site.btaEU Chief von der Leyen Clashes with Hungarian PM Orban

Hungary's approach to illegal migration is merely throwing problems over their neighbour's fence, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission said, addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday. Von der Leyen's remarks were in response to a speech by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who identified the fight against illegal migration as one of the main priorities of Hungary's presidency of the Council of the EU.

"We will only be successful if we work together against organized crime and show solidarity among ourselves," von der Leyen said. She added that Orban's government "released from prison convicted smugglers and traffickers before they did their time".

She questioned the Hungarian Prime Minister about inviting Russian nationals into the European Union without additional security checks and allowing the Chinese police to operate within its territory. "This is not defending Europe's sovereignty. This is a backdoor for foreign interference," she said.

She also remarked on Budapest's ongoing challenges to providing aid for Ukraine, pointing out that the war-torn nation is nearing its third winter of war.

"And yet, there are still some who blame this war not on the invader but on the invaded. Not on Putin's lust for power but on Ukraine's thirst for freedom. So, I want to ask them: Would they ever blame the Hungarians for the Soviet invasion of 1956? Would they ever blame the Czechs and Slovaks for the Soviet repression of 1968? Would they ever blame the Lithuanians for the Soviet crackdown of 1991? We Europeans may have different histories and different languages, but there is no European language in which peace is synonymous with surrender, and sovereignty is synonymous with occupation," von der Leyen said.

Orban, however, rejected her comparison. "There is already a statement in the Anglo-Saxon public discourse that everyone accepts […] if we want to win, we must first have the courage to admit that we are losing. Because the truth is we are losing on the Ukrainian front. And you here act as if this is not the case," he said.

He emphasized the need to change the current poorly planned and implemented strategy to avoid losing and stressed the importance of incorporating diplomatic efforts into the approach.

Von der Leyen criticized Orban regarding competitiveness, pointing out that European companies in Hungary encounter discrimination and face higher taxes. "And how can a government be trusted by European businesses if it targets them with arbitrary inspections, blocks their permits, if public contracts mostly go to a small group of beneficiaries? This creates uncertainty and undermines investors' trust."

She noted that instead of seeking alternative energy sources, a member state decided to purchase fossil fuels from Russia. "There can be no more excuses. Whoever wants European energy security, first and foremost has to contribute to it," she said.

She said Europe is ready to support Hungary after the devastating floods, with assistance already provided via Copernicus satellites and more aid available through the Civil Protection Mechanism and Solidarity Fund. The EU remains committed to helping Hungary during this crisis and beyond.

Calls to freeze European funds for Hungary and revoke its voting rights in the EU Council resonated in the European Parliament's plenary chamber in Strasbourg following Orban's speech.

The debates were emotional, with most statements from representatives of various political groups being critical.

Orban described most of the statements as "partisan political clash", and added "If you attack us, I will defend my country."