26.08.2016, 15:50
Additional Fence to Be Constructed Along Hungarian-Serbian Border
OREANDA-NEWS. On Friday Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told public broadcaster Kossuth Rádió that the Hungarian-Serbian border must be reinforced, and therefore an additional fence will be constructed, equipped with the latest technology.
Mr. Orbán said that a “more substantial defence system” must be established to supplement the existing one, therefore the new fence – the technical plans for which are already being drafted –will be a “serious structure”, which will be designed to prevent the entry of hundreds of thousands of people. If Turkey’s policy changes, Hungary also has to be prepared for this, he stressed.
The Prime Minister also drew attention to a decision adopted earlier by the Government, according to which police personnel will be increased by three thousand.
He said that today not even birds can enter Hungary’s territory without screening. “The border cannot be protected with flowers and cuddly toys. The border can only be protected with fences and police and military personnel”, Mr. Orbán said.
The Prime Minister said that another problem is that there are migrants whose asylum requests have been rejected, but then these decisions are challenged by “activists from human rights organisations financed by George Soros”. In these cases the migrants must wait for a court decision in Hungary, and during this time they cannot be placed in closed camps. If they had to wait for the court verdict in closed camps, he said, not even the few migrants who people smugglers are now trying to direct to the West on this route would be in Hungary.
On the topic of the Austrian interior minister urging the introduction of a state of emergency in his country, Mr. Orbán said that Austrians need to answer the question of where they want to have a fence. He advised Austria not to seek to protect their country at the Hungarian-Austrian border, but at the Hungarian-Serbian and Hungarian-Croatian borders, or – by relying on joint Central European forces – even at the Serbian-Macedonian or Macedonian-Greek borders. If common European funds were used, even the southern borders of the Greek islands could be protected, he stressed.
The Prime Minister also noted that today Austria is not “threatened” so much from the direction of Hungary, but from that of Italy, where “protection is weaker and more awkward”.
He also said that those who claim that there is no connection between migration and terrorism “do not know what they are talking about, or – for some reason – want to deny facts that are as clear as day”. The Hungarian government’s position is that terrorism first emerged and then “swelled up” in Europe because hundreds of thousands of people arrived from places where the Western world is regarded as an enemy. “We are experiencing semi-war situations, and in these circumstances we cannot afford to risk anything”.
Mr. Orbán also said that he thinks that the European Heads of State and Government should decide to reject compulsory relocation of migrants, which is a failed decision on asylum issues made by Brussels bureaucrats led by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Politicians should change this and they should prohibit the plan’s implementation, he said; the problem, however, is that not all politicians agree on this.
The Visegrád countries (V4) want to change the decision made by Brussels bureaucrats; the question is whether German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be willing to join the V4 in doing so. We “will need to have a clear vision on this on Friday afternoon”, Mr. Orbán said – in reference to the V4 summit being held in Warsaw and also being attended by Chancellor Merkel.
Talking about the meeting, the Prime Minister said that the outcome of the talks cannot be taken for granted, and there are actually a number of issues on which the position of some participants is unknown. “I have not shown all my cards either”, he added.
When asked what the impact will be if the referendum on 2 October produces sufficient turnout and the “no” vote wins, Mr. Orbán said that it will mean that there is a nation in Europe which has made it clear that it does not accept the decision made by Brussels bureaucrats. “Thus we will not only have a negotiating position, but a strong Hungarian standpoint”, he said. He added that in his opinion this will result in other countries joining Hungary.
Mr. Orbán also declared that “we need a stable Turkish government; we need a steadfast President Erdogan and predictable Turkish foreign policy”. He stressed that should Turkey weaken – as a result of a coup attempt, for example, or for any other reason – in that region there would not be a single country left with which one could negotiate.
Mr. Orbán declared that Turkey must be given “anything which could serve our security”; and in issues which do not serve Europe’s security, we do not need to come to an agreement with them.
Mr. Orbán said that a “more substantial defence system” must be established to supplement the existing one, therefore the new fence – the technical plans for which are already being drafted –will be a “serious structure”, which will be designed to prevent the entry of hundreds of thousands of people. If Turkey’s policy changes, Hungary also has to be prepared for this, he stressed.
The Prime Minister also drew attention to a decision adopted earlier by the Government, according to which police personnel will be increased by three thousand.
He said that today not even birds can enter Hungary’s territory without screening. “The border cannot be protected with flowers and cuddly toys. The border can only be protected with fences and police and military personnel”, Mr. Orbán said.
The Prime Minister said that another problem is that there are migrants whose asylum requests have been rejected, but then these decisions are challenged by “activists from human rights organisations financed by George Soros”. In these cases the migrants must wait for a court decision in Hungary, and during this time they cannot be placed in closed camps. If they had to wait for the court verdict in closed camps, he said, not even the few migrants who people smugglers are now trying to direct to the West on this route would be in Hungary.
On the topic of the Austrian interior minister urging the introduction of a state of emergency in his country, Mr. Orbán said that Austrians need to answer the question of where they want to have a fence. He advised Austria not to seek to protect their country at the Hungarian-Austrian border, but at the Hungarian-Serbian and Hungarian-Croatian borders, or – by relying on joint Central European forces – even at the Serbian-Macedonian or Macedonian-Greek borders. If common European funds were used, even the southern borders of the Greek islands could be protected, he stressed.
The Prime Minister also noted that today Austria is not “threatened” so much from the direction of Hungary, but from that of Italy, where “protection is weaker and more awkward”.
He also said that those who claim that there is no connection between migration and terrorism “do not know what they are talking about, or – for some reason – want to deny facts that are as clear as day”. The Hungarian government’s position is that terrorism first emerged and then “swelled up” in Europe because hundreds of thousands of people arrived from places where the Western world is regarded as an enemy. “We are experiencing semi-war situations, and in these circumstances we cannot afford to risk anything”.
Mr. Orbán also said that he thinks that the European Heads of State and Government should decide to reject compulsory relocation of migrants, which is a failed decision on asylum issues made by Brussels bureaucrats led by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Politicians should change this and they should prohibit the plan’s implementation, he said; the problem, however, is that not all politicians agree on this.
The Visegrád countries (V4) want to change the decision made by Brussels bureaucrats; the question is whether German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be willing to join the V4 in doing so. We “will need to have a clear vision on this on Friday afternoon”, Mr. Orbán said – in reference to the V4 summit being held in Warsaw and also being attended by Chancellor Merkel.
Talking about the meeting, the Prime Minister said that the outcome of the talks cannot be taken for granted, and there are actually a number of issues on which the position of some participants is unknown. “I have not shown all my cards either”, he added.
When asked what the impact will be if the referendum on 2 October produces sufficient turnout and the “no” vote wins, Mr. Orbán said that it will mean that there is a nation in Europe which has made it clear that it does not accept the decision made by Brussels bureaucrats. “Thus we will not only have a negotiating position, but a strong Hungarian standpoint”, he said. He added that in his opinion this will result in other countries joining Hungary.
Mr. Orbán also declared that “we need a stable Turkish government; we need a steadfast President Erdogan and predictable Turkish foreign policy”. He stressed that should Turkey weaken – as a result of a coup attempt, for example, or for any other reason – in that region there would not be a single country left with which one could negotiate.
Mr. Orbán declared that Turkey must be given “anything which could serve our security”; and in issues which do not serve Europe’s security, we do not need to come to an agreement with them.
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