The new Hungarian Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, has announced that Hungary will resist the European Union’s migration policies. Specifically addressing the Common European Asylum System (GEAS), which is set to come into effect in mid-June, Magyar stated to the FAZ that Hungary “will not take in illegal migrants”. However, he affirmed that his country would assist in “protecting Europe’s external borders” whether those borders are in Greece, Malta, or Italy.
Magyar also dismissed the current European Court of Justice ruling, which requires Hungary to pay a daily fine of one million euros for violating existing rules dating back to the former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s administration, labeling it “unjust and disproportionate”. He added that Hungary would engage in discussions with its European partners to find a mutually agreeable solution, allowing them to protect their borders without incurring such daily penalties.
Moving beyond migration, Magyar voiced his opposition to the practice of isolating right-wing parties behind “firewalls”. He stated, “I don’t like labels such as far-right or far-left. I don’t like ideological battles”. He observed that some countries are making mistakes in how they handle extreme parties, warning that simply “sealing people and parties within a firewall” is not a solution and only serves to strengthen these forces.
Regarding political collaboration at the European Parliament, Magyar commented on whether the European People’s Party (EVP)-which includes his own Tisza party, as well as the CDU and CSU-should work with the AfD. While acknowledging that the decision was not his to make, he noted it would “never hurt to consider the arguments of the other side” though what one decided to adopt from those arguments was “another question entirely”.
In a notable shift from Orbán’s stance, Magyar strongly criticized Russia’s war against Ukraine, declaring that Russia is “a security risk for all of Europe” and that Ukraine is the “victim” in the conflict, possessing the “right to territorial integrity”. Despite this strong condemnation, however, Magyar added that Hungary would continue to receive energy supplies from Russia, explaining that the country is “still dependent on Russian oil, and we cannot change that overnight”.
