Prime Minister Viktor Orban think that Italy can finally acknowledge that Hungary has been right about handling migration.
”A major progress could be achieved if Italy changes its standpoint on handling migration, because then the wave of migrants could be successfully stopped before they enter the European Union”, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban explained before the informal summit of the European Council in Valetta. Mr. Orbán told reporters that with its new government Italy could join the group of countries which include Hungary: those which see the current situation as untenable; those which see the political line on migration that EU has practiced so far as mistaken; and those which see Hungary’s stance on the issue as the correct one.
Regarding American President Donald Trump’s executive decree banning the citizens of seven Muslim countries from entering the United States, the Prime Minister said: “I am surprised to see the neurotic critical reactions to the decision of the United States”. "The United States is not a member of the European Union; it is an independent state, and as such it has the right to determine its own border, foreign and migration policies”, Mr. Orban declared.
Speaking to the Hungarian news agency in the afternoon, Government Spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs explained that the members of the European Union are step-by-step recognizing the importance of the steps Hungary has been demanding for more than a year. According to Mr. Kovacs the conclusion accepted by the Council is a ”turning point” because it recognizes that the EU shouldn't only protect its borders but also has to stop migration outside the territory of the Union.
