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Hungary's FM says EU resettlement quota program is a failure

Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Hungary has been saying for the past two years that the mandatory resettlement quota is dangerous, impossible to enforce, and contrary to common sense

Hungary's foreign minister has said that the European Union’s quota resettlement program is a failure during an interview with the Financial Times in the United Kingdom.

Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Hungary has been saying for the past two years that the mandatory resettlement quota is dangerous, impossible to enforce, and contrary to common sense.

In response to Angela Merkel's comment in a German newspaper, where she said “the fact that a government states that it does not care about the ruling of the European Court of Justice cannot be accepted”, Minister Szijjártó was quick to respond.

"The Hungarian government is taking both Chancellor Merkel’s statement and the ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) seriously, but the Court decision did not create any kind of legal obligation for Hungary," he said. “Further legal disputes on the contents of the quota ruling are expected in view of the decision of the ECJ," he added.

According to the minister, the realization rate of the quota system is currently only 25 percent, and accordingly it is unfair to blame Hungary for its lack of success.