Fidesz MEP András László urged the European Commission to end what he described as a double standard in supporting external border protection, calling for equal financial assistance to all EU states facing migratory pressure. He addressed the issue in a press conference on Thursday in Budapest.
András László said it was “shocking” that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently pledged additional resources only for Poland’s eastern border with Belarus and Russia, while other EU frontiers are also under migratory strain. “Hungary has defended the EU’s external borders against illegal migration since 2015. More than one million illegal entry attempts have been prevented, and over two billion euros have already been spent on border protection,” he stated.
He recalled that while Hungary had requested EU contributions to these costs, Brussels paid only a fraction and instead launched infringement proceedings, followed by fines, including a daily one-million-euro penalty.
The MEP said he had written to EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner, asking whether only eastern member states would receive extra resources in the next EU budget cycle. “Every country defending the common external borders should be supported,” he stressed.
Turning to domestic politics, András László said the leaked tax plans of the Tisza Party showed they would “serve Brussels’ expectations” not only in migration and Ukraine-related matters but also in fiscal policy. He contrasted this with the Fidesz–KDNP government’s “tangible measures for families and youth” over the past decade and a half.
On the upcoming elections, he underlined the importance of protecting Hungary’s political life from foreign influence, noting past attempts at overseas campaign financing.