Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has told leaders of Germany’s largest corporations that 2018 is a crucial year for Europe during a lecture in Berlin.
“Now is the time to defend the Schengen system, if we want to preserve and even increase our competitiveness," he stressed.
“Central Europe must make progress with relation to significant handicaps within the field of infrastructure. We need resources to construct new roads and pipelines. If the European Union cannot provide funding, we will turn to China," the prime minister added.
The prime minister also highlighted the fact that the countries of the Visegrád group (V4) are growing dynamically, and by 2030 they are expected to catch up to Western industrial nations and become net contributors to the EU budget.
“In 2030, the European Union will in the most part be financed by Germany and the countries of the V4," the prime minister said.
PM Orbán also spoke about the fact that 2018 must be the year of the enforcement of the will of the people in Europe in regards to the migrant crisis, also citing the importance of protecting the EU’s external borders.