turkey is currently sheltering over 4 million migrants, while several hundred thousand more are staying across the Turkey-Syria border.
Blog Aus diesem Grund werden die Fragen der neuesten Nationalen Konsultation zur Migration einen Unterschied machen Jun 30, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács In den Fragen 12 und 13 fragen wir die Bürger, ob sich die Regierung auch weiterhin gegen die Einwanderung wehren soll, selbst wenn dies zu einem offenen Konflikts mit Brüssel führt.
News in Brief Czech national arrested for trying to help six Syrians cross the Hungary-Austria border Jun 30, 2020 The western Hungarian chief prosecutor’s office said a Czech national believed to have attempted to help six Syrians cross the Hungary-Austria border has been arrested.
News in Brief FM: Stability in the Middle East is key to tackling migration Jun 30, 2020 Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Libyan stability is key to stopping illegal migration to the European Union.
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor: Pressure of migration on Hungary’s southern border is growing significantly Jun 30, 2020 Since the beginning of the year, 40 percent more illegal entry attempts have been reported from Hungary’s southern borders than in the first half of 2019.
News in Brief Justice Minister: “Deceitful” Sargentini report was pushed through by the EP’s “pro-migration majority” Jun 29, 2020 Justice Minister Judit Varga noted that the European Court of Justice is scheduled to hear Hungary’s legal challenge against the report today.
News in Brief EC's proposal concerning Hungary's tranzit zones is “devoid of purpose” Jun 26, 2020 The justice minister said the proposal follows an earlier European ruling which said that keeping illegal migrants in the zones qualifies as detention, therefore “it does not provide new information”.
Blog This is why the ongoing national consultation’s questions on migration will make a difference Jun 25, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács In question number 12 and 13, we are asking citizens whether the government should continue to stand up against immigration, even at the price of an open conflict with Brussels.
News in Brief Foreign Minister warns of new migration wave Jun 25, 2020 Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said another wave of migration could pose serious health and economic risks.
News in Brief FM underlines importance of preventing more waves of migrants from heading towards Europe Jun 19, 2020 The foreign minister has underlined the importance of preventing more waves of migrants from setting off towards Europe due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
News in Brief State Secretary rejects Jourová's comment on migration question in national consultation Jun 11, 2020 Zoltán Kovács has rejected EC Vice President Věra Jourová's comment on one of the questions in the forthcoming "National Consultation" questionnaire as "fake news".
Blog Gergely Gulyás on the European Court of Justice’s new ruling on immigration: It’s dangerous for all of Europe May 21, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács The transit zone will be abolished, and in the future, asylum seekers will be able to submit their applications in neighboring countries, said Minister Gergely Gulyás at today’s Government Info press conference.
Blog Hungary’s position on migration remains unchanged: Hungarian regulations are in line with EU law May 14, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács The European Court of Justice contradicts the European Court of Human Rights: It wasn’t “detention” last November, but now it is.
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor says there are “interesting and significant developments” on the main migrant route to Europe Apr 30, 2020 Chief Security Advisor György Bakondi said current liberal and left-wing proposals reflect a revival of policies that caused the 2015 migrant crisis, flying in the face of Europe’s negative experiences of the past five years.
News in Brief Migrants arrested hiding in minivan Mar 12, 2020 Hungary's national police force has confirmed that a Chrysler minivan with 15 Afghan migrants hidden on board was stopped on the motorway in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Blog Die wachsende Migrationsgefahr: Hier sind die neuesten Zahlen Mar 11, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács Die Zahl der illegalen Migranten, die in den ersten beiden Monaten des Jahres an der südlichen Grenze Ungarns festgenommen wurden, hat das Vierfache jener Zahl erreicht, die in den gleichen Zeiträumen in den Jahren 2018 und 2019 verzeichnet wurde. Wird 2020 das nächste 2015?
News in Brief Die Presse: Viktor Orbán was right and deserves some apologies Mar 07, 2020 According to an Austrian journalist, both the former Austrian and the current German Chancellor should apologize to the Hungarian Prime Minister since he was correct in how he dealt with the migrant crisis in 2015.
News in Brief Hungary vows to help Greece amid rising migrant pressure Mar 06, 2020 Hungary has offered to send a 65-strong border guard unit to Greece within the framework of an operation by the EU’s border agency Frontex.
News in Brief BREAKING NEWS: Migrant flood possibly infected with coronavirus is expected to arrive at the Hungarian border Mar 01, 2020 For the safety of migrants currently in the transit zone, Hungary is suspending the reception of additional refugees.
Blog Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called together his Security Cabinet due to the migration crisis Feb 28, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács Mid-February, the prime minister had already warned of increasing migration pressure. Today, his concern proved to be true, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed the current situation with him on a call.
News in Brief EU accession of the Western Balkans important for security, migration and the economy Feb 28, 2020 Levente Magyar said Hungary would find it unacceptable were Serbia and Montenegro not to become EU members by 2025.
News in Brief PM Orbán warns of migrant wave amid coronavirus spread Feb 28, 2020 "The main question is where can we stop this wave coming from the south. I have always said that migration comes in waves. We should expect a new migration wave and mass attacks at Hungary's border fence, and we must defend the Hungarian border," PM Orbán said.
Blog PM Orbán: “We should expect the coronavirus to appear in our country, too” Feb 28, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács In his regular radio interview, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán covered negotiations over the new EU budget, the current migration situation, the coronavirus and the upcoming National Consultation.
News in Brief FM: The EU will launch a new operation to combat people smuggling Feb 18, 2020 The foreign minister said Hungary insists on the policy of suspending the operation and withdrawing ships from the region if it appears that migration is increasing as a result.
News in Brief PM Orbán warns of increasing migration pressure on Hungary's southern border Feb 14, 2020 The prime minister said more than 5,000 migrants have attempted to enter Hungary illegally so far this year, a lot of organized migrant groups were also coming to the border.
Blog FM Szijjártó in Vienna on nuclear energy, migration and terrorism Feb 13, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács Speaking at an IAEA conference and counter-terrorism summit earlier this week, Foreign Minister Szijjártó made Hungary’s voice heard on some of the hard-hitting issues affecting the country today.
News in Brief Foreign minister on the EPP, Germany, migration and preserving Christian Europe Feb 13, 2020 The foreign minister said maintaining Schengen is critical for the EU’s competitiveness and the effective protection of external borders is necessary for this to work.
News in Brief Justice ministry calls on opposition to stop misguiding public over Hungary’s ratification of Istanbul Convention Feb 12, 2020 The government does not support the ratification of the Istanbul Convention deeming some of its provisions incompatible with Hungary’s migration policy.
News in Brief FM: UN wastes money on facilitating migration that poses a danger to the entire world Feb 12, 2020 Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that promoting migration in the world presented “a very serious threat to the whole of humanity”.
News in Brief Criminal proceedings launched against five migrants after illegally crossing Serbia-Hungary border Jan 29, 2020 Csongrád County police said five men, two Syrian nationals aged 26 and 29, two 26-year-old Palestinian nationals and an Algerian national aged 25, were arrested near the border.
News in Brief 60 migrants storm Serbia-Hungary border Jan 28, 2020 Csongrád County Police Headquarters confirmed that 60 people stormed the border en-masse and a border guard fired three warning shots.
News in Brief State Secretary: Renew Europe’s “pro-migration” proposal reflects “Soros plan” Jan 23, 2020 Zoltán Kovács said that parties in the Renew Europe group, including Hungary’s Momentum, “see an opportunity rather than a hazard in migration; they would manage [migration] rather than stem it.”
Blog Renew Europe migration proposal: Dusting off the old Soros Plan Jan 22, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács One would think that, nearly five years after the peak of the migration crisis, Europe’s leading politicians would have finally admitted to the failure of their pro-migration policies.
News in Brief Momentum EP group wants to implement the “Soros plan” on migration, says official Jan 21, 2020 János Halász said several components of Renew Europe’s recently released package of proposals on how the EU should tackle migration are “quite familiar, from the Soros plan.”
News in Brief FM: The EU must deal with instability in Africa to avoid migration pressure on Europe Jan 21, 2020 Minister Szijjártó said migration from the Sahel region in Africa was putting Europe under heightened pressure.
News in Brief Five Syrian migrants attempt to enter Hungary by inflatable dinghy Jan 20, 2020 Five Syrian migrants attempted to enter Hungary by sailing up the River Tisza in an inflatable dinghy.
News in Brief Fidesz MEP: Adoption of EP resolution is yet another way for pro-migration forces to pressure Hungary Jan 17, 2020 Balázs Hidvéghi said the rule of law issue had been a “cover story” for what was a political dispute between pro-migration forces and Hungary, which opposes migration.
Blog PM Orbán: “It is in Austria's interest that the Hungarian border defense succeeds” Jan 16, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács Austria is a natural partner of Hungary and the Visegrád Group, and all of them together can cooperate in crucial areas, including migration, security, border protection, competitiveness, climate protection and enlargement.
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor: EU debates on migration to continue Jan 16, 2020 György Bakondi said Hungary will do everything it can to make sure the EU breaks with the flawed policy it has pursued on migration.
News in Brief Interior ministry warns of increasing migration pressure Jan 14, 2020 Frontex figures show that in 2019 the number of migrants along the Balkans route had doubled.
Blog 2019 Year In Review: Resurgence of migration Dec 30, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács While the left-liberal camp has spent most of the year trying to downplay the importance of the migration challenge, signs suggest that 2020 could become the next 2015.
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor: Migrant crisis has worsened this year Dec 27, 2019 Hungary’s chief security advisor György Bakondi said the European migration situation has not abated this year, but has worsened compared with last year.
News in Brief Hungary is working to ensure UN migration pact does not become international law Dec 20, 2019 The foreign minister has said Hungary, along with countries such as Poland, is working to ensure that the UN global migration compact does not become a reference point in international law.
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor: Migration pressure has increased at Hungary’s southern border Dec 19, 2019 György Bakondi said the Balkan route had witnessed in December the most intense migration activity since the start of the migrant crisis.
News in Brief FM: EU's new Africa strategy should not instigate migration Dec 10, 2019 “Hungary’s opinion is that the common Africa strategy must not serve a means or a point of reference for certain member countries to force their will on the whole of the EU,” the foreign minister said.
News in Brief PM Orbán: NATO acknowledges that mass migration poses a security risk that must be addressed Dec 05, 2019 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said NATO has acknowledged for the first time that mass migration from the south poses a security risk that it must address.
Blog Der Migrationsdruck an der Südgrenze nimmt zu, als die Polizei zwei Tunnel unter der Grenze entdeckt Dec 03, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Ungarn verzeichnete in diesem Jahr allein 11.808 illegale Grenzübertrittsversuche, 2.418 davon in diesem Monat und in dieser Woche allein ereigneten sich neun Prozent der diesjährigen Versuche. Während der Druck zunimmt und illegale Migranten neue Taktiken anwenden, sind die ungarischen Behörden bereit, die Grenze auch gegen viel höhere Zahlen zu sichern.
News in Brief FM: V4 will not allow illegal migrants into central Europe Dec 03, 2019 “The success and security of central Europe is thanks to our pursuit of a firm anti-migration policy, and this will endure,” the foreign minister added.
News in Brief Illegal migration situation along Hungary’s border similar to 2015 Dec 03, 2019 Representatives of ethnic Hungarians from Vojvodina reported that the illegal migration situation was similar to 2015, with “a sense of great danger and fear among the population”.
News in Brief Anti-immigration cabinet convened due to increasing migration pressure Dec 02, 2019 Szilárd Németh, State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense, described the migration situation on Hungary’s southern border and the West Balkans as very serious, dangerous and a warning to all.
News in Brief FM: Migration is still the number one issue on Europe’s political agenda Nov 27, 2019 The foreign minister told a hearing in front of parliament’s foreign affairs committee that the past year has shown that Hungary’s foreign policy has achieved its goals and the means to achieve them have been effective.
News in Brief Syrian expelled from Hungary after attacking two police officers Nov 26, 2019 A Syrian national arrested at a migrant shelter for attacking two police officers has been expelled from Hungary for six years.
News in Brief FM: Hungary will only support mechanism that supports repatriating migrants Nov 26, 2019 Minister Szijjártó stated that Hungary believes in providing help at the location where it is needed. The government has contributed HUF 7 billion (EUR 20.9m) to job creation schemes, water management and hygiene services in Africa so far this year.
News in Brief Migration to remain the number one issue in Europe over the coming years, says official Nov 25, 2019 “We must see that the problem is here to stay,” said Zsolt Németh, the head of parliament’s foreign affairs committee.
News in Brief ECHR ruling on migrants staying in Hungary’s transit zones: not illegal detention Nov 22, 2019 “European Court of Human Rights decides in favor of Hungary. No deprivation of liberty found in Hungary’s transit zone,” said Zoltán Kovács.
News in Brief Hungarian government will not budge on the issue of migration, says official Nov 22, 2019 Gergely Gulyás said that whereas the government had managed to compromise with the EC on a number of issues and occasions, “the protection of the external border is not up for debate.”
News in Brief FM: Migration can be prevented by providing aid to countries in need Nov 19, 2019 The foreign minister has stated that mass migration coming from Africa can only be prevented in future by providing sufficient development aid to countries in that continent.
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor: Migrant pressure on Europe is intensifying Nov 18, 2019 György Bakondi said Turkey has recently been making attempts to create a safe zone in Syria in order to allow refugees to return to their homeland, but many have instead set out for Europe.
News in Brief Foreign minister warns of increasing migration pressure Nov 12, 2019 The foreign minister said the root causes of migration had intensified recently. Instability in countries outside Europe has a negative impact on European security.
News in Brief President Erdoğan reveals Turkey is bursting at the seams with nearly four million migrants Nov 08, 2019 During an official visit to Budapest, President Erdoğan said there are almost four million refugees currently residing in Turkey and many would set out for Europe.
News in Brief PM Orbán: Migrants heading for Europe cannot be halted without Turkey’s involvement Nov 08, 2019 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said Turkey is Hungary's strategic partner when it comes to security and the issue of migration.
News in Brief European Commission still insists on moving migrants to Hungary, says official Nov 04, 2019 Pál Völner said the EC had brought action against Hungary because the country refused to fulfil “the one-time mandatory quota forced through by stealth” in 2015 which would have made the country receive 1,294 migrants.
News in Brief Hungary and Slovenia agree on defending borders against illegal migration Oct 29, 2019 PM Orbán highlighted that there are 96,000 migrants currently navigating the Balkan migration route on their way to western Europe.
News in Brief Ungarns Interesse ist, dass die Türkei die Tore für die Migranten in Richtung Syrien öffnet Oct 29, 2019 Am Freitag kündigte Viktor Orbán in der Sendung „Guten Morgen, Ungarn“ von Radio Kossuth an, dass es Ungarns Interesse ist, dass die Türkei die Tore für die Migranten in Richtung Syrien öffnet.
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor: Shift in EU's focus on migration Oct 28, 2019 György Bakondi said there was now a chance that the EU’s “misguided migration policy” pursued since 2015 may change.
News in Brief Fidesz MEPs welcome EP’s rejection of migrant sea rescue operations Oct 25, 2019 In a statement released by the ruling party, Balázs Hidvéghi said “pro-migration Socialists and Liberals want to push through another wildly pro-migration proposition in the EP”.
News in Brief PM Orbán: It is in Hungary’s interest that Turkey releases migrants towards Syria rather than Europe Oct 25, 2019 The Prime Minister said that if Turkey “opens the gates to Europe”, hundreds of thousands of migrants will flood into Greece, the Balkans and eventually all the way to the Croatian or Hungarian border.
News in Brief FM: It's in Hungary's interest for Turkey to resolve migrant issue away from Europe Oct 16, 2019 The Foreign Minister has said it is in Hungary’s national interest that Turkey resolves the migration issue in the direction of Syria rather than in the direction of Europe.
News in Brief Interior Minister: Distribution of migrants across Europe will not solve migration crisis Oct 09, 2019 "The real issue here is whether Europe can defend its borders,” Pintér said. “Hungary did that and took in those who needed refuge, but those who do not, have no business in being in the European Union.”
News in Brief Hungary is against mandatory resettlement quotas, says spokesman Oct 09, 2019 István Hollik said the introduction of migrant quotas once again threatens European cities and the Hungarian government maintains the position that the only acceptable quota is for sending back migrants.
News in Brief MEP: Soros pulling left-wing mayor candidate strings to move migrants into Hungary Oct 07, 2019 Fidesz MEP Tamás Deutsch said Frans Timmermans wants pro-migration mayors to move migrants into Europe and plans the same for Hungary.
News in Brief EU's migration quota system is a threat to member states and cities, says official Oct 07, 2019 The migrant quota “is on the table again and presents a real threat,” János Halász said. “We’ll do all we can to protect Hungary and Hungarian cities from the migrant quota,” he added.
News in Brief FM: Migration should be tackled at its roots Sep 30, 2019 The Foreign Minister said border protection should be approached from the point of view of security rather than human rights. Strong and strict border protection leaves less manoeuvring space to criminals, including human smugglers.
Blog PM Orbán to Italian PM: ‘If necessary, we will take over protection of certain sections of the Italian border’ Sep 29, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Ruling party Fidesz held its annual congress today, the 28th since the party’s establishment. In his address following his re-election as president of the party, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán highlighted the goals that Fidesz has achieved over the course of three decades, including the creation of a “new and working model of state theory, a Christian Democratic state.” Regarding the EU’s latest ideas for responding to the migration challenge, the PM made an offer to Italy to help in protecting the EU border.
News in Brief PM Orbán: Trócsányi’s only crime was helping protect Hungary from migration Sep 27, 2019 In an interview with Kossuth Radio, PM Orbán praised Trócsányi as an internationally respected legal expert and experienced diplomat, calling him the “most qualified” candidate for European commissioner.
News in Brief Six people smugglers charged in Budapest Sep 24, 2019 The Budapest Public Prosecutor’s Office has brought charges against six people accused of smuggling over 100 migrants across Hungary to Austria.
News in Brief State Secretary: Hungary rejects introduction of voluntary or mandatory quota system in Europe Sep 24, 2019 Zoltán Kovács said the first step is securing and protecting Europe’s land and maritime borders and repatriating anyone who has entered Europe illegally.
News in Brief FM: Hungary would not accept migrant quotas and considers border protection the highest priority Sep 23, 2019 The Foreign Minister has said Europe is entering a phase in which “anti-migration” governments could be subject to increased pressure and face attempts to “cram mandatory migrant quotas down the throats of European countries”.
News in Brief PM Orbán attends Italian FdI party meeting in Rome Sep 23, 2019 ”Hungary is prepared to help Italy, where it can; thus, if the country finally commits to protecting its borders, we will help to that end as well as to return migrants already in Italy back home,” PM Orbán said.
News in Brief FM: Hungary will not bow to pressure or blackmail over migrant quotas Sep 18, 2019 “We will not yield to the blackmail of either Soros’ NGOs, western (European) governments or Brussels,” Minister Szíjjártó said. “We will not implement the compulsory settlement quota and we will continue to oppose it as we did so far.”
News in Brief Justice Minister: EU hearing was a revenge campaign by pro-migration forces Sep 17, 2019 Judit Varga said Hungary had been the target of a “witch hunt” for over a year due to its insistent “rejection of migration”. She said the Hungarian government has taken “a great step forward” in protecting Hungary.
Blog Die Anti-Ungarn-Pro-Migration-Lobby hat sich wieder gemeldet Sep 16, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Bestimmte Elemente im Europäischen Parlament sind weiterhin entschlossen, Ungarn dafür bezahlen zu lassen, dass es sich gegen die Einwanderung einsetzt und auf die Verteidigung der europäischen Schengen-Grenze besteht. Um diese Themen geht es in der heutigen Anhörung.
News in Brief FM: Hungary will continue defending its borders Sep 16, 2019 Péter Szijjártó said that all decisions that involved the opening of European borders to migrants were regrettable, but Hungary will continue defending its borders.
News in Brief Mass migration "state of crisis" extended by Hungarian government Sep 06, 2019 The Hungarian government has extended the “state of crisis” in connection with mass migration in the interest of Hungary’s security and the protection of its borders.
News in Brief Deputy PM: EU “invited” migrants to Europe “without asking us; now that they are here they seek to distribute them” Sep 05, 2019 Addressing the Budapest Forum for Christian Communicators, Zsolt Semjén stated that the European bureaucracy’s moves towards Hungary concerning migration have been “unfair, unlawful and anti-democratic”.
News in Brief Justice Minister: Double standards evident in EU’s 2021-27 budget are unacceptable to Hungary Sep 03, 2019 “Hungary rejects the draft in its current form because it will result in the biggest cutback in cohesion funds for the Central European region and Hungary within it, which goes against the principles and goals of this policy,” Minister Varga said.
News in Brief FM: The security of the European people is paramount Sep 02, 2019 Commenting on the recent stabbings in Lyon, Péter Szijjártó stressed that migration must be kept outside of Europe’s borders.
News in Brief PM Orbán thanks Salvini for helping Europe during migrant crisis Aug 30, 2019 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has expressed his appreciation to Matteo Salvini, head of Italy’s League party, thanking him in a letter for his efforts of “benefitting Italy and the whole of Europe, including Hungary” during the migrant crisis.
Blog Nennt Brüssel das Solidarität? Aug 29, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Vor zwei Jahren forderte Ministerpräsident Orbán die Europäische Kommission auf, Ungarn – und die eigenen Bemühungen der EU zur Verteidigung der Grenzen – zu unterstützen, indem sie die Hälfte der Kosten für die Verstärkung unserer Südgrenze übernimmt.
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor: Balkan migrant route could bring about a serious situation in the region Aug 19, 2019 Hungary’s Chief Security Advisor has said the new Balkan migrant route could bring about a serious situation in the region that has major consequences.
News in Brief 31 illegal immigrants found in Budapest man's van Jul 30, 2019 Twenty-nine of the illegal immigrants claim to be Afghan citizens and two are Indian. The driver is from Budapest and is suspected of human smuggling.
Blog Hungarians oppose immigration, want to preserve European Christian culture – and we have our reasons Jul 26, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács We were called unorthodox. We were accused of being far-right. Then we became the dangerous, new populism before becoming the illiberal populists. Now, they’ve got a new one: it’s anti-Muslim populism in Hungary.
News in Brief FM: Pro-migration forces want to make the UN’s global migration compact mandatory Jul 23, 2019 The Foreign Minister said Hungary, the United States, Poland and Israel had rejected the document last December, and they were joined in the most recent vote by Estonia.
News in Brief State Secretary: Migration poses a security risk Jul 18, 2019 “Thirty terrorist attacks have been carried out, in which over 300 people died and 1,300 were injured,” Tamás Menczer said.
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor: Hungary and the new EC President hold similar views on many issues Jul 18, 2019 György Bakondi said one such issue is that von der Leyen is on the position that the EU should reinforce its external borders, while another common point is that she also believes that help must be delivered to where it is needed instead of importing the problems.
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor: Migrants received help to storm Pantheon in Paris Jul 15, 2019 “We are talking about collaboration between liberal groups and illegal immigrants, which represents a new phase in the domestic security threat,” György Bakondi said.
Blog Prime Minister PM Orbán: Migration will continue to define future political debates Jul 12, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Migration remains the main question for debate in European politics, said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in his regular, Friday morning radio interview. He also spoke of the Visegrád Group’s increasing influence in Europe and called out the Hungarian opposition for its behavior in the European Parliament.
News in Brief PM Orbán: Serious mistakes have been made in the EU over the past few years Jul 03, 2019 PM Orbán said that although economic policy, migration policy and “respect for the nations” were still problematic issues, the chances to find a solution were much better now.
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor: Functioning of the Sea Watch 3 civil search and rescue ship off Italy is political provocation Jul 01, 2019 György Bakondi said this isn’t the first time that the ship has taken group after group of migrants to the shores of Italy “with the intent of political provocation” despite the ban imposed by the Italian authorities.
News in Brief 50 migrants apprehended at Hungarian border Jun 26, 2019 Hungarian police apprehended fifty migrants travelling in three separate groups in Csongrad County, in southern Hungary, on Wednesday morning.
News in Brief State Secretary: EC must accept migration should be stopped rather than managed Jun 25, 2019 Zoltán Kovács said respecting the basic ideas and practices of Christian culture on which the ethos of the European Union is based is key to fulfilling Hungary’s standpoint on sovereignty and migration.
News in Brief FM: EU will not be successful unless it makes a U-turn on its migration policy Jun 18, 2019 After meeting his EU counterparts in Luxembourg on Monday, Péter Szijjártó argued that stopping the inflow of migrants was crucial to ensuring Europe’s security and competitiveness.
News in Brief Migration has increased along the Balkan migration route, says Chief Security Advisor Jun 05, 2019 Official figures show the number of people apprehended each week along the Hungarian-Serbian border is currently two hundred, following an average of one hundred in the previous period.
News in Brief Military personnel to help protect southern border Jun 03, 2019 Hungary’s Chief Security Advisor has said the military personnel taking part in the defense of the southern border will enable the reallocation of various police units from the border.
Blog Europe’s future is at stake in these elections. Here’s why May 24, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács EP elections are now taking place all over Europe. Two days before Hungarians go to the polls and cast their votes, we must be clear about what’s really at stake in these elections. Europe is not simply electing members of the European Parliament. It’s choosing its future.
News in Brief PM Orbán meets ACN Director to discuss migrant crisis May 23, 2019 PM Orbán said the best method of Christian aid is to do everything possible for peace on the ground, in conflict-ridden regions. Those who come to Europe will never return
News in Brief Hungary leads fight against EU's farm subsidies to support migrants May 21, 2019 Despite their denials, the current “pro-migration leaders in Brussels” want to reduce funds in farming “in order to give the money to migrants,” István Nagy said
News in Brief Survey finds migration poses the biggest threat to European integrity May 21, 2019 A new survey by the Szazadveg Institute found that the European people consider migration the biggest threat against peace and socio-economic prosperity
News in Brief Prime Minister President Trump on the “very good” relationship with Hungary: PM Orbán has done the “right thing” on immigration May 13, 2019 While Prime Minister Orbán is a tough man, said President Trump at the joint press conference this afternoon in the White House, he is a respected man and has done the right thing on immigration.
News in Brief PM Orbán: Europe must be able to defend itself May 10, 2019 Leaders of the European Union have adopted the Sibiu Declaration, a document outlining the leaders' commitment to "one Europe (...) united, through thick and thin"
Blog That moment when the PC thought police of the Twittersphere tried to have us censored May 10, 2019 - Zoltan Kovacs This time, Twitter let it go. Next time?
Blog PM Orbán’s upcoming meeting with President Trump: here’s what to expect May 10, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács “Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s working visit to Washington on May 13th, during which he will be received by U.S. President Donald Trump, will be extremely significant,” Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at a recent press conference in Brussels.
News in Brief PM Orbán: Migration top issue of EP elections May 09, 2019 PM Orbán said political thought about migration has been split into two distinct directions: the West is looking at ways to "live together", Central Europe is looking at what to do in order to avoid being forced to live together with migrants
News in Brief PM Orbán holds talks with Austria's Vice Chancellor in Budapest May 07, 2019 "Prime Minister Viktor Orbán deserves thanks for the responsible manner in which the country defended the European borders at the peak of the migration crisis," Austrian Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache said
Blog PM Orbán with Vice Chancellor Strache: What works in Vienna could also work in Brussels May 06, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács In a joint press conference with Austrian Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that he’d like to see the same changes in Europe that have occurred in Austria, where the government of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and his ruling Austrian People’s Party thrive in cooperation with the patriotic Freedom Party.
News in Brief FM: PM Orbán meeting with Trump will focus on migration May 06, 2019 Péter Szijjártó said the meeting will also include discussions surrounding bilateral political, economic and defense cooperation
Blog PM Orbán to Austrian daily: Europe should adopt the Austrian model, where the center-right allies with the right-wing May 06, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Prime Minister Orbán is due to meet Austrian Freedom Party Chairman Heinz-Christian Strache this afternoon in Budapest. Prior to the meeting, the PM discussed Hungary-Austria relations, liberalism, European politics and migration in an exclusive interview with Austrian daily Kleine Zeitung. Here are some of the highlights:
Blog Und noch einmal: nein, wir lassen die Menschen in der Transitzone nicht „hungern“ May 03, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Am Freitag veröffentlichte The Guardian einen Artikel, in dem behauptet wird, dass die ungarische Regierung den Asylbewerbern Nahrungsmittel vorenthält und es zudem beinahe unmöglich macht, die Anforderungen für die Unterbringung in der Transitzone zu erfüllen, da „jeder, der aus einem sicheren Land nach Ungarn gekommen war, für ein Asyl automatisch nicht in Frage kam. Die meisten Menschen kommen aus Serbien, was als sicher gilt.“
Blog PM Orbán: With Matteo Salvini we “proved that it’s not true that migration can’t be stopped” May 03, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács In his Friday morning interview on Kossuth radio, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán touched upon yesterday’s visit of Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Matteo Salvini, the Eastern Opening policy and the upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump later this month.
Blog PM Orbán on Matteo Salvini: His success in stopping illegal immigration is in our interest May 02, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács “Departing for Hungary to build a new Europe,” Matteo Salvini, minister of interior and deputy prime minister of Italy, tweeted this morning.
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister Interview with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the Italian newspaper La Stampa May 02, 2019 1 May 2019
News in Brief PM Orbán urges people to vote for anti-migration politicans in EP elections May 02, 2019 “We need to elect leaders who will not allow settlings in Europe and will prevent Europe from becoming a continent of migrants. Pro-migration politicians must be voted out and anti-migration politicians must be brought to Brussels," the prime minister said
Blog Prime Minister PM Orbán in La Stampa: Salvini is the most important person in Europe today May 01, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács On the eve of Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini’s visit to Budapest tomorrow, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sat for an interview with the popular Italian daily La Stampa. In the interview, the prime minister discusses migration, the future of the European People’s Party, nationalism and a perspective on “three Europes”. Here are some highlights:
Blog Once again, no, we are not “starving” people in the transit zone Apr 29, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács On Friday, The Guardian published an article claiming that the Hungarian government is withholding food from asylum seekers and moreover making it almost impossible to satisfy the requirements for getting shelter in the transit zone since “anyone who had arrived in Hungary from a safe country was automatically ineligible. Most people arrive from Serbia, which is considered safe."
News in Brief EU bigwigs have spent over 1.5 billion euros on migrant credit cards Apr 26, 2019 “Over two million people have received anonymous migrant cards, and the equivalent of 500 billion forints (1.55 bn euros) has been spent in this manner,” György Bakondi said
News in Brief State Minister: The world's poor must be helped on site, not brought to Europe Apr 26, 2019 "Hungary has a clear and unequivocal position regarding migration: it stands for the protection of national borders and opposes the forced migration supported by Brussels," Bence Rétvári said
News in Brief FM: UN should work on settling refugees back home, not promoting migration Apr 24, 2019 The foreign minister has said that the international community, including the United Nations and the European Union, should work on settling refugees back home, not promoting migration
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor: More Frontex officers not enough to halt inflow of migrants Apr 18, 2019 Hungary’s Chief Security Advisor has highlighted that the European Union’s move to bolster the staff of border agency Frontex to 10,000 will not be enough to protect the bloc’s borders from a massive inflow of migrants
News in Brief Migration will be the decisive issue of the upcoming EP elections, says spokesman Apr 17, 2019 The Hungarian government’s international spokesman has said the Italians share similar views to Hungary that migration will be the decisive issue of the upcoming European Parliament elections
News in Brief FM: Education is key to eliminating mass illegal migration Apr 12, 2019 Minister Szijjártó said the world must also create the conditions for persecuted communities to remain in their homelands, adding that troubled regions should receive technological assistance and the world must help stabilise countries around warzones
News in Brief PM Orbán: Migration has caused a cultural crisis in Europe Apr 10, 2019 PM Orbán said those Europeans who think that people coming from the Islamic world will not bring the laws, customs and conflicts specific to this culture for centuries are deceiving themselves
News in Brief European Commission still hasn't reimbursed Hungary's costs for border protection caused by migrant crisis Apr 09, 2019 The European Commission has yet to reimburse Hungary half of the costs it incurred in additional border defense spending since the 2015 migration crisis
News in Brief FM: Migration still poses a serious risk to Europe Apr 09, 2019 “An uncertain situation in Afghanistan and developments in Libya pose a serious risk to Europe in terms of migration pressure on the continent,” Péter Szijjártó said
Blog Brussels admits that suspected Syrian terrorist F. Hassan received EU-funded bank card Apr 08, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács At the end of February, in its response to the Hungarian Government’s information campaign, the European Commission admitted that it “funds a program run by the UNHCR for prepaid debit cards for refugees and asylum seekers”.
Blog PM Orbán on EP elections: ‘We must decide whether we protect our Christian Europe or surrender to multiculti’ Apr 05, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács With the campaign for the European Parliamentary elections officially kicking off tomorrow, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán presented his seven-point action plan to be set in motion after the elections.
Blog Der in Budapest festgenommene mutmaßliche Terrorist aus Syrien erhielt eine der Prepaid-Debitkarten der EU Apr 02, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Es ist unerhört! Berichten zufolge erhielt er auf diese Weise mehr als den ungarischen Mindestlohn auf die Karte.
News in Brief Three-quarters of Central Europeans opposed to immigration from outside of Europe Apr 01, 2019 Nearly three-quarters of voters in Central Europe oppose migration, according to a recent poll.
Blog This Slovenian weekly serves up a sad example of the intolerance of the Left Apr 01, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács The March 22nd cover of the Slovenian leftist weekly Mladina shows a caricature of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán raising a Nazi salute, surrounded by SDS leader Janez Janša and other figures associated with Slovenia’s conservative, right-wing party.
Blog Suspected Syrian terrorist arrested in Budapest received one of the EU’s prepaid debit cards Mar 30, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács It’s outrageous. And through the payments to the card, according to reports, he was getting paid more than a minimum wage earner in Hungary.
News in Brief Hungarian government demands answers from European Commission over migrant bank cards Mar 29, 2019 Did Brussels know that a Syrian terrorist leader had been given a migrant bank card? Were they aware that they were “funding an executioner of the Islamic State?” István Hollik asks
Blog Ministerpräsident Orbán: Man sollte der Kommission die Migration und den Grenzschutz wegnehmen und sie den nationalen Regierungen zurückgeben Mar 28, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Ministerpräsident Viktor Orbán schloss sich am Wochenende im Rahmen der Veranstaltung „Budapest Summit on Migration“ der Meinung anderer prominenter politischer Persönlichkeiten an, einschließlich des ehemaligen französischen Präsidenten Nicolas Sarkozy, und meinte, die Zuständigkeit für Migration und Grenzschutz sollte den EU-Mitgliedstaaten zurückgegeben, und an einen unabhängigen Rat der EU-Innenminister delegiert werden.
News in Brief FM: The UN global migration compact is about managing migration rather than stopping it Mar 26, 2019 Speaking on public television on Tuesday, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the UN is acting as if there were no security risks involved with their migration plans
News in Brief PM Orbán calls for swift action to be taken on migration and border protection Mar 25, 2019 “If European policymakers fail to make decisions immediately, then it will be impossible to stop later what has already begun,” the prime minister said
Blog Budapest Summit on Migration: The migration crisis today cannot be compared with what we saw in 1956 Mar 25, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács If we try to manage migration and simply accept it, we contribute to the problem, experts say. To solve it, EU member states should focus on the root causes of migration.
Blog PM Orbán: Take migration and border protection away from the Commission, give them back to the national governments Mar 23, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Drawing on the remarks of other prominent political figures at this weekend’s Budapest Summit on Migration, including former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán concluded that migration and border protection competences should be returned to the EU’s member states and delegated to an independent council comprised of EU interior ministers.
Blog Budapest Summit on Migration: Here’s the decisive issue of our time Mar 23, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Migration has become a decisive issue in European public life today, drawing new dividing lines in politics and raising essential questions about Europe’s future.
News in Brief PM Orbán will be joined by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy at migration conference Mar 22, 2019 The MCC Budapest Summit on Migration, organized by Mathias Corvinus Collegium, runs from Friday through to Sunday
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor: UN migration pact represents the greatest danger to Europe to date Mar 20, 2019 The security advisor said that making the UN Global Compact for Migration mandatory represents the greatest danger to Europe to date
News in Brief FM: Hungary holds firm on its refusal to carry out “a single word or sentence” of the global migration compact Mar 19, 2019 Péter Szijjártó said a “secret document” has been published on work by the European Commission’s legal service to formulate “lengthy and devious” legal grounds for suggesting that the compact is, after all, mandatory for EU member states
News in Brief Budapest to host first global migration conference Mar 19, 2019 Budapest will host the MCC Budapest Summit on Migration this weekend, organized by the Mathias Corvinus Collegium, attended by prestigious researchers, decision-makers and diplomats
News in Brief Gergely Gulyás: Fidesz wants a strong, united, Christian democratic European People’s Party which rejects immigration Mar 18, 2019 On Monday Gergely Gulyás, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, told Hungarian news agency MTI that Fidesz wants a strong, united Christian democratic European People’s Party (EPP) which rejects immigration. He said that Fidesz wants to remain a member of the party family for as long as possible, and also stressed that Fidesz has always avoided personal attacks on other members of the party family it belongs to.
News in Brief Fidesz to remain EPP member so that new leaders can emerge to halt migration and protect Europe’s borders Mar 18, 2019 Antal Rogán, the prime minister’s cabinet chief, said Fidesz would remain within the EPP as long as it stays clear from identifying fully with a pro-migration policy
Blog Hate to say we told you so: European Commission mulls adoption of the failed UN Global Compact for Migration Mar 15, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács An official European Commission document concludes that Brussels should adopt the text of the UN Global Compact for Migration. Once it does, EU member states would be obliged to comply. Never mind that nine out of the EU-28 oppose the GCM.
News in Brief The debate on ruling Fidesz’s membership in the EPP is about immigration, says official Mar 13, 2019 Gergely Gulyás said Weber and Orbán shared the intention that Fidesz should remain an EPP member, with the two sides having an interest in an agreement
News in Brief We will not compromise on border protection, opposition to immigration, and defense of Christian culture, says minister Mar 13, 2019 "We cannot and do not want to strike a compromise" on these issues.
Blog You have the right to know: Brussels plans to cut EU funding for countries that oppose immigration Mar 12, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács They’d require admitting migrants as a precondition to receiving cohesion funding. This is pure black mail.
Blog You have the right to know: through pilot projects with African countries, Brussels wants to facilitate immigration Mar 12, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Brussels eurocrats believe that migration is a positive phenomenon and something that should be facilitated. The Hungarian government, however, sees migration in a completely different light: mass immigration destabilizes, poses serious risks to our European Christian civilization, and should be stopped.
Blog Take the issue of migration away from the European Commission, says Prime Minister Orbán Mar 11, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács The prime minister has called for setting up a new European council of ministers of interior to take responsibility for migration and Schengen Area issues, a strong body that would handle these matters as experts, rather than politicians.
Blog Yes, migration is the most important issue in the EP elections Mar 11, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been saying so for months. It’s so important, in fact, says the PM, that it’s shaking up the traditional left-right alignment of politics and creating a contest between those who support immigration and those who oppose it.
News in Brief FM: People have the right to know what secret plans the EC is making Mar 11, 2019 The foreign minister has said that citizens of the European Union have the right to know “what secret plans the European Commission is making behind their backs to further undermine the continent’s security”
News in Brief Migration is the “most important topic” for the upcoming EP elections, says official Mar 08, 2019 “Since the border fence was built migrants have avoided Hungary, but if the government changed its policy, Hungary would be a migrant destination just the same,” Gergely Gulyás said
News in Brief Protecting European Christian values and stopping migration is Fidesz's main priority, says spokesman Mar 07, 2019 Fidesz spokesman Balázs Hidvéghi has said the party prioritizes protecting European Christian values and stopping migration over party discipline
Blog You have the right to know: your taxpayer money will flow to the coffers of pro-migration NGOs Mar 05, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács In an essay published yesterday on the official Élysée website, President Macron calls “For European Renewal with a program based on freedom, protection and progress. “We should ban,” the president writes, “the funding of European political parties by foreign powers.” We need to protect our democracies against foreign powers seeking to manipulate them.
News in Brief Brussels wants to open the gates to millions of economic migrants, says official Mar 04, 2019 János Halász said economic migrants are illegally entering Europe together with real refugees
News in Brief The government has a duty to inform the Hungarian people what is at stake in the upcoming EP election Mar 04, 2019 Zoltán Kovács said the EU should remain a forum of cooperation between equal member states. In cases where there is no complete agreement between them, there should be no compulsion to accept a given policy
Blog It’s hard to look at the facts and say that the European Commission is doing everything it can to stop illegal immigration Mar 04, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Responding to the Hungarian government’s information campaign, the European Commission has launched its own version of what they claim is the truth on migration.
Blog PM Orbán in Welt am Sonntag: ‘Immigration is the sole cause of the strain in relations’ within the EU Mar 03, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács And “we insist on the right of nation states to defend themselves. Germans have a different philosophy,” Prime Minister Orbán added.
News in Brief The threat posed by migration has not gone away, says Hungarian official Mar 01, 2019 Interior ministry state secretary, Károly Kontrát told a session of parliament’s defense and law enforcement committee that the Balkan route is still active, with 70,000 migrants making their way to Europe through it
News in Brief FM: It has become clear that Western models of European integration do not work Mar 01, 2019 Western models of integration have led to the emergence of parallel societies, which the foreign minister said pose security risks because of cultural differences
Blog You have the right to know: the pro-migration majority in Brussels wants to hand out migrant visas to make immigration easier Mar 01, 2019 They call it a “humanitarian visa”, but, in effect, it facilitates immigration and sends an inviting message to others who would emigrate to Europe.
News in Brief PM Orbán: Migration will transform the world Feb 28, 2019 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said that global migration will fundamentally transform the world in the coming decades and those countries that do not defend themselves today, will be unable to do so by 2050 and 2060
News in Brief FM: Hungary and Poland will continue to fight Brussels' migration policies Feb 28, 2019 The foreign minister said the attacks from Brussels have no basis in reality, are politically motivated and triggered by the two countries' refusal to become migrant hosts
News in Brief FM: Hungary and Malta fully grasp how severe the migration crisis is and what responses are needed Feb 28, 2019 Following talks with Carmelo Abela, his Maltese counterpart, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the two countries had agreed that decisions on services provided for migrants should be left in the hands of member states
Blog You have the right to know: some in Brussels think your national borders are an unfortunate obstacle to immigration Feb 28, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Have you noticed how the bureaucrats in Brussels talk about “border management” instead of saying “border protection” or “border defense”? It’s not a coincidence. It betrays a fundamental difference in how we approach migration. For those in the pro-migration lobby, immigration is a positive outcome and national borders are the obstacles.
News in Brief Brussels has in effect made a confession that its concepts of migration would indeed increase migration to Europe Feb 27, 2019 Zoltán Kovács, the state secretary for international communications and relations, said the government regards Brussels' steps toward migration as dangerous
News in Brief The EC's approach to migration is “diametrically opposed to the wishes of the government and the people of Hungary" Feb 26, 2019 Zoltán Kovács said that the Hungarian government has repeatedly addressed the commission’s “attempts to hide the plans and ideas” still on the table regarding illegal migration
News in Brief PM Orbán: Migration tensions will only intensify Feb 26, 2019 During the historic first Arab League-EU summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, the prime minister pledged to boost cooperation in the fight against terrorism and to tackle unauthorized migration
News in Brief FM: If the UN does not give up its “completely biased” stance on migration, the danger to Europe will be “extremely serious” Feb 26, 2019 Minister Szijjártó highlighted that the Islamic State terrorist organization had adopted a new strategy of returning its mercenaries to the countries they came from
News in Brief FM: It's important for Europe to cooperate “with African countries that do not push for the creation of so-called legal migration channels" Feb 22, 2019 Minister Szijjártó said those who encourage the emergence of new migration waves only make it easier for terrorists to return to Europe
News in Brief FM: IS terrorists are returning to Europe “by the hundreds" Feb 21, 2019 Migration poses “further and extreme” risks for Europe, the foreign minister said
News in Brief Fidesz-led alliance rejects the pro-migration plans of Brussels Feb 18, 2019 Máté Kocsis said “Brussels bureaucrats” were “full of plans” that would end up creating a continent of immigrants according to the plan of US billionaire George Soros
News in Brief International Spokesman: Fighting illegal migration is not possible without border fence Feb 15, 2019 Kovács said the fence Hungary built along the border with Serbia when the country was overwhelmed by illegal immigrants in 2015, is very effective
News in Brief Hungary and Bulgaria agree that the answer to demographic challenges is family support rather than migration Feb 13, 2019 “We will never allow them [Brussels] to force us to change this approach [family support as opposed to migration],” Minister Szijjártó said
Blog Prime Minister PM Orbán in State of the Nation: Brussels has become the stronghold of a “new internationalism” that would transform Europe into an immigrant continent Feb 10, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács The Hungarian response calls for something different: stronger families, more children.
News in Brief Foreign Minister: Hungary has zero tolerance for migration Feb 04, 2019 “Pro-migration politicians are continuing to run amok,” the foreign minister said. "Every EU document will try to refer to the UN’s global migration compact in spite of the fact that nine EU member states did not vote for it," he added
News in Brief FM: Migration should be stopped rather than organized Feb 01, 2019 Minister Szijjártó labelled the EU's migration approach as “dangerous” and something to be prevented by voters in the European parliamentary elections
News in Brief FM: Brussels' migration policies present a danger to Europe and are harmful to Africa Jan 30, 2019 Following talks with Osman Saleh Mohammed, the foreign minister of Eritrea, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that Africa needed peace, security and economic development in order to retain its population
News in Brief Human smuggler sentenced to four years and four months in jail and is banned from Hungary for five years Jan 25, 2019 The criminal – only known as M.N. – is of Middle Eastern origin but holds Dutch citizenship
News in Brief FM: The security of Europe starts with Africa Jan 23, 2019 The Hungarian government believes that stability in Northern African countries is a number one precondition for them to be able to protect their borders
News in Brief State Secretary: Ahmed H. case has highlighted a network supporting immigration Jan 22, 2019 Csaba Dömötör said the Hungarian government finds it objectionable that while Brussels provides no grants for the protection of the borders, they are happy to raise the grants of activist groups
News in Brief FM: The continent must stand firm in keeping the Western Balkan migration route closed Jan 18, 2019 Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said contrary to the claims of United Nations and European Union officials, migration pressure on Europe has increased in the recent period
News in Brief Survey reveals most Hungarians are against uncontrolled migration Jan 17, 2019 According to a survey conducted by Századvég, two-thirds of respondents in a recent poll see illegal migration to Hungary as a worrying issue, while 40 percent say the problem was serious
News in Brief MEP calls for EU to “protect its borders at sea and on land as expected by its voters” Jan 16, 2019 The EU should “prevent thousands of migrants from risking their lives at the Mediterranean Sea; it should make it clear that they cannot enter the continent illegally and it must eliminate the human smuggling rings,” MEP Kinga Gál said
News in Brief International Spokesman: It's clear that political issues relating to migration permeate every area of life Jan 14, 2019 “The make-up of the European Parliament will change,” Zoltán Kovács declared, adding that he hopes an anti-immigration majority is established that will help preserve Europe’s original identity and culture
News in Brief Fidesz is the only party in Hungary to oppose migration, says press chief Jan 11, 2019 Balázs Hidvéghi said the issue of migration would dominate the European parliamentary election in May
News in Brief Afghan refugee sentenced to community service after couple attacked Jan 04, 2019 An Afghan refugee has been sentenced to community service for assaulting a couple near Budapest’s Keleti railway station on New Year’s Eve
News in Brief Hungary votes against United Nations’ Global Compact for Migration Dec 20, 2018 The UN General Assembly approved the accord with 152 countries voting in favor, five against and 12 abstentions
News in Brief Hungary establishes consulate office in Liberia Dec 18, 2018 Minister Szijjártó said Europe’s security started in Africa, so European countries should implement schemes that help prevent African nations from becoming sources of migration
News in Brief Brussels pushes forward with plans to force illegal migration onto EU member states Dec 17, 2018 István Hollik says the Brussels leadership doesn’t just want to manage migration, but in fact wants to increase it
News in Brief Poll finds a majority of people across Central and Eastern Europe reject migration Dec 13, 2018 According to a poll conducted by the Hungarian Nézőpont Institute, some 35 million of the 53 million citizens in the Visegrad Group reject the EU’s quota system to resettle migrants in member states, and 41 million are dissatisfied with EU migration policy
News in Brief The “pro-migration majority” in Brussels has “forced” migrant visa proposal through the EP Dec 12, 2018 Balázs Hidvéghi, the Fidesz party’s communications chief, said the pro-migration majority in Brussels aim is to “import even more migrants into Europe
News in Brief Brussels tries to censor a Hungarian government mobile advertisement campaign highlighting terrorist attacks in Europe Dec 07, 2018 The Hungarian government commissioned the van with a billboard to drive around Brussels highlighting the consequences of the EU‘s migration policies, which led to several hundred people dying in terrorist attacks throughout Europe
News in Brief Gergely Gulyás: Hungary’s fight with the EU for sovereignty in the area of migration is underway Dec 07, 2018 The minister highlighted that the key debate at a European level in the coming years would revolve around the bloc’s powers “versus state sovereignty”
News in Brief FM: The UN is making the same mistake with its Global Migration Compact as the EU made with mandatory migrant settlement quotas Dec 07, 2018 Péter Szijjártó, Minister Of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the UN compact would cause even greater problems than the EU quotas because the latter only applied to Europe but the former would create disorder around the world
News in Brief FM: Hungary will not enforce “a single passage” in UN migration pact Nov 29, 2018 Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the package was contradictory to Hungary’s interests because “it encourages migration rather than seeking to stem such processes”
News in Brief Hungary and Bulgaria share similar views on the migrant crisis Nov 14, 2018 Zsolt Németh held talks with his Bulgarian counterpart Dzhema Marinova Grozdanova on Tuesday where it was determined that Bulgaria and Hungary share the same views on Europe, security policy, migration policy, European Union enlargement as well as a number of socio-political issues
News in Brief Government Spokesman: Migration has clearly been behind all the recent attacks on Hungary Oct 25, 2018 Zoltán Kovács said that “mixing up disputes on European Union procedures (against Hungary) concerning the country’s rule of law with disputes concerning migration policy is "unacceptable”
News in Brief EC working on “creating a humanitarian visa for immigrants” Oct 13, 2018 The European Commission has offered to pay out 6,000 euros for each migrant taken in via the Mediterranean
News in Brief [VIDEO] It's time to shake up Brussels. Let's protect Europe! Oct 13, 2018 The government of Hungary will not leave unanswered the offense committed against Hungary in the Sargentini Report. We would like to make clear before the general, European public that we do not want to become an immigrant country. That’s why the government has released this English-language internet video in response to the affronts to our country.
News in Brief Afghan man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Budapest has been arrested in Austria Sep 11, 2018 Sarhadi Bilal Ahmad sexually abused a woman in the toilets of a fast-food restaurant in central Budapest in the early hours of Sunday
Blog Let’s get this straight: No, we are not “starving” asylum seekers Sep 06, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács As the European Parliament prepares to debate next week a report on the state of rule of law in Hungary, a new charge against the Hungarian government has delivered a noisy and convenient distraction from the underwhelming substance of the so-called Sargentini report.
News in Brief The German government is now consistent in refusing illegal migration, says minister Aug 30, 2018 Minister Gulyás said it's now the German government’s position that countries of the Schengen area have to fulfill their obligations to protect the external borders
News in Brief Government Spokesperson: The European people have had enough of pro-migration policies Aug 28, 2018 Economic migrants have to be sent back where they came from, Zoltán Kovács pointed out, adding that the solution needs to be found outside of Europe’s border
News in Brief Hungary’s FM: Changes are needed in Brussels Aug 28, 2018 Hungary has proved that the flow of illegal immigration can be stopped on land. Additionally, Italy and Australia have proved that migration can also be stopped at sea
News in Brief Foreign Minister: The EU should again assert its ability to protect its own borders Aug 24, 2018 Hungary maintains its standpoint that migrants should not be distributed among EU countries but should be prevented from coming to Europe
News in Brief Government official: It is “well known” that the Swedish political leadership is “on the side of migrants” Aug 15, 2018 Pál Völner said the Hungarian government continued to insist that Hungary would not become a country “flooded” by migrants. He insisted that “the forces of immigration” were determined to intervene in Hungary’s domestic affairs
News in Brief The largest number of migrants arrive through Spain today, says expert Aug 07, 2018 According to György Bakondi, out of the three typical migration routes – the Balkans, Italian and Spanish routes – the Spanish route has become the most problematic
News in Brief Leading security expert reveals that only 10-15 percent of migrants are real refugees Aug 06, 2018 József Horváth said that between 85-90 percent of migrants are economic immigrants and are not seeking genuine help
News in Brief Prime Minister PM Orbán: A report on the situation of the rule of law in Hungary approved by the LIBE committee is clearly a “Soros report” Jun 26, 2018 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said they want to pressurise Hungary in order to make the country change its position on migration
News in Brief Leading lawmaker says the “Soros network” is trying to influence Hungary’s judiciary system May 28, 2018 István Hollik, the spokesman of ruling Fidesz-KDNP’s parliamentary group said the [Hungarian] Helsinki Committee holds pro-migration sensitization trainings clearly designed to sensitize court employees by representing the viewpoint of migrants and their interests
News in Brief Hungarian government set to submit a tightened “Stop Soros” legislative package on Tuesday May 25, 2018 Gergely Gulyás, the minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office, said that after the submission and agreement of the new legislative package, the organization of illegal immigration will be a criminal law scenario in the Penal code
News in Brief Hungary will not allow itself to be made a victim of the migrant business, says state secretary Apr 18, 2018 “Hungary will continue to take action to prevent this in future and will continue to represent the interests of Hungarian voters on all international forums," Pál Völner said
News in Brief There will be a new government formed, mostly with new players and a new structure, says minister Apr 12, 2018 Antal Rogán, the minister heading the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister, said the reshuffle comes amid the government responding to the challenges of migration and the need to protect Hungary’s national sovereignty
News in Brief Prime Minister PM Orbán says voters have made their decision so we must respect their wishes Apr 11, 2018 The prime minister said there would be “significant changes” in his new government over the next four-year term
Blog Misunderstandings Mar 29, 2018 - Mária Schmidt The lingering migration crisis has produced sharp divisions within the European Union
News in Brief Survey shows that Hungarians expect the number of crimes linked to migrants to increase in Europe this year Mar 15, 2018 According to a new survey conducted by Századvég, 52 percent of people asked are concerned about the security of the country should it be overrun by migrants
Blog Migration and its spillover effects continue to be the greatest challenge for Europe Mar 08, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács Instead of creating a humanitarian right out of migration, it can and should be stopped
News in Brief Brussels is interfering in the Hungarian election campaign and is using its country report to help the opposition, claims minister Mar 08, 2018 The minister of state for Government Communication said the aim of the Brussels report is to place pressure on Hungary and to achieve the downfall of the government and replace it with a “pro-immigration cabinet that is acceptable to Brussels”
News in Brief Hungary’s foreign minister meets Austrian counterpart Karin Kneissl to restore relations between the two nations Mar 02, 2018 Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, told a press conference that the friendship between Austria and Hungary has been restored
News in Brief Public debate on the Stop Soros legislative package is still underway, says minister Feb 06, 2018 Bence Tuzson, minister of state for Government Communication, said the draft bill will be put before parliament in late February and the goal of the legislative package is to “enact and enforce the overwhelming opinion of the people, and to take further steps to stop migration”
News in Brief Hungary may quit the UN’s migration package unless “there is a positive shift, towards Hungary’s position” Feb 01, 2018 Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the government has instructed him to review the first draft of the package, to be published on February 5th, and start the procedure to quit the talks if the document is “as pro-migration” as the 2016 declaration
News in Brief Hungary's FM: Secretary-General of the UN's comments promoting migration "raises major legitimacy problems” Jan 30, 2018 The Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister has highlighted how the UN’s draft directive on migration is chillingly reminiscent of the European Union’s plans, against which the Hungarian government is also fighting
News in Brief Hungary's FM: Until there is unity and stability in Libya, Europe’s security is at serious risk Jan 23, 2018 Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that one of the main causes of migration is the severe degree of instability in some North African countries
News in Brief United States pulls out of UN migration pact citing similar motives to PM Orbán in fight against illegal immigration Dec 04, 2017 "Our decisions on immigration policies must always be made by Americans and Americans alone," the US ambassador to the UN said. "We will decide how best to control our borders and who will be allowed to enter our country"
News in Brief Hungarian government to launch a nationwide survey on migration Sep 18, 2017 The Hungarian government has decided to launch a nationwide survey on migration to guarantee solid support for the government’s related policies, and so that they can understand the people's stance on the issue
News in Brief "Viktor Orbán is winning the migration debate" writes leading publication Sep 15, 2017 “Nobody will admit it in this town, but yes, Orbán’s narrative is prevailing," a senior EU offical told Politico
News in Brief Hungary and Denmark work together to restore security to Europe Aug 30, 2017 Both nations agree that the EU’s external borders should be protected and the problems eliciting illegal migration tackled at their roots
Blog PM Netanyahu to PM Orbán: ‘Thank you for standing up for Israel’ at the forefront of opposition to this new anti-Semitism Jul 18, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács During a historic visit – the first of a head of government of Israel in 30 years – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for “standing up for Israel in international forums,” and the Hungarian prime minister delivered a sharp rebuke of the failure of Hungary to defend its Jewish citizens during World War II, saying the country had sinned.
News in Brief Hungary defends itself against criticisms from The Economist newspaper Jul 07, 2017 Hungary's government spokesman said that contrary to the narrative of The Economist, democracy is doing just fine in Hungary. Elections remain free and fair
Blog Europeans want less EU on migration, poll says Jun 27, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács “European publics are quite critical of the EU’s handling of refugee issues,” according to the Pew Research Center’s recent public opinion study. “And they want their national governments to be the ones making decisions about the migration of non-EU citizens into their countries”
News in Brief PM Orbán: EU member states are in disagreement over how migrants should be distributed Jun 23, 2017 The prime minister suggested adopting a declaration on the protection of shared EU borders and preventing people unwelcome by Europeans from entering the territory
News in Brief Hungarian government expects further clashes with EU over migration Jun 09, 2017 The Hungarian government does not see migration as a solution to Europe’s problems and migration and migrants pose a security risk, among other types of risks, to the continent
News in Brief MEP says Soros “has sent an open declaration of war” to Hungary following Brussels speech Jun 02, 2017 Tamás Deutsch said that it had become apparent from a speech where Soros compared Hungary to a mafia state that he was ready to take any anti-democratic step to ensure the Hungarian government’s defeat
News in Brief PM Orbán meets with Estonian prime minister to discuss Brexit and immigration May 23, 2017 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has met with Estonian prime minister Juri Ratas to discuss the latter's plans for their European presidency during the second half of 2017
News in Brief Frans Timmermans' comments surrounding Hungary's amended law on higher education are "pathetic accusations" Apr 13, 2017 Laws cannot be suspended, but this does not mean that there is no solution. The parties must engage in talks, and the prime minister has appointed Kristóf Altusz to lead the negotiations, Hungary's government spokesperson said
News in Brief Hungarian government has "always stood on the foundations of law" Mar 22, 2017 “The Hungarian government will not change its policies despite the pressure it is being put under; to us, Hungary comes first," Hungary's foreign minister said
News in Brief Prime Minister PM Orbán throws Hungary's support behind V4's position on future of Europe Mar 03, 2017 Hungary “whole-heartedly” supports calls made by V4 leaders for strengthening national control over legislative and political processes in the EU
News in Brief Hungary defends its now popular migrant policy during LIBE hearing Feb 28, 2017 The Hungarian government expects political conflicts in connection with the second line of defense and Hungary’s new regulations because certain NGOs promote a political agenda at odds with protecting Europe
News in Brief Hungary's secondary line of defense proves effective in stopping illegal migrants Feb 27, 2017 Hungary's experiment with a second border fence along a 10-kilometer stretch of the Hungary-Serbia border has practically stopped all illegal border crossings on that section of the border
News in Brief Hungary's new border controls protect the European Union Feb 17, 2017 György Bakondi, the prime minister’s chief security advisor, said that the new border controls, if passed by parliament, would be applied “at times of emergency caused by mass migration”
News in Brief Government to set up new migrant camps on the borders Feb 17, 2017 Hungary plans to gradually close down all inland migrant camps as it prepares to set up new camps on the borders
News in Brief Hungarians should decide their future not Brussels Feb 14, 2017 The Hungarian government wants the people to decide on issues that define their future rather than “Brussels sneaking in legislation”
News in Brief Prime Minister PM Orbán: Hungary faces five major 'attacks' in 2017 Feb 11, 2017 Delivering his nineteenth annual state of the nation address, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Hungary’s main task in 2017 would be to fend off five major “attacks” against the country
News in Brief More Hungarian police contingents to carry out EU border patrols this year Jan 10, 2017 During a month-long mission, 25 officers will carry out patrol tasks with their Macedonian colleagues on their border with Greece
News in Brief The migrant crisis could worsen in 2017 Jan 06, 2017 The security situation that has developed as a result of migration remains a danger and the fight against the Islamic State could also lead to an increased threat of terrorism in Europe
News in Brief PM Orbán sends condolences to Germany following terrorist attack in Berlin Dec 20, 2016 "I can assure you that my government condemns every form of terror and violence, and stands ready to cooperate with Germany in order to guarantee the safety of Europe and its citizens," PM Orbán said
Prime Minister Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s doorstep statement before the meeting of the European Council Dec 20, 2016 December 15, 2016, Brussels
News in Brief Hungary builds relations with Latvia Dec 20, 2016 “Hungary and Latvia have a strong alliance and are in agreement on many important issues concerning the future of the European Union," Minister Szijjártó said
News in Brief PM Orbán: Migrant crisis depends on border protection Dec 19, 2016 PM Orbán said the external borders must be protected; those who have entered must be returned; and those who want to enter must be guarded and screened for refugee status in territories outside the EU
News in Brief Leaders of the V4 sign MoU on migration Dec 16, 2016 The prime ministers of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia acknowledged that EU member states were closer to reaching a consensus on the need to protect the bloc’s external borders from migrant inflows
News in Brief PM Orbán: Hungary's stance on immigration is becoming more widely acceptable in the EU Dec 16, 2016 "Positions which were once condemned, despised, looked down upon and treated with contempt are becoming jointly-held positions," PM Orbán said
News in Brief Syrian charged with attacking military guard at Röszke border point Dec 13, 2016 Csongrád County’s prosecution office said the man is charged with carrying out a violent armed attack against a person on public duty
News in Brief Hungary has no intention of approving the EU's mandatory relocation scheme for migrants Dec 09, 2016 The distribution of migrants affects Hungary's sovereignty in its very essence, and Hungary is therefore unable to participate in such a scheme
Blog Illegal migration, the European Council and restoring democracy in Europe Dec 09, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács As citizens prepare for the third Sunday of Advent, heads of the EU member states once again gather in Brussels to discuss the pressing migration crisis. The differences will resemble the struggle of David against Goliath, said Prime Minister Orbán in his radio interview last week, and in the role of David stand the Visegrád Four countries, including Hungary.
News in Brief Migrant crisis is not easing Nov 28, 2016 174 illegal border crossers were apprehended on the territory of Hungary between Friday and Sunday
News in Brief Ambassador Bell: The US should not criticize Hungary's immigration policies Nov 21, 2016 We have not seen such a serious migration crisis since the Second World War, Ambassador Bell said
News in Brief The EU's migrant relocation scheme does not work Nov 18, 2016 Negotiation positions on certain provisions of European refugee policy have not converged because Holland does not share Hungary’s opinion that the distribution of refugees according to mandatory quotas is unacceptable
News in Brief Hungary funds its own border fences, NOT the EU Nov 16, 2016 The Hungarian government did not construct a fence on the border out of EU monies “and especially not with Italian money”; we financed the fence from the budget, or “to make it more understandable for Matteo Renzi”, the people of Hungary are spending their own money on protecting the EU border, Hungary's foreign minister said
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister Interview with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on the Kossuth Rádió programme “180 Minutes” Nov 14, 2016 November 11, 2016
News in Brief The EU "won't take legal action" against countries who refuse migrants Nov 14, 2016 The EU is signaling it won't take legal action against countries that refuse to share refugees as long as the overall target number of people finds new homes
News in Brief Jobbik party files its own constitutional amendment Nov 14, 2016 Jobbik's version would also ban foreigners from acquiring Hungarian residency permits in exchange for purchasing a special state bond for 300,000 euros
News in Brief PM Orbán: We will fight Brussels with Hungary's existing constitution Nov 11, 2016 The Hungarian government will not resubmit a law to ban the European Union's migrant quotas after parliament narrowly rejected the plan this week
News in Brief Migrant crisis is worsening warns Chief Security Advisor Nov 10, 2016 The situation on the Greek islands is chaotic and mass migration is becoming difficult to manage in more and more countries along the main migration routes
News in Brief Parliament fails to pass constitutional amendment Nov 08, 2016 The far-right Jobbik party sealed the bill's rejection by boycotting the vote. But it held out a lifeline by saying it would throw its support behind the ban if the government scrapped the residency bond scheme
News in Brief PM Orbán to meet Theresa May on Wednesday Nov 07, 2016 PM Orbán will travel to London for a one-day working visit, British PM Theresa May will receive the Hungarian PM in her office on Wednesday afternoon
News in Brief Hungary still faces the threat of the EU's forced migration quotas Nov 07, 2016 The Hungarian government continues to insist on its standpoint that there can be no mandatory relocation quotas. However, there will be a “huge battle” within the European Union
News in Brief Austria sends 60 troops to Hungarian-Serbian border Nov 03, 2016 Based at Hódmezővásárhely near Szeged in southeast Hungary for a six month posting, the Austrian soldiers are sappers who will help build roads and erect containers
News in Brief Hungary bids farewell to Czech and Polish border patrols Nov 01, 2016 25 Czech and Polish police officers and border guards have patrolled the Hungary-Serbia border since September
News in Brief Hungary doesn't need Italy's money Nov 01, 2016 Italy has demanded tough treatment of Eastern European countries, including Hungary, that refuse to accept migrants under the EU’s relocation scheme
News in Brief It would be 'extremely irresponsible' not to support the constitutional amendment Oct 31, 2016 Amending Hungary's Basic Law will require support from two-thirds of MPs, which translates into 133 votes
News in Brief PM Orbán: Hungary will sue Brussels if they don't drop mandatory migrant quotas Oct 28, 2016 There is a stalemate on the issue right now; Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who holds the rotating EU Council presidency, is to propose a solution by the next EU summit in December
News in Brief Some 'political issues' still surround constitutional amendment Oct 27, 2016 The green opposition LMP party said it would decide later on whether to support the amendment, after further consideration
News in Brief Italy threatens to veto EU budget over central Europe's immigration stance Oct 26, 2016 Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that the Italian prime minister “completely misunderstands the situation"
News in Brief Hungary builds new border fence Oct 26, 2016 The new fence is on the southern border with Serbia and is aimed at keeping migrants and refugees from freely entering Hungary
News in Brief Hungarian police set off to protect Serbian-Bulgarian border Oct 24, 2016 Since January 2016, 18,028 illegal border crossers have been apprehended along the external Schengen borders of Hungary
Blog ‘Protecting European Freedom’: PM Orbán’s interview with Passauer Neue Presse Oct 22, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács Hungary’s stance on immigration has been labeled one of the “destroyers of Europe”, however these sentiments couldn’t be further from the truth. Hungary’s border policy does in fact protect European freedom.
News in Brief Reports of brutality by Hungarian police towards migrants are untrue Oct 21, 2016 "The people who wrote these [reports] have not been to Hungary, or if they did they are lying," the minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister Interview with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the newspaper Passauer Neue Presse [full text in English] Oct 21, 2016 October 20, 2016
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s opening speech in the debate in Parliament on the proposed Seventh Amendment to the Fundamental Law [full text in English] Oct 20, 2016 October 17, 2016, Budapest
News in Brief Hungary's civilian border patrol force are not 'hunters' Oct 18, 2016 Border patrols provide additional protection on what has become one of Europe’s most sensitive frontiers in the struggle against illegal immigration and human trafficking
News in Brief Is the migrant crisis affecting wildlife migration patterns? Oct 17, 2016 The Hungarian government has said that the animals can adapt well to man-made habitat changes. The statement also noted that deer populations had been growing for decades in Hungary and across Europe, causing crop damage and road accidents
News in Brief PM Orbán: The most important thing now is preventing mandatory relocation Oct 14, 2016 A new unity has come about in Hungary; the people have clearly stated what they want and it is the government’s duty to try and enforce their will, “and I will do everything possible to ensure that we can enforce that will, and I believe we have a chance of success," the PM said
News in Brief Changes to the Hungarian Fundamental Law are essential Oct 14, 2016 During next week’s meeting of the European Council it is Hungary’s political objective to prevent the mandatory quotas, or in other words, to remove this issue from the European political agenda
News in Brief A “vast and ruthless network" of human traffickers profit from migrant crisis Oct 13, 2016 Europol said migrant trafficking generated estimated revenue of more than 5 billion euros in 2015. More than 12,000 new migrant-smuggling suspects have also been identified since the start of the year
News in Brief Hungarian Ambassador to Israel defends Hungary's migrant policy Oct 13, 2016 Dr. Andor Nagy, the Hungarian ambassador to Israel, has penned a piece for The Times of Israel asking the question: "Hungary's vote on migrants: What would Israel do?"
News in Brief PM Orbán's constitutional changes receive the majority needed to pass through Parliament Oct 12, 2016 The ruling Fidesz and KDNP parties along with opposition party Jobbik came to a mutual agreement following a number of lengthy discussions
Blog No, the Hungarian refugees of 1956 are not the same as today’s migrants Oct 11, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács It was a Tuesday, that October 23rd in 1956. The whole thing began as a peaceful, student demonstration, young people with a manifesto asserting the right to be independent from all foreign powers and that all Hungarians should enjoy the rights of free people in a democratic system. The crowds grew as the demonstrations moved throughout the city. By nightfall, State Security Police had fired on a crowd of unarmed demonstrators outside the state radio building, killing many.
News in Brief Terrorists used Hungary as a 'gateway into western Europe' Oct 11, 2016 According to Hungary's center for counter-terrorism, ISIS set up a 'logistics hub' in Hungary in the summer of 2015 at the peak of the migrant crisis
News in Brief EU migrant quotas are 'dead', says Slovak PM Oct 07, 2016 PM Orbán said that he’ll propose a change to the Hungarian constitution that would be “EU compatible.” He also called for the dismantling of temporary border controls within the trading bloc
News in Brief Sweden to take legal action against Hungary for refusing to take back migrants Oct 07, 2016 Morgan Johansson, Sweden’s minister of justice, said Hungary had a duty to examine the asylum claims of people who were first registered there before travelling to other countries
News in Brief Hungary opens credit line to help Afghanistan Oct 06, 2016 The credit line will form a base in which certain criteria is adhered to for development projects to be carried out with the inclusion of Hungarian firms. Afghanistan must also fulfill obligations undertaken in controlling migration
News in Brief Illegal immigrants surge toward Hungary chanting 'open the borders' Oct 04, 2016 Some 150 migrants marched toward the Hungarian border about 120 miles north of the Serbian capital Belgrade
News in Brief The 3.3 million "no" voters constitute one of the strongest mandates of any vote in Hungary Oct 04, 2016 In an exclusive to Newsweek, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács spells out the significance of the results from the country's historic referendum
News in Brief Nearly 250 illegal immigrants arrested in the past week Oct 03, 2016 108 illegal border crossers were apprehended within the territory of Hungary between Friday and Sunday alone
News in Brief Hungary overwhelmingly rejects EU migrant quota plan Oct 03, 2016 The National Election Office has said that 98.3 percent of those who cast a valid vote rejected the migrant quotas - 3.3 million Hungarians
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's press conference after the announcement of referendum results [full text in English] Oct 03, 2016 Budapest, October 2, 2016
News in Brief 3.3 million vote 'no' in Hungary's referendum Oct 03, 2016 PM Orbán announces a modification to the Fundamental Law in order to acknowledge Hungary's resounding "no" vote in the historic referendum
News in Brief History of referenda in Hungary shows that voter turnout rarely meets the threshold Oct 02, 2016 The results of today’s referendum will not be clear until after the polls close at 7 p.m., but if past experience is any indicator, Hungary’s experience with voting in important referendums has been mixed.
News in Brief Hungary spends over 300 million euros on Schengen border fence Oct 02, 2016 The cost of the border fence has been footed entirely by Hungary, without support from the EU, despite being hailed as the 'wall that saved Europe'
News in Brief TODAY'S REFERENDUM: Hungary's historic vote on the EU's migrant quotas Oct 02, 2016 The referendum's question is "Do you want the European Union to be able to prescribe the mandatory settlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary even without the consent of Parliament?"
News in Brief Why Hungary's referendum is so important Sep 30, 2016 Matters of migration and citizenship must remain the competence of individual member countries, not the EU
News in Brief REFERENDUM: Every vote counts Sep 30, 2016 Polls predict an overwhelming majority voting no, opposing the EU migrant resettlement quotas, in Sunday's referendum
News in Brief REFERENDUM: Hungarians will send a clear message to Brussels Sep 30, 2016 Brussels are trying to introduce a mandatory and ‘perpetual’ distribution system with no upper limit, while circumventing the governments of Member States
News in Brief PM Orbán: Your referendum vote counts Sep 30, 2016 “We cannot walk away from this; we are the citizens of this country, and if we do not take part in the decision then we are declaring that we accept a decision arrived at through everyone else’s votes," PM Orbán said
News in Brief Hungary's referendum in the global spotlight Sep 29, 2016 If Brussels wants to end the political drift toward populist and nationalist movements, it will have to show less disdain for legitimate public concerns about unchecked mass migration
News in Brief PM Orbán: Without Hungary "Europe would have fallen" by now Sep 29, 2016 Concerning the October 2 referendum on EU mandatory migrant quotas, the prime minister said that not just Hungary's but also Europe’s future would be at stake on Sunday
News in Brief Hungary's referendum from an outside perspective Sep 29, 2016 The referendum on October 2nd is to enable the Hungarian people to have their say, protect their country and tell Brussels that they don't want to be forced to take in asylum seekers
News in Brief PM Orbán: The EU's forced migration quotas would change Hungary Sep 28, 2016 Prime Minister Orbán said that while the left considers the matter of migrant redistribution an ideological one, the government considers it a national security issue
News in Brief Amnesty's claims that Hungary mistreats migrants is unfounded Sep 28, 2016 The human rights organization had said that attacks against migrants and refugees had become common practice in Hungary. Károly Kontrát dismissed these claims as “completely untrue"
News in Brief New EU plans push forward with forced migration quotas Sep 28, 2016 Hungarians are expected to vote in record numbers on Sunday during the historic October 2 referendum, where voters are expected to reject the forced migration quotas imposed upon them by the EU
News in Brief Bataclan terrorists made their way to Paris through Hungary Sep 27, 2016 Hungarian authorities have ascertained that over ten terrorists involved in terror attacks travelled through or stayed in Hungary between July and November 2015
Issues Referendum on EU’s Mandatory Migrant Resettlement Scheme Sep 27, 2016 Hungary will hold a popular referendum on October 2nd, 2016 on the so-called quota package, the plan whereby the European Union could relocate an unlimited number of migrants to the territory of Hungary and other Member States. “Do you want the European Union,” the referendum question asks voters, “to be able to mandate the obligatory resettlement of non-Hungarian citizens into Hungary even without the approval of the National Assembly?”
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister Quotes on Quotas: Prime Minister Orbán on the referendum, migration, the EU and more Sep 27, 2016 Here’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in his own words, on the referendum, the EU and the migration crisis, the fence and border security, and more.
News in Brief Illegal immigration can be dangerous for those involved Sep 26, 2016 Following a migrant attack on a Hungarian truck driver in France, Hungary is asking all citizens abroad to request assistance from the relative Embassy or Consulate general if they feel they are in trouble
News in Brief PM Orbán: Egypt could add to migrant crisis Sep 26, 2016 The prime minister told EU leaders at a summit in Vienna over the weekend that an agreement should be drafted with Egypt similar to the existing one with Turkey in order to avoid further pressures from the migrant crisis
Blog Yes, there is a quota plan out there and that’s the reason for the October referendum Sep 26, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács As Hungary’s referendum on Brussels’ mandatory migrant relocation quotas approaches, there’s a particular question that crops up repeatedly.
News in Brief BBC to hold political debate in Hungary following referendum result Sep 23, 2016 As part of a series of debates across Europe, the BBC World Service will host the show focused around Hungary's migrant stance and the issues migration has on Europe as a whole
News in Brief Hungary's referendum could foil Brussels' plans Sep 23, 2016 The prime minister said that he loves Hungary just the way it is, and does not want to see anyone change it under orders from outside
News in Brief Hungary's Deputy PM: Don't confuse labor shortage with migrant crisis Sep 22, 2016 If there are hundreds of thousands of Muslims in Hungary, a parallel society will come into being, and this will lead to permanent social conflicts
News in Brief PM Orbán: 'Those who came illegally must be shipped out' then apply for asylum Sep 22, 2016 The PM reiterated that the external borders of the EU must be strengthened to prevent a repeat of the 2015 flow of migrants
News in Brief Hungary will refuse entry to returning migrants who did not enter EU in Hungary Sep 22, 2016 It would be “unfair” if Hungary “rather than the rich Scandinavian countries” had to accommodate these people
News in Brief Austria begins plans to erect fence along Hungarian border Sep 21, 2016 Meanwhile, George Soros, the Hungarian billionaire venture capitalist, announced he intends to invest 500 million USD in aiding migrants and refugees
News in Brief Post-Brexit, attention turns to Lisbon Treaty Sep 21, 2016 Hungary could propose exempting national migration rules from common European policies, trouncing any scheme to share responsibility for migrants among EU member states
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: Scandinavia takes legal action against Hungary Sep 20, 2016 Sweden, Germany and Austria have already hinted that they are planning to send refugees back to Hungary
News in Brief Brussels is sticking to its migrant relocation plan Sep 20, 2016 “Brussels is powerless if the majority of a country stands behind its government," András Giró-Szász said
News in Brief The EU must listen to central European countries Sep 20, 2016 The Bratislava summit was supposed to build EU cohesion but it ended with a solidification of seemingly ever-growing divisions
News in Brief Hungary presents migrant crisis plan to United Nations Sep 20, 2016 Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that Hungary’s position is that approaches to migration must be based on international law
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister Interview with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on the Kossuth Rádió programme “180 Minutes” [full text in English] Sep 19, 2016 September 16, 2016
News in Brief More than 370,000 asylum-seekers could be sent back to Hungary Sep 19, 2016 This year alone, 28,000 migrants arrived at Hungary’s borders and only 5,000 filed for refugee status
News in Brief Prime Minister PM Orbán: We must take action to save Europe from migrant crisis Sep 16, 2016 Hungary’s interest lies in stemming the migration pressure on Europe, and the country is ready to help Serbia, Bulgaria and Macedonia
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s press statement by the Bulgarian-Turkish border [full text in English] Sep 15, 2016 September 14, 2016, Lesovo (Лесoвo)
News in Brief Hungary's border fences are helping to keep illegal immigrants out of Europe Sep 15, 2016 A new fence, electronic surveillance equipment and a paved road for border police are all part of Hungary's continuing efforts to stop the flow of migrants and refugees
News in Brief Germany and Czech Republic defend Hungary over Luxembourg's "nonsense" comments Sep 14, 2016 The statements made by the Luxembourg foreign minister cause “extraordinary damage” to the European Union and the project of European integration
News in Brief EU will "face consequences" if they ignore Hungary's referendum Sep 14, 2016 Brussels must respect the people of Hungary’s decision when they vote in the Brexit-inspired referendum on whether to accept migrants under EU quota schemes
News in Brief Luxembourg foreign minister says Hungary should leave EU Sep 13, 2016 Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade for Hungary, says his Luxembourg counterpart had "long left the ranks of politicians who could be taken seriously" and was "patronising, arrogant and frustrated"
News in Brief PM Orbán to inspect Bulgarian border Sep 13, 2016 In view of the increasing migration pressure, Orbán will be holding a joint inspection of the border with his Bulgarian counterpart Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on Wednesday morning
News in Brief EU wants to resettle 120,000 migrants in Hungary Sep 12, 2016 Hungarians must not “give up their right to vote” and ensure they have their say in the October 2 referendum
News in Brief Over one hundred illegal immigrants arrested over weekend Sep 12, 2016 144 illegal immigrants were arrested in Hungary over the weekend and 280 were detained last week
News in Brief Hungary's future depends on October 2 referendum Sep 12, 2016 The existence of our culture, system of values and millennial statehood is at stake in the October 2 referendum
News in Brief PM Orbán starts government department to assist persecuted Christians Sep 09, 2016 PM Orbán decided to establish the new department after meeting with Pope Francis and Middle Eastern patriarchs in Rome at the end of August, and the government has kicked the department off with a 3 million Euro grant
News in Brief Somalian migrant accused of sexual assault and theft in Budapest Sep 09, 2016 The 20-year-old is accused of sexual harassment on Tuesday, and also faces allegations that he stole clothes, a bag and cash from a hotel
News in Brief Hungary will only take back migrants who entered the EU through its country Sep 08, 2016 The decline in the number of illegal migrants arriving in Austria is thanks to stricter border protection in Hungary
News in Brief Migrant crisis still a major problem one year on Sep 07, 2016 Still, to this very day, large numbers of migrants continue to make their way into Hungary and across the border into Austria from areas of the Middle East, Afghanistan and Africa
News in Brief PM Orbán awarded 'Man of the Year' for his contribution to central European policy Sep 07, 2016 The prime minister was given the award for his political endeavors by an economic symposium
News in Brief Austria will take Hungary to court if they reject migrants Sep 07, 2016 The rules of the Dublin agreement were breeched last year by other EU countries, the Hungarian government says as it continues to protect the security of its nation for its citizens
News in Brief Hungary will help Serbia protect borders against migrant surge Sep 06, 2016 PM Orbán described an agreement between the European Union and Turkey on stopping mass migration as "fragile"
News in Brief Czech Republic sends fifty police officers to help patrol Hungarian-Serbian border Sep 06, 2016 The Czech policemen are assisting Hungary’s border protection efforts as part of a Visegrad Four cooperation initiative
News in Brief PM Orbán: Brussels doesn't reflect the wishes of the people Sep 06, 2016 Orbán gave a stark warning to Brussels that he would fight the bloc if EU chiefs tried to prevent the country from defending its borders
News in Brief Hungarians expected to vote in record numbers during October 2 referendum Sep 06, 2016 The people of Hungary are expected to vote in record numbers in a referendum aimed at Brussels bureaucrats forcing them to accept compulsory resettlement of migrants under EU quota schemes
News in Brief Hungary adopts the right approach to tackle the migrant crisis Sep 05, 2016 Hungary's stance on tackling immigration is receiving global praise and recognition amidst the growing problems surrounding immigration
Blog Fragen und Antworten zum bevorstehenden ungarischen Referendum am 2. Oktober Sep 02, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács Ungarn ist das einzige Land in der Europäischen Union, das seinen Bürgern mit einer nationalen Volksabstimmung am 2. Oktober ermöglicht, über eines der derzeit wichtigsten Themen abzustimmen: die Massenmigration, die Europa destabilisiert, und insbesondere den Versuch der EU, Zwangsansiedlungen von Migranten anzuordnen.
News in Brief Hungary is prepared for the immigration problem Sep 02, 2016 A new fence is to be erected on the Hungarian-Serbian border, new police personnel, and army presence ensure Hungary's full security
News in Brief Hungarian woman raped by three migrants Sep 02, 2016 Government spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said that Europe must find answers to fundamental questions – such as, whether it can protect its borders and citizens. This is what the referendum is about
Blog Q&A on Hungary’s Upcoming Referendum, October 2 Sep 02, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács With the national referendum slated for October 2nd, Hungary is the only country in the European Union that is giving citizens the opportunity to vote on one of the most significant issues of the day: the mass migration challenging the stability of Europe and, specifically, the EU’s attempt to impose compulsory resettlement of migrants.
News in Brief October 2 referendum is an issue of national importance Sep 01, 2016 The referendum is not about party politics, or the fate of individual parties, it is about Hungary’s future
News in Brief New border patrols begin today Sep 01, 2016 Illegal migrants are keeping the Hungarian borders under constant pressure and an average of one hundred people per day are aggressively attempting to enter Hungary illegally
News in Brief The EU hasn't faced this many challenges since World War II Aug 30, 2016 The Visegrad Four (V4) group comprising Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic is the tightest and most effective alliance in Europe and one that can help bring Europe out of its current troubles
News in Brief The left is spreading lies to undermine referendum Aug 30, 2016 The left is trying to invalidate the referendum initiated by the Hungarian government by spreading “unfounded and false news"
News in Brief History proves that Hungary must be protected against new threats Aug 29, 2016 The minister of defense referred to the challenges posed by mass migration and terrorism, stating that “we must do our best to protect the borders of our country and the security of the people of Hungary”
News in Brief PM Orbán: Hungary will build new fences to defend its border Aug 26, 2016 There may soon be a "greater need for security" and the fortified barrier would be able to stop "several hundreds of thousands of people"
News in Brief Labor shortages to be addressed with demographic solutions Aug 26, 2016 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that in the long-term he would address labor shortages with demographic and family policy solutions
News in Brief Hungarian authorities are helping the fight against Islamic extremists Aug 24, 2016 There have been a number of cases where extremists have been smuggled through Europe into Middle Eastern war zones
News in Brief Hungary and Turkey forge close relationship after July coup attempt Aug 24, 2016 Europe, and Hungary as a member of the EU, have an interest in ensuring the stability of Turkey
News in Brief PM Orbán: Hungary is protecting its borders one hundred percent Aug 24, 2016 Despite positive relations with Turkey, Hungary will not allow access to the threatened numbers of migrants from Ankara
News in Brief Premier Orbán: Referendums-Tsunami wird EU treffen Aug 19, 2016 Laut dem ungarischen Premierminister werden die Tschechische Republik, die Slowakei und Polen dem ungarischen Beispiel folgen und gegen die erzwungenen Ansiedlungsquoten der EU stimmen.
News in Brief PM Orban: Referendum tsunami will hit the EU Aug 19, 2016 Hungarian Prime Minister believes that the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland will follow Hungary's lead by voting against the EU's forced migration quotas
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: State of emergency extended on illegal immigration Aug 18, 2016 The state of emergency had originally been set for September 9, but following recent events it will be extended.
News in Brief The migrant crisis will be prolonged and relentless Aug 15, 2016 The government are holding a referendum on October 2 for the people of Hungary to determine whether they will accept the forced migration quotas imposed upon them by the EU
News in Brief Deutsche entkommen Migrantenkrise durch Umzug nach Ungarn Aug 12, 2016 Laut deutschen Medien wird Ungarn zum Zufluchtsort für Europäer, die aus Angst vor Terrorismus die Länder verlassen, die viele Migranten aufgenommen haben.
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: The Hungarian people must have their say Aug 12, 2016 The October 2 referendum will be the first in Europe to determine whether Hungarians will accept the EU's forced migration quotas
News in Brief Germans escape migrant crisis by relocating to Hungary Aug 12, 2016 Hungary is becoming a safe haven for Europeans fleeing migrant hit nations in fear of terrorism, German media reports.
News in Brief Hungarian police force increased by 3,000 Aug 11, 2016 The government justified the measure based on the assumption that illegal immigration and the pressure of migration is long-term.
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: Hungary welcomes international guest police officers Aug 05, 2016 151 international guest officers have been received this year and 42 are staying in Hungary at the moment
News in Brief Human traffickers smuggle juvenile migrants into Western Europe Aug 04, 2016 Migrant youths, housed in a reception center for minors at Fót, near Budapest, are taken on to Western Europe funded by their families
News in Brief Migrant crisis is a massive threat to Europe and Hungary Aug 04, 2016 If the EU fails to stop the inflow of asylum seekers they will “wash away” the continent, Lajos Kósa has said
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: Health risk posed as migrants flee before crucial results Aug 03, 2016 Only 350-400 of a total of 4,100 ordered health screenings could be performed
News in Brief Slovakian police welcomed in Hungary to help patrol borders Aug 02, 2016 Twenty five officers, sent at the request of Hungary, were welcomed at a ceremony in Budapest yesterday
News in Brief Hungarians must stop EU plans for a 'townful of illegal immigrants' Aug 02, 2016 It is important that every Hungarian should have the opportunity to state their opinions at the October 2 referendum
News in Brief New border protection has stopped the influx of illegal immigrants Aug 01, 2016 Hungary will hold a referendum October 2 to determine the outcome of whether to accept the forced migration quotas imposed by the EU
News in Brief EU president wants to deny the people of their democratic voice Aug 01, 2016 The mandatory relocation quotas are based on the “principle of stupidity”, and the people of Hungary have a right to their say
News in Brief Hungary's border protection is fair, efficient and effective Jul 28, 2016 Hungary maintains its fair, just and legal handling of migrants who seek asylum, and they will be dealt with in a fair, appropriate and humane manner
News in Brief Hungary to work with Austria on migrant crisis Jul 27, 2016 The Hungarian government is holding a referendum on October 2 to seek support for its opposition to the EU's forced migration quotas
News in Brief Hungarian government sends its condolences to France following ISIS attack Jul 27, 2016 Terrorism can only be prevented by stopping illegal migration, which is why Hungary protects its own and the European Union’s external borders
News in Brief PM Orbán: Migrant crisis is 'poisoning' Europe Jul 27, 2016 The government is against EU proposals to force Hungary to accept illegal immigrants and will hold a referendum on October 2
News in Brief Illegal immigrants will be stopped at the borders Jul 26, 2016 Protests aiming to pressure the Hungarian government into opening up its border will not succeed
News in Brief Trump's anti-terror stance would help Europe Jul 26, 2016 Whoever becomes the next US president, the policy on immigration remains important to Europe and, according to PM Orbán, Donald Trump's immigration and anti-terror stance offer a better option.
News in Brief Hundreds of illegal immigrants march on Hungarian border Jul 25, 2016 More than 300 illegal immigrants are making a 200km trek to try and gain entry to Hungary
News in Brief Europe must restore order to protect its citizens Jul 25, 2016 It is clear to everyone that ‘the immigration policy Brussels has followed so far is a total failure’ and that immediate changes are required
News in Brief PM Orbán: The EU has been weakened by migrant crisis Jul 22, 2016 PM Orbán feels that Brexit has downgraded the EU to a regional player and the next steps should be to determine the direction it's headed
News in Brief Repatriated Hungarians can also vote in October 2 referendum Jul 22, 2016 The quota referendum is about whether Hungarians are prepared to accept the fact that others decide in their place on fundamental issues
News in Brief PM Orban: There's a clear link between illegal immigration and terrorism Jul 21, 2016 Hungary will hold their referendum on October 2 on whether to accept the migration quotas forced upon them by the EU
News in Brief Referendum vote important for protecting Hungary Jul 20, 2016 As a result of Brussels' immigration policy, over 1.5 million illegal immigrants have arrived in Europe during the past year alone
News in Brief More immigrants means greater threat of terrorism Jul 18, 2016 In light of the recent Nice attack, and other terrorist attacks in Europe, all the signs appear to indicate that western Europe has failed to integrate immigrants effectively
News in Brief Injuries reported in mass migrant brawl Jul 18, 2016 No unnecessary force was used. The brawl was triggered by migrants fighting with each other
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: Hungary rejects claims of unfair treatment Jul 14, 2016 Hungary proceeds in a humane manner with those who are actually in need, and the people who are waiting at its borders and in its territory receive fair treatment
News in Brief The EU continues its forced migration quotas Jul 14, 2016 New plans unveiled by Brussels would impose the obligation on every EU member state to take in immigrants
Blog Das ungarische Referendum dient der Wiederherstellung einer starken Europäischen Union Jul 12, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács Der Termin steht fest: Am 2. Oktober 2016 wird in Ungarn eine Volksabstimmung über das verpflichtende EU-Quotensystem zur Ansiedlung von Migranten stattfinden. Dass das Datum nur einige Tage nach dem Brexit bekanntgegeben wurde, hat zu Mutmaßungen geführt, das ungarische Referendum handle ebenfalls vom Austritt aus der EU. Natürlich war das aus dem Munde mancher Kritiker eine absichtliche Verwechslung aus politischen Gründen.
Blog Hungary’s referendum wants to restore a strong European Union Jul 12, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács The date is set: on October 2nd, 2016, Hungary will hold a referendum on the EU’s mandatory migrant resettlement quota system. The announcement of the date of the referendum, coming as it did just a few days following Brexit led some to suggest that the Hungarian vote will be another plebiscite on leaving the EU. Some critics, of course, deliberately confused the two for political reasons.
Prime Minister “Are You Opposed to Peace?” Jul 12, 2016 - Viktor Orbán Europe owes much to the EU. Reference to historical truth, however, is not enough to ensure its survival. The Union can only be successful again if it restores citizens’ sense of security.
News in Brief Premier Orbán: EU und Euro sind beide in Gefahr Jul 11, 2016 Laut Premier Orbán wurde die Krise in der EU teilweise durch die Grenzöffnung für Migranten ausgelöst und teils, weil einige Staaten ein sehr hohes Budgetdefizit zugelassen haben.
News in Brief NATO lends its support to Hungary's migrant crisis Jul 11, 2016 Hungary has won NATO’s support to back the fight against illegal migration and that the external borders must be protected
News in Brief PM Orban: Both the EU and the euro are in danger Jul 11, 2016 PM Orban thinks the crisis in the EU was partly triggered by the opening of its borders to migrants, and because some member states let their budget deficits run high
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: Government will not compromise Hungary's security Jul 08, 2016 Increased border patrols, harsher security checks and more than 10,000 police and troops are protecting the Hungarian people
News in Brief Austrian border checks are unjustified Jul 07, 2016 Foreign minister said controls were needed on Hungary's Serbian and Croatian borders but not where it meets Austria
News in Brief EU migration stance is endangering Hungarian order Jul 07, 2016 The referendum will be the first time that European citizens will have the opportunity to express their opinions on to what extent Brussels migration policy is endangering the unity of Europe
News in Brief Only Hungarians can send a clear message to Brussels Jul 06, 2016 "Only the Hungarians can decide who they want to live with, not Brussels," says Antal Rogán
News in Brief Army and police ready to protect Hungary's borders Jul 06, 2016 The police and the Hungarian Defense Force have taken great efforts to prepare for the introduction of the new border protection system, which guarantees the security of the Hungarian people and the protection of external borders
News in Brief Oct 2: Referendum on forced EU migrant quotas to go ahead Jul 05, 2016 A turnout of at least 50 percent of the Hungarian people is needed for the referendum to be valid
News in Brief Hungary tightens security along its borders Jul 05, 2016 The aim of Hungarian authorities is to apprehend ALL illegal immigrants and return them to the border
News in Brief 350 illegal immigrants arrested over weekend Jul 04, 2016 The numbers of illegal immigrants caught crossing the Hungarian border is steadily increasing to over 200 per day on average
News in Brief Hungarian Foreign Minister: Brussels must be stopped Jul 04, 2016 The Hungarian referendum is more timely than ever - we must make it clear that "we do not want” any of these proposals and policies
News in Brief Ungarischer Außenminister: Brüssel muss gestoppt werden Jul 04, 2016 Das ungarische Referendum ist zeitgemäßer denn je – wir müssen klarstellen, dass wir diese Vorschläge und Strategien „gänzlich ablehnen“.
News in Brief Ungarn verurteilt zehn illegale Migranten zu mehreren Jahren Haft Jul 01, 2016 Die illegalen Migranten werden nach ihrer Haftstrafe des Landes verwiesen, und ihre Wiedereinreise wird für mehrere Jahre untersagt.
News in Brief Hungary's referendum on migrant quotas is for the people Jul 01, 2016 Brexit came about because of the migrant crisis, Hungary is determined to maintain strong relations with Britain despite EU exit
News in Brief Hungary jails 10 illegal immigrants for several years Jul 01, 2016 The illegal immigrants will be expelled after serving their terms, and barred from re-entering Hungary for several years
News in Brief The EU is unable to handle the migrant crisis Jun 29, 2016 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held talks with the prime ministers of the Visegrád (V4) countries regarding the migrant crisis prior to the EU summit
News in Brief More than 17,000 illegal immigrants arrested in Hungary Jun 29, 2016 In 2016 alone, 17,008 illegal immigrants have crossed the Hungarian section of Europe's external Schengen border
News in Brief PM Orban: EU must get to grips with migrant crisis Jun 29, 2016 PM Orbán said that in his view migration was the decisive issue in last week's British Brexit referendum
News in Brief PM Orbán travels to Brussels for EU talks Jun 28, 2016 Prime Minister Orban is expected to raise the issue of Hungary's imposing referendum to determine the outcome of the EU's forced migration quotas
News in Brief Brussels' immigration policy is destroying Europe Jun 28, 2016 According to the minster of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Brussels’ immigration policy is endangering the unity of Europe and must be discarded for good
News in Brief The EU should form close ties with Britain after Brexit Jun 27, 2016 We must think why such a large proportion of Britain’s population took the view that they would be better off outside the EU
News in Brief Hungary is not leaving EU but will hold referendum on migrant quotas Jun 27, 2016 President Janos Ader will set a date for the referendum, which Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's office has hinted could be held in September or October
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: Referendum on forced migration to be held in the autumn Jun 22, 2016 All obstacles have now been removed from calling and organizing the referendum on forced settlements in Hungary
News in Brief Thousands of illegal immigrants crossing the border each month Jun 21, 2016 442 illegal immigrants were arrested crossing the Hungarian border this weekend alone
News in Brief Illegal immigrant attacks woman with knife in Budapest Jun 20, 2016 This is an indicator of the fact that migrants’ “activities in public spaces” are often in conflict with the law throughout Europe
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: 23 illegal Afghan immigrants arrested over weekend Jun 20, 2016 The migrants are being detained in custody at the district police station pending criminal procedures
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: Hungarians should choose who they want to live with Jun 17, 2016 The migrant crisis has so far posed an unprecedented challenge for Europe and could be the precursor of an economic and social crisis
News in Brief Hungary lends its support to refugee charities Jun 17, 2016 A number of charities have received 50 million HUF each to help with the migrant crisis
News in Brief Working Group on migration to debate Brexit Jun 17, 2016 The working group on migration will be tasked with summarizing and preparing decisions on all aspects of migration
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: Uncontrolled masses arriving in Europe will cause havoc Jun 14, 2016 Hungary has solidarity with all countries acting against illegal migration
News in Brief Hungarian police can send illegal immigrants back across border Jun 13, 2016 UNHCR has voiced its concern over Hungary's latest move in the increasing migrant crisis
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: Hungary to close last remaining reception center Jun 10, 2016 The center in Bicske, near Budapest, is no longer needed because the government has managed to stop the migrant flow
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: Hungary won't take back refugees from Austria Jun 10, 2016 Tension is brewing between friendly neighbors over return of illegal immigrants
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: Hungary must protect its borders Jun 10, 2016 The southern border barrier must prevent migrants from entering the EU illegally, without it having to be controlled
Blog Nein, das ist nicht die „neue Norm“ Jun 10, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács Der neueste Vorschlag der Kommission zur Bewältigung der Flüchtlingskrise hat bei uns für große Verwunderung gesorgt.
News in Brief Migrationskrise: Ungarn nimmt keine Flüchtlinge von Österreich zurück Jun 10, 2016 Die Anspannung zwischen freundlichen Nachbarn wächst aufgrund der Rückkehr illegaler Migranten.
Blog No, this is not the “new normal” Jun 10, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács The Commission’s latest proposal on how to manage the migration crisis includes a plan that made our jaws drop.
News in Brief Austria shows its support for Hungary's migration policies Jun 08, 2016 The Hungarian government takes action in the best interest of their people
News in Brief UNHCR accuses Hungary of causing migrant death Jun 08, 2016 UN agency voiced strong concerns over a situation where a group of refugees were reportedly pushed back into the Tisza River
News in Brief Hungary may criticize the EU but they don't want out Jun 07, 2016 Confidence in the European Union has weakened in Hungary over the past five years, thanks in part to their handling of the migrant crisis
News in Brief Brussels needs to intervene in migrant crisis Jun 07, 2016 Intervention and determined action by Brussels with relation to the migration crisis is becoming increasingly crucial
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: 382 illegal immigrants apprehended in Hungary over weekend Jun 07, 2016 The number of illegal immigrants trying to enter Hungary has increased month-by-month
Blog Grundsätzliche Fakten über Schengen und die Migrationskrise, die wir alle vor Augen halten sollten Jun 06, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács Seit mehr als eineinhalb Jahren ist Europa einem gewaltigen Migrationsstrom ausgesetzt. Ministerpräsident Viktor Orbán war einer der ersten Regierungschefs des Kontinents, der Aufmerksamkeit auf das wachsende Problem lenkte, als er letztes Jahr ehrlich über dessen faktischen Herausforderungen zu sprechen begann.
Blog Basic facts about Schengen and the migration crisis that we should all remember Jun 06, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács For more than a year and a half, Europe has been confronting a dramatic surge in migration. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was among the first leaders on the continent to call attention to the growing problem when he began speaking frankly early last year about the practical challenges it would pose.
News in Brief Hungary helps other EU countries deal with migrant crisis Jun 05, 2016 Hungarian police have travelled to several southern European countries to help with efforts to combat migration pressure
Blog PM Orbán: Europe Needs a Stable Egypt Jun 03, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács Following his meeting with the “Sunni Pope,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán talked about Europe’s catastrophic interventions in the Islamic world, the need for a stable Egypt and a re-stabilized Libya in his regular radio interview this week. He also touched upon the Brexit referendum and the dangers of the evolving democratic deficit in today’s European Union.
Blog Ministerpräsident Orbán: Europa braucht ein stabiles Ägypten Jun 03, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács Nach seinem Treffen mit dem „sunnitischen Papst“ sprach der ungarische Ministerpräsident Viktor Orbán diese Woche in seinem regelmäßigen Radio-Interview über Europas katastrophale Interventionen in der islamischen Welt sowie über die Notwendigkeit eines stabilen Ägyptens und der erneuten Stabilisierung Libyens. Er sprach auch vom Brexit-Referendum und den Gefahren des wachsenden demokratischen Defizits in der derzeitigen Europäischen Union.
News in Brief Migrant Crisis: Negotiations in Kiskunhalas have eased tensions Jun 02, 2016 No violence is expected in the secure reception center, where three hundred detained migrants protested for better conditions - in a new building!
News in Brief Migrant march to Budapest foiled by police Jun 02, 2016 Hungarian police have stopped more than 300 protesting migrants from marching to Budapest
News in Brief Hungary to place permanent barriers at the borders Jun 01, 2016 The move follows reports of Serbian police foiling a people trafficker’s attempt to smuggle 44 migrants across the border to Hungary
News in Brief Hungary is prepared for violent break-ins at the borders May 31, 2016 Chief Security Advisor stressed that there is no threat of a violent break-in from the Röszke and Tompa transit zone
News in Brief Refugee runs successful business in Budapest May 27, 2016 Ibrahim's story just goes to show that Hungary can be accepting of other cultures
News in Brief Germany says Hungary is on the right path in migrant crisis May 27, 2016 Germany’s Minister of Finance has said that not everything Hungary does in the refugee crisis is incorrect
News in Brief EU Ministers back Hungary’s migration proposal May 26, 2016 “The conclusions of Monday’s meeting of the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council include every single Hungarian proposal,” Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said following the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
News in Brief Poll: Hungarians will vote NO in migrant crisis referendum May 25, 2016 Party support has not changed substantially since the beginning of the year, either
News in Brief Hungary to EU: We cannot support a resolution that does not reduce migration May 24, 2016 The EU’s proposal is a motivator for migration instead of being concerned about how to reduce migration into Europe
News in Brief Hungarians do not want mandatory resettlement quotas May 13, 2016 Both the government and the people do not want migrants forced upon Hungary
News in Brief UN blasts Hungary for keeping out migrants May 13, 2016 Despite strong criticism from Brussels, the approach has gone down well in Hungary, a country with few immigrants and less problems
News in Brief Hungary is the most obvious route into EU for asylum seekers May 13, 2016 Migrants pay taxi drivers 100 EUR to be smuggled to the Hungarian border
News in Brief Parliament says yes to referendum on migration May 10, 2016 Following last week's green light from the high court, parliament's approval clears the way for the voters to have a say
News in Brief Antal Rogan: Bring forward referendum on migrant crisis May 10, 2016 The compulsory resettlement of migrants is a real and imminent threat
News in Brief Luxembourg: Hungary will win the referendum on the mandatory EU migrant quotas May 09, 2016 If this happens, “we can throw the European Convention on Human Rights on the garbage dump,” said Jean Assleborn
News in Brief Hungarian Government declares a nationwide state of emergency due to mass migration May 09, 2016 Hungary is increasing new restrictions to protect the borders
News in Brief Prime Minister Orban: EU plans to fine countries who refuse migrants are a "punch to the stomach" May 06, 2016 The European Union’s latest proposal of fining countries 250,000 EUR per migrant for refusing to take in refugees is a "horse kick"
Blog Score one for democracy: Hungary’s top court gives green light to referendum on migrant quota May 06, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács Hungary’s top court ruled this week in favor of the government’s plan for a referendum on the European Union’s mandatory migrant resettlement quotas. With the court’s decision, the last legal obstacle in Hungary has been removed
News in Brief Fears for Hungary's security if Turkish citizens are granted visa-free access to the EU May 05, 2016 The security of the Hungarian people is non-negotiable, the foreign minister said
News in Brief Prime Minister Hungary to hold referendum on whether to accept any future European Union quota system for resettling migrants May 04, 2016 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announces migrant referendum to take place in late September or early October
News in Brief Prime Minister Hungary will not be forced to accept migrants May 03, 2016 Prime Minister Orban defends the Fundamental Law of Hungary
News in Brief Hungary and Poland meet to discuss the issues related to migration and the Islamic state Apr 29, 2016 Ministers from Hungarian and Polish defense met to discuss migration, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Islamic state
News in Brief Austria increases patrol efforts on the border with Hungary Apr 28, 2016 Following recent attempts at smuggling migrants through EU nations, border patrols have been stepped up between Austria and Hungary
News in Brief Prime Minister Prime Minister Orban defends Hungary's decision to oppose mass migration Apr 25, 2016 The new constitution aims to protect the Hungarian language and culture
Blog Why so many competing proposals to protect Europe and its borders? Apr 25, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács European member states are exceptionally busy these days. Although some critics suggest that they seem asleep at the wheel in the wake of the biggest migration crisis the continent has seen for decades, the European Commission and some individual member states have drafted proposals to respond to the crisis. These plans are currently vying with one another, all in preparation for the upcoming European Council Summit.
Blog Prime Minister PM Orbán: Differences between Hungary and Germany on migration are now over Apr 22, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács “When I visit southern Germany, I always find time to visit Mr. Chancellor [Kohl],” said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán about his latest meeting with former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, adding that they discussed the future of Europe and bilateral relations between Germany and Hungary. Today, in his regular biweekly radio interview, the prime minister had several interesting things to say about both. A few things that may surprise you.
News in Brief Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Helmut Kohl: Europe cannot be a new home to millions of people in need around the world Apr 20, 2016 In a joint statement released after visiting the former German chancellor at his home in Germany on Tuesday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and former Chancellor Helmut Kohl stated that Europe cannot be a new home to the millions of people in need around the world.
News in Brief Europe facing most serious challenges since the Second World War Apr 18, 2016 “Europe hasn’t been subject to such serious security challenges since World War II and a unified and determined response must be provided to them,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó at the GLOBSEC conference in Bratislava.
News in Brief Acts of terrorism prove that terrorists have exploited mass migration Apr 18, 2016 “The acts of terrorism in Paris and Brussels clearly prove that terrorists have exploited the mass migration targeting the continent”, Minister of Defence István Simicskó stated on Friday, April 15 at the leading foreign policy and security forum in Central Europe, the Globsec 2016 conference held in Bratislava, Slovakia.
News in Brief Prime Minister Here it is: Hungary's 10-point action plan for the management of the migration crisis Apr 18, 2016 In response to the European Union's proposal, a concept that the government of Hungary considers seriously flawed, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has presented a ten-point action plan for the management of the migration crisis.
News in Brief Foreign Minister: Statements from Luxembourg FM "unacceptable and shameful" Apr 13, 2016 Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó dismissed as "unacceptable and shameful" comments made recently by Luxembourg’s foreign minister, Jean Asselborn.
News in Brief Government proposes to repeal law on Sunday shop closures Apr 12, 2016 “Analyses are important, and opinions are important, but how people perceive this is after all the most important,” Minister Antal Rogán said in explaining the decision.
News in Brief We expect the opposition to behave responsibly Apr 12, 2016 In connection with talks on the anti-terrorism action plan, Antal Rogán, head of the cabinet office of the prime minister, explained that he has asked opposition parties not to underestimate the extent of the terrorist threat.
News in Brief Poland to back Hungary's legal challenge to the EU's mandatory migrant resettlement quota Apr 11, 2016 Following a meeting with Hungary's Minister of Justice László Trócsányi in Krakow, April 8, Poland’s Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General Zbigniew Ziobro announced that Poland will back the lawsuit filed last December by Hungary at the European Court of Justice against the EU's mandatory migrant resettlement quota.
News in Brief Governing and opposition parties agree on need to amend Fundamental Law for counter-terrorism measures Apr 11, 2016 At a press briefing held after multi-party talks in Budapest on Friday 8 April, the minister of defense stated that the parliamentary parties have agreed on the need to amend the Fundamental Law of Hungary in relation to counter-terrorism measures.
Blog Prime Minister PM Orbán: Hungary celebrates paying off debt, will propose alternative to EU’s quota system Apr 08, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács In his regular, radio interview on Friday morning, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that, on the EU’s quota system, “it cannot be the case that one member state alone makes a decision and the others suffer the consequences.” He also spoke about the symbolic significance of paying off the loan and that Hungary has good reason to celebrate this weekend.
Blog PM’s “Tough Love” is an International Youtube Success Apr 07, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács A fan’s tribute to Prime Minister Orbán’s March 15 speech has enjoyed remarkable success on Youtube. After the user posted the speech with subtitles in English and called attention to some of the very direct language in the prime minister’s address, the video post garnered more than 200 thousand views within the first week of being published. When I last checked yesterday, the video had 6,000 likes, 100 dislikes and over 3,000 overwhelmingly positive comments.
News in Brief The CIA has no information on threats against Hungary Apr 06, 2016 On Wednesday morning, Bakondi György, Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, told public television channel M1 that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has no information on specific terrorist threats to Hungary.
News in Brief Working together to find a solution to the migration crisis Apr 06, 2016 The countries involved in handling the migration crisis adopted a joint declaration in Vienna on Friday, 1 April.
News in Brief With illegal crossings on the rise, reinforcements to the Hungary-Serbia border underway Apr 04, 2016 Due to the increased number of illegal border violations in the last few days, in response to a request from the Ministry of the Interior, the Hungarian Defence Forces (HDF) have started the further physical reinforcement of the temporary border barrier in certain sectors along the Hungarian–Serbian border. In order to finish the work as soon as possible, more HDF units were deployed into the area at the weekend.
News in Brief With increased threat level in Europe, government seeks agreement on counter-terrorism planning Apr 04, 2016 A five-party consultation was held on Friday at the Ministry of Interior regarding the Government’s counter-terrorism action plan which will be debated by the Cabinet on Monday, and in the wake of this debate, there will be another consultation with the parliamentary parties. After the Friday consultation, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said: there were no fundamental disagreements on professional issues, and an agreement may well be reached.
News in Brief Hungary is taking the terrorism threat seriously Apr 04, 2016 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has confirmed that the Hungarian government is taking the threat of terrorism seriously, and that it has enacted the necessary measures. In an interview given to the public media in Washington on Friday, the Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction that Hungary is regarded as advanced from a nuclear energy point of view, and that its safety system is deemed to be outstanding.
Blog They’ve changed their tune -- from Wilkommenskultur to Auf Wiedersehen Apr 04, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács In February, I posted a few examples of how certain leaders were beginning to sing a distinctly different tune on the growing migration challenge. The title of the post was “Migration and European Borders: That Moment When Other EU Leaders Sound Like Prime Minister Orbán.”
News in Brief Minister Balog: ‘We are at war, but not with Islam’ Mar 31, 2016 In Budapest on Wednesday, at a conference commemorating the 100th anniversary of Islam’s recognition as a religion in Hungary, Minister of Human Capacities Zoltán Balog said that a dialogue is required with Islam, and it needs partners.
News in Brief ISIS identifies Hungary as possible target Mar 31, 2016 György Bakondi, Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, has said at a press conference that the Government takes the Islamic State’s threats concerning Hungary seriously.
Blog Speaking plainly about the nature of the threat Mar 24, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács First reactions are often the same: grief, condolences, sympathy, words to remember the victims and to comfort the families. Hungary’s highest representatives, President Áder and Prime Minister Orbán, were among the first European leaders to express their condolences through letters to their Belgian counterparts.
News in Brief Hungary boosts security measures in wake of attacks in Brussels Mar 24, 2016 Following Wednesday morning’s meeting of the Operations Unit, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced on Hungarian M1 television that “Hungary is maintaining all the current security measures at its borders, or raising them by one level”.
News in Brief Hungary at terror alert level 2 Mar 23, 2016 On Tuesday evening György Bakondi, Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, told public television channel M1 that there is no threat of terrorism in Hungary, but in the event of serious incidents, such as the attacks committed in Brussels, the “strands” must be examined; this is why the Government has increased the national terror alert to Level 2.
News in Brief No guarantee that the quota system is gone forever Mar 22, 2016 “The Agreement signed at the EU-Turkey Summit does not provide any guarantees that the quota regulating the distribution of migrants will not become obligatory again in the future”, said Pál Völner, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Justice on 19 March 2016 in the evening programme of television channel M1.
News in Brief Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér announces increase of terror alert to level II Mar 22, 2016 Following an assessment of the terrorist attacks committed in Brussels on Tuesday morning, Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér announced the introduction of a Level II terror alert.
News in Brief Protection still needed for the EU’s borders Mar 22, 2016 On Tuesday György Bakondi, chief security advisor to the Prime Minister, told public television channel M1 that, as migrants are changing their routes into Europe, it is still necessary to protect the EU’s borders.
Prime Minister News in Brief “We have avoided the greatest danger,” says PM Orbán After EU Summit Mar 21, 2016 Concerning the agreement between the European Union and Turkey, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that Hungarian diplomacy has achieved its goals.
Prime Minister News in Brief EU Migration Summit: Hungary says no to mandatory resettlement Mar 18, 2016 “For the past several days we’ve working on behalf of the Hungarian interest that any kind of refugee exchange, settlement or movement of people would only happen on a voluntary basis. We have a chance to achieve this,” said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán upon his arrival at the EU Council meeting on Thursday. In response to a journalist asking about his prognosis, the prime minister confided, “I always feel good before a summit. Let’s see afterwards.”
News in Brief German Minister of Justice Makes Harsh Attack Against Hungary Mar 16, 2016 According to Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, German Minister of Justice Heiko Maas made a “harsh and false attack” against Hungary in an interview published in Saturday’s edition of German news magazine Der Spiegel.
News in Brief EU Quotas for Distribution of Migrants Jeopardises Hungary’s Sovereignty Mar 16, 2016 The Minister heading the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister takes the view that the decision of the European Union on the mandatory distribution of migrants jeopardises Hungary’s sovereignty.
News in Brief A Decision Cannot be Made Without Asking the People Mar 16, 2016 “The compulsory resettlement quota would change Europe’s social, cultural ethnic and religious make-up; a decision on such a serious issue cannot be made without asking the people”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó told Hungarian news agency MTI on Wednesday.
News in Brief Defence Line of Europe’s External Borders Cannot Just be Broken Through Mar 16, 2016 Europe must relay a clear message to migrants and the networks of criminals and people smugglers behind them to the effect that a defence line has been set up on the external borders of Europe which cannot just be broken through at a moment’s notice, Szabolcs Takács told journalists on Tuesday.
News in Brief Hungary’s Borders are Safe Mar 16, 2016 At a conference of Hungarian local governments, Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér said that Hungary’s borders are safe. Mayors attending the conference organised by the Association of Hungarian Cities with County Rank (MJVSZ) accepted a political statement against mandatory resettlement quotas.
Blog Ahead of EU Summit, Hungary declares a state of emergency in response to migration crisis Mar 14, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér announced last week that Hungary is declaring a nationwide state of emergency due to the increasing volume of mass migration on the Western Balkans route. As a result, reinforcements have been deployed to the borders to provide additional security and be on the lookout for people trying to cross illegally.
News in Brief It is in our Best Interests to Make a Deal With Turkey Mar 11, 2016 On Friday, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács told Hungarian television channel M1 that it is both in the best interests of the EU and Hungary to make a deal with Turkey, but the conditions on which the agreement is reached are of importance.
News in Brief Funds Should Also be Provided for Defence Efforts of Balkan Countries Mar 11, 2016 Hungary would primarily allocate funds towards the defence efforts of the Balkan countries against illegal migration. At the same time, Hungary is not opposed to Turkey being given a significant financial grant, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said at his press conference held on Thursday in Budapest.
Blog How the migration crisis put Hungary in the international media spotlight in 2015 Mar 11, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács I took part in a panel discussion recently about international media coverage of Hungary. The panel was part of an event announcing the release of the latest edition of an analysis published every year by Nézőpont Intézet, a think tank in Budapest.
News in Brief Hungarian Government Declares State of Emergency Due to Mass Migration Mar 09, 2016 “The Government has declared a nationwide state of emergency due to mass migration”, Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér announced in Budapest on Wednesday.
News in Brief Coming to an Agreement is in Everyone’s Best Interests Mar 09, 2016 The Government Spokesperson believes that coming to an agreement with Turkey is in the best interests of every party to the negotiations, including Hungary, but the terms of the agreement are not indifferent.
Blog The Hungarian veto and the fate of the EU-Turkey deal Mar 08, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács On Monday, heads of the European Union member states gathered for yet another summit, attempting to reach an agreement on how to respond to the migration crisis that the EU has been struggling with now for more than a year.
News in Brief Prime Minister Agreement Reached on Closure of Borders Mar 08, 2016 The times are over when one can travel on the Western Balkan routes without controls. EU leaders have decided that the routes of people smugglers must be closed, which means that order must also be restored at the borders, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told journalists in Brussels after the summit of the leaders of the European Union and Turkey in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Prime Minister News in Brief ‘Direct Migrant Resettlement is Out of the Question,’ says PM Orbán Mar 08, 2016 “Frontiers must be closed down,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had said at the beginning of the day, “in other words: the legal framework has to be restored. The Schengen agreement must be kept word-by-word, so no one can come through without registration and permission.”
News in Brief The Number One Task is to Stop Migration Flows at the Borders Mar 07, 2016 On Monday Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács told Hungarian television channel M1 in its morning show that the number one task in the migration crisis should have been to stop migration flows at the borders, and this will be on the agenda of Monday’s EU-Turkey summit.
News in Brief Prime Minister Borders Must be Closed and Direct Resettlement is out of the Question Mar 07, 2016 Ahead of the EU-Turkey summit in Brussels on Monday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the external borders of the European Union must be closed and the direct resettlement of migrants is out of question – at least in the case of Hungary.
Blog ‘None of Us Wants a Europe That Surrenders,’ Says PM Orbán Mar 05, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács “As I see today,” Prime Minister Orbán said, “there are so many problems – and you know it too, that problems don’t just mean trouble, they mean an opportunity as well – within the European Union that many countries have taken up with or are taking up with the idea of creating a deeper form of integration after the common currency. And that puts us, every country, which is not a part of the Eurozone, up to a challenge.”
News in Brief Prime Minister Individual Action is Better than Unified Inertia Mar 04, 2016 On Kossuth Radio’s “180 Minutes” programme on Friday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in relation to the European Union’s handling of the immigration crisis that “individual action is better than unified inertia”.
News in Brief The Number of Migrants is Increasing Despite Protective Measures Mar 04, 2016 “The number of migrants arriving in Hungary is increasing despite the greatest possible protective measures”, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said on M1 Hungarian Television’s Thursday evening current affairs program
News in Brief Greece Wants to Force Immigration on Hungary Mar 04, 2016 Greece is intervening in the lawsuit which Hungary instituted against the mandatory settlement quotas; Greece’s intervention is “anti-Hungary”, János Lázár, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said at the press conference „Governmentinfo 41 – What does the Government do and why?” which he held jointly with Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács.
News in Brief Conference on the Migrant Crisis Mar 02, 2016 On 2 March, a daylong conference entitled “Migration – Conflict or Cooperation?” was organized in Stefánia Palace, Budapest by the Scientific Research Centre of the General Staff of the Hungarian Defence Forces and the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade. The patron of the conference is Minister of Defence Dr. István Simicskó.
News in Brief We Should Have Applied Restricting Measures Earlier on in Europe Mar 01, 2016 On Saturday, Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister György Bakondi told public television channel M1 that European countries should have applied the restricting measures – which have been recently introduced by Macedonia – against migrants to which they are entitled to in terms of the Schengen regulations from the beginning on in order to protect the external borders.
News in Brief It Would be a Sin if the Military Could Not be Deployed to Handle the Migrant Crisis Mar 01, 2016 According to the Chief of Defence of the Hungarian Defence Forces (HDF), it would be a sin if the military could not be deployed when the police prove to be unable to handle the migrant crisis.
News in Brief Number of Illegal Migrants on Serbian-Hungarian Border on the Rise Mar 01, 2016 The number of migrants who seek to cross the Serbian-Hungarian border illegally is on the rise: some 500 attempted to cross the border illegally in January, 650 up to 15 February, and in the last ten days 110 migrants have sought to enter Hungary illegally per day on average, György Bakondi said at his press conference held on Saturday in Budapest.
News in Brief 'We Will Protect Our Southern Schengen Border,' Says Foreign Minister Mar 01, 2016 “Hungary is showing by far the most solidarity with Germany in view of the fact that no illegal immigrants are arriving in Germany via its territory”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó told Hungarian news agency MTI following several meetings in Stuttgart.
News in Brief Had Europe Accepted the Hungarian Solution, This is Not Where We Would Be Now Mar 01, 2016 “Had Europe accepted the Hungarian solution to the immigration crisis a year ago, this is not where we would be now”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó told Hungarian news agency MTI on Friday.
News in Brief Hungary and UAE Agree on How to Best Solve Migration Crisis Mar 01, 2016 Péter Szijjártó and the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates agreed that migration pressure on Europe and the migration crisis will not come to an end until peace is established in Syria, the fight against terrorism is successfully won and the European Union ends its policy of keeping its external borders open, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Hungarian news agency MTI on the first day of his trip to the Emirates.
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister PM Orbán in State of the Nation speech: 'Europe can and must be protected' Feb 28, 2016 Standing fast to the conviction that the European Union’s failed migration policy must be opposed and that Europe, with its common values and common history, must be protected, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in his annual State of the Nation speech today, said, “Brussels must be stopped.”
Blog As the EU Moves to ‘the Hungarian Solution on Migration,’ Says PM Orbán, Hungary Must Let the People Decide in a Referendum on the Quota System Feb 28, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács European leaders gathered in Brussels earlier this month for a European Council meeting on Britain’s proposed reform plans and again on the migration crisis. Though often heated and sometimes personal, the debate took Europe closer to the solution that Hungary and others have been proposing for months on migration: restore order at Europe’s borders before anything else.
Issues Strong Borders, No Quotas: Putting European Interests First in the Migration Crisis Feb 26, 2016 The situation in numbers: Between January and October 2015, 1.2 million migrants crossed a European border illegally and more than 391 thousand travelled via the western Balkans route, passing through Hungary. Despite the cold winter, an average of one thousand people are still arriving to Europe every day. Most of them do not have any proper documentation.
News in Brief The Hungarian Defence Forces Conduct Aerial Surveillance as of Wednesday to Assist Border Protection Feb 25, 2016 - Ministry of Defence The Government of Hungary is committed to protect the borders of the Schengen Area, and is doing its best to safeguard the security of Hungarian citizens.
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister PM Orbán to Bild: 'No EU Country Wants to Implement Quota Plan. In Budapest People Would Lynch Me if I Agreed to That' Feb 25, 2016 Prime Minster Viktor Orbán was interviewed by the German newspaper BILD on February 25, 2016. The interview was dominated by questions surrounding the migrant crisis.
News in Brief More and More Countries are Recognising That Only the Hungarian Solution is Viable Feb 24, 2016 - MTI “More and more countries are recognising the fact that Hungary’s is the only viable solution to the issue of illegal immigration”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó told Hungarian news agency MTI on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Speeches and Remarks PM Orbán announces referendum on EU's compulsory migrant resettlement quotas Feb 24, 2016 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán spoke to the Budapest press corps, February 24, to announce that the government will hold a referendum on the compulsory resettlement quotas issued by the European Union.
News in Brief Hungarian and Serbian Ministers of Interior Discuss Joint Action to Combat Illegal Immigration Feb 22, 2016 - Ministry of Interior/MTI Hungarian Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér and his Serbian counterpart Nebojša Stefanović met in Röszke to discuss joint action to combat illegal immigration.
News in Brief When Are We Finally Going to Talk About Security of European Citizens? Feb 22, 2016 - Ministry of Human Capacities/MTI As long as people are entering Europe in an uncontrolled manner, we must primarily focus on the protection of the external EU borders, Minister of Human Capacities Zoltán Balog stated on the political debate programme Im Zentrum of the Austrian television channel ORF2 late on Sunday night. He added that the protection of the borders guarantees the right to freedom and security in Europe.
Blog Migration and European Borders: That Moment When Other EU Leaders Sound Like Prime Minister Orbán Feb 22, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács Clearly, the debate about migration and strengthening Europe’s external borders has taken a turn. Following renewed fighting around the city of Aleppo, nearly 600,000 Syrian migrants are reportedly bound for Europe, compelling Austria and Germany to change their positions on the question of border protection.
Blog Migration and European Borders: That Moment When Other EU Leaders Sound Like Prime Minister Orbán Feb 22, 2016 Clearly, the debate about migration and strengthening Europe’s external borders has taken a turn. Following renewed fighting around the city of Aleppo, nearly 600 thousand Syrian migrants are reportedly bound for Europe, compelling Austria and Germany to change their positions on the question of border protection.
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister Summit on Migration: 'The EU Approved the Hungarian Solution' Feb 19, 2016 PM Orbán addressed the EU's latest decisions on migration, V4 cooperation and the British proposals on EU reform in a press statement, February 19, 2016, following the EU Summit.
News in Brief Italy Politically Blackmailing V4 Countries Feb 19, 2016 - MTI In Government Spokesman Zoltán Kovacs's opinion, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzo is politically blackmailing both Hungary and the V4. According to news reports he stated that EU subsidies should be reduced for the offending countries if they do not accept the mandatory resettlement quotas.
News in Brief The Government Will Not Compromise the Security of Hungarians Feb 18, 2016 Speaking at a forum held in Budapest on Wednesday, 17 February, the Minister of Defence stated that “the Government will not compromise the security of Hungarians, therefore its aim is to get enough room for maneuvering in the fight against terrorism”.
Blog Three Things You Need to Know Before the EU Summit on Migration Feb 18, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács Today, leaders of member states of the European Union gather for another summit of the European Council. This time, it’s to grapple with responses to the migration crisis as well as the British reform proposals for the European Union.
News in Brief The Goal Is to Slow and Stop Migration Feb 17, 2016 - Prime Minister's Office/MTI “All of the solution strategies included in the text awaiting adoption at the EU summit on Thursday-Friday must state as their final target that the primary goal of all measures is to slow and eventually stop the process of migration”, Szabolcs Takács told reporters following a meeting of EU Affairs Ministers in Brussels on Tuesday.
News in Brief Prime Minister A Second Line of Defense Needs to be Established Feb 16, 2016 - Prime Minister's Office At a press conference following a special summit of Visegrád Four (V4) prime ministers in Prague, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the policy the European Union has so far pursued in handling the migration crisis has failed, the external Schengen borders could not be protected, and therefore a new, second line of defence is needed.
News in Brief Prime Minister Action Against the Compulsory Resettlement Quota Should Be a National Issue Feb 15, 2016 - MTI “Action against the compulsory resettlement quota should be a national issue”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in Parliament.
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister 'We Must Discuss a Second Line of Defense' Says PM Orbán at V4 Feb 15, 2016 Following the meeting of the Visegrad Four, Prime Minister Orbán pointed to the need for a "second line of defense" between Turkey and Schengen. In the press statement, he also voiced support for Bulgaria's accession to Schengen.
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister PM Orbán Calls on Parliament to Rise Above Politics and Protect Nation Against Compulsory Migrant Quotas Feb 15, 2016 In his address to the opening session of parliament, the prime minister also called for a 'zero-based' budget to reduce debt.
News in Brief Hungary Welcomes NATO’s Maritime Mission Feb 12, 2016 - Ministry of Defence The Meetings of NATO Defence Ministers took place in Brussels on 10–11 February. Hungary was represented at the event by Deputy Minister Tamás Vargha, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence. The most important task of the meeting was preparation for the July Summit of Heads of State and Government of NATO member states to be held in Warsaw.
News in Brief Threats Are Coming from Both Brussels and the South Feb 11, 2016 - Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said that while we are facing a threat from Brussels of “forced resettlement quotas”, the threat from the South is a significant increase in migration pressure this year.
News in Brief Migration Pressure on Hungary is Increasing Feb 11, 2016 - Cabinet of the Prime Minister's Office/MTI “The migration pressure on Hungary with relation to illegal immigration will increase this year”, Minster of the Prime Minister’s Office János Lázár indicated at a press conference entitled “Government Info 39 – Government actions explained”, which he held jointly with Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács.
Blog Prime Minister Prime Minister Orbán: ‘More Terror Attacks Are Being Prepared’ Feb 06, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács “It is a fact that one should act cautiously not to [unnecessarily] limit the rights of freedom, but people’s security comes first,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Friday morning during his regular interview with public radio.
Blog Terrorist Groups Exploited the Migrant Route to Smuggle Fighters into Europe Feb 03, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács The failure to strengthen Europe’s external borders in response to the migration crisis, as Prime Minister Orbán has said many times, brings real security risks.
Blog Schengen Must Be Protected on the Frontier, Not by Re-Building Long-Ago Abolished, Internal Border Controls Feb 01, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács The Schengen Area, first established in 1995, has eliminated border controls and allowed the free movement of people and goods in a vast geographic area that now spans 26 countries of Europe. The ongoing crisis of mass migration, however, has threatened to change all of that.
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister 'Defending Schengen With Mere Words Is Not Enough," Says PM Orbán Jan 22, 2016 Europe has two types of countries, said Prime Minister Orbán during the joint press availability following his meeting in Ljubljana, January 22, with Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar. There are "ones which defend Schengen with words, and others which do so with actions. We both fall into the second category." nyomtatás Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s statement after the Slovenian-Hungarian government summit 22 January 2016 22 January 2016, Ljubljana
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister “The Route May Move in Any Direction, But One Thing Is Certain: It Will Not Go Through Hungary" Jan 22, 2016 Hungary pursues "a migration policy which of course grants political refugees all the possibilities afforded by international law," the prime minister said, "but which does not allow anyone else in.” In his Friday interview on state radio, January 22, the prime minister talked about migration, the taxi versus Uber conflict, and the new family housing allowance program.
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister PM Orbán: 'Europe's Big Problem is Brusselsism, the Stealthy Withdrawal of Powers from the Nation States' Jan 14, 2016 Prime Minister Viktor Orbán gave an interview, January 14, 2016, to Hungarian public radio, covering the domestic economy, EU relations, the migrant crisis, and more.
News in Brief The Hungarian Defense Forces Can Also Assist in Case of Terrorist Threats Jan 13, 2016 On Tuesday, 12 January, on the initiative of Minister of Defence Dr. István Simicskó, the representatives of parliamentary groups held discussions in the Ministry of Defence about the legislative amendments to be made in the interest of strengthening Hungary’s defence and security and about the tasks of the Hungarian Defence Forces.
News in Brief Reinstating Military Conscription is not Necessary Jan 11, 2016 In response to a statement by Sweden’s foreign minister, on Sunday Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister György Bakondi told public television channel M1 that the Government of Hungary does not see the necessity for reintroduction of military conscription. Keeping the manpower of the reserve force at appropriate levels is important however, he stressed.
Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister PM Orbán: Hungary Will Challenge the European Commission's Migrant Resettlement Quota in the European Court Jan 10, 2016 Addressing the 14th plenary session of the Hungarian Standing Conference, December 3, 2015, in Budapest, the prime minister announced plans to petition the European Court on the migrant quotas.
Speeches and Remarks Preserving Our National Sovereignty Is at Stake Jan 06, 2016 In an address given at a Saint Thomas Becket Memorial Day conference in Esztergom on Tuesday, Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér said that what is at stake regarding the planned distribution of migrants across Europe is preservation of national sovereignty and a sense of identity. “Only those may enter Hungary whom we want to enter,” he stressed.
News in Brief The Hungarian Defence Forces and the Security of the Country Must Be Strengthened Jan 06, 2016 Due to changing security challenges, Minister of Defence Dr. István Simicskó has initiated five-party talks to be conducted in the Ministry of Defence on 12 January 2016.