Government Ready to Sue Brussels to Recover Border Protection Costs

By: hungarytoday.hu

Sep 12 2024
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Government Ready to Sue Brusse

Following Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, a government press briefing was convened on Thursday to inform journalists of the decisions taken there. As usual, the press briefing was held by Gergely Gulyás, Minister responsible for the Prime Minister’s Office, and Government Spokesperson Eszter Vitályos. On foreign policy issues, Wednesday’s cabinet meeting covered migration and border protection.

The government has given a mandate to János Bóka, Minister for European Union Affairs, to negotiate with the European Commission on the judgment condemning Hungary in the migration case, announced Gergely Gulyás, presenting the Wednesday decision. The minister noted that there are some cornerstones that the government cannot and does not want to cross, such as the decision of the Hungarian people in the referendum. Against the will of the Hungarian people, no one can be resettled in Hungary, he said. He stressed that the borders will continue to be protected from illegal immigrants, and “those who are granted political asylum will be offered a one-way free trip to Brussels.”

He added that

Hungary will claim reimbursement of border protection costs and is ready to file a lawsuit.”

He recalled that in 2015, the Hungarian prime minister warned that if the European Union did not enforce Community law, the Schengen agreement, and oblige member states protecting their external borders to effectively protect their borders, Schengen would collapse. “Migration is destroying Schengen, Germany is destroying Schengen,” he said, assessing the introduction of border controls at Schengen borders by Germany from September 16.

Asked by a Magyar Nemzet journalist what he thinks about the fact that “our country has come under attack from Brussels because the Hungarian government plans to bus migrants there,” Gergely Gulyás noted that he sees the Brussels position as hypocritical.

Brussels seems to think that migration is good, but does not want to take migrants. If migration is good, then welcome migrants. If it is not, then allow and enforce a regulation in Europe that does not allow migrants to come in, and do not punish Hungary for it.”

the minister said.

The politician also pointed out that the Hungarian Presidency will present its program to the European Parliament next week. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will presumably present a presidency program, which will mean that he will be less concerned with border protection and fines. However, “there is one part of it which is not a Hungarian issue, but a European issue, and in this sense it must be dealt with. That is what we are witnessing now. The Germans first forced migration on Europe and are now tearing Schengen apart,” he emphasized.