Prime Minister Viktor Orbán kicked off his election campaign in Eger on Tuesday.
The prime minister said that “Hungary must be saved from becoming a migrant destination” and called on voters to “carefully consider whom they cast their ballot for” on April 8.
PM Orbán insisted that Europe was “under siege” by migrants, and many parts of the continent were becoming “migrant destinations”.
“The question is if we can preserve our Christian culture, our Hungarian culture, our way of life and our beautiful prospects for the future,” he said.
According to MTI, he suggested that Hungary should not give in to “pressure from the EU” or accept “all those foolish proposals” by the United Nations.
“If we help all those to power that seek to dismantle the border fence and allow migrants in, efforts to develop the country will be made in vain; there will be no progress, moreover, we will go backwards,” he added.
Regarding his election campaign, he said there was “work to be done” and that his party would “tour the country, meet as many people as possible, and meet mayors”. He added the election would be “a holiday when Hungarians will decide what should happen to the country.”
Meanwhile, within a video post on the prime minister’s Facebook page, he said that the EU’s migration proposal is currently on the table and is against Hungary’s interests because it is still focused on the mandatory relocation of migrants across the bloc.
As we reported yesterday, the prime minister said the number of migrants to be taken in by member states under a mandatory resettlement scheme keeps growing. Under the most recent proposal, Hungary would have to take in 10,000 people a year rather than the 1,000 that was to be allocated to the country originally.
The prime minister added that it looked like the EU was proposing a resettlement quota scheme without an upper limit. PM Orbán insisted that the debate around mandatory quotas encourages migration, adding that migration poses a threat to Europe’s public safety, welfare and Christian culture.