Gulyás, the chief of staff of the Hungarian prime minister, said this at a press conference in Budapest, repeating the long-standing opposition of the right-wing Hungarian government to the migration policy of the European Union.
EU interior and justice ministers reached an agreement this week on the so-called solidarity mechanism, which provides for the distribution of migrants among member states. Under the plan, countries that do not want to accept refugees can instead provide financial contributions or material support. The pact should enter into force in June 2026.
– We will not implement the migration pact – said Gulyás, adding that the EU “does not have the authority to decide with whom Hungarians should live”.
He recalled the 2016 referendum, in which voters rejected what the government described as an EU-led forced distribution of migrants, although the turnout did not exceed the 50 percent required for the referendum to be valid.
The referendum was held a year after the height of the refugee crisis in 2015, during which Hungary erected barbed wire on its borders with Serbia and Croatia to stop the movement of migrants via the Balkan route. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been in dispute with the European Commission for years because of the restrictive asylum policy.
The Court of the European Union fined Hungary 200 million euros in 2024 for violating European asylum laws, with an additional fine of 1 million euros for each day of non-compliance with the ruling. The court cited the de facto suspension of asylum applications and illegal detention of asylum seekers as key violations. EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said on Tuesday that he regretted Hungary’s position.
Speaking to German public broadcaster ZDF, Brunner said Hungary’s participation would be beneficial, as the European migration and asylum system would “naturally benefit everyone”. When asked about the possible consequences for Hungary, he emphasized that every country that wants to be part of the EU must abide by its decisions.
(Vijesti.ba / Fena)
