Pandemic and immigration form a vicious cycle, says Hungarian foreign minister

The epidemic and migration form a vicious cycle, as the more places an epidemic occurs, the more people try to migrate, and the more people who try to migrate, the greater the risk of the epidemic spreading, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Luxembourg on Monday during a one-day meeting of the foreign ministers of the EU member states.

Speaking to Hungarian journalists during a break, Szijjártó emphasized that it is clear that the world is about to experience a fresh outbreak of migration, as all the processes that sparked migration waves in the recent period have intensified.

“We have only one task: to protect our own citizens from the dangers of the new waves of migration, and we must seize all the means at our disposal to stop the migration processes,” Szijjártó said.

He stressed that the economic effects of the pandemic will contribute to the strengthening of migration. Multi-faceted armed conflicts are not moving towards a solution, and another wave of migration can be expected due to the terrorist threat posed by NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and Brussels’ pro-migration policy, he said.

“It is clear that nothing is enough for Brussels for bureaucrats to realize that migration poses serious risks,” he said.

As an example, Szijjártó mentioned that a number of cases of illegal immigrants arriving in Italy have been shown to be linked to the Indian coronavirus variant named Delta.

Rule-of-law procedure is an instrument for blackmail

The procedure under Article 7 of the EU Treaty is not about the facts, but a political and blackmail tool against Hungary, said Szijjártó, who responded that he would hold hearings at the meeting of the Ministers for General Affairs of the EU on Tuesday in Luxembourg on the situation of the rule of law in Poland and the application of the values ​​of the Union in Hungary in connection with the proceedings under Article 7.

Szijjártó stated that the longer the process drags on, the more it will unmask the motivations of its initiators. The procedure is a tool of political blackmail, if anyone wanted to argue about the facts, it would be long over, he stressed.

He emphasized that Hungary’s position was well-known, as it had answered all the questions that could be asked, and the procedure could be closed. That needs to be voted on and then things could move forward based on the outcome of the vote, he said.

“It is obvious to them that they cannot win the vote, because it requires unanimity, and not all 27 member states of the European Union will condemn Hungary,” he said.

He also stated that the connection between the procedure, which is a tool of political blackmail, and next year’s Hungarian elections is obvious. The procedure is another tool for the liberal mainstream to try to influence the Hungarian parliamentary elections, he said. This is not the only nor the first attempt to influence next year’s elections, he said.

With regard to the Hungarian anti-pedophile law passed last week, which could also be on the agenda of Tuesday’s council meeting, Szijjártó said, “There is no world where we are told by bureaucrats in Brussels or liberal politicians in Western Europe whether we can protect our children or not”.

He stated that the protection of Hungarian children is the right and responsibility of the Hungarian legislature. The Hungarian legislature should give only families and parents the right to decide whether to raise their own children. Protecting Hungarian children does not depend on Western European liberal politicians and bureaucrats in Brussels.

“Protecting Hungarian children is our right and duty,” Szijjártó added.

Title image: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó.