Viktor Orban: Romania and Bulgaria must be full members of the Schengen area

Romania and Bulgaria must fully join the Schengen area, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said yesterday in the plenary session of the European Parliament, who presented the priorities of the Hungarian presidency at the EU Council and drew attention to two threats to the EU bloc.

According to the daily Magyar Nemzet, Viktor Orban said in the European Parliament: "Illegal migration and security threats have led to a permanent and extensive withdrawal of border controls. I think it is time to address this issue at the highest political level and discuss whether we have the political will necessary for the real functioning of the Schengen area. The Hungarian presidency makes a proposal: let's create a system of Schengen summits. Let's regularly convene Schengen summits, with the participation of heads of state and government from the Schengen area. This type of summits worked during the economic crisis of 2008-2009. (...) I see that today the Schengen area is in a similar crisis, so a similar political commitment would be necessary here, the Schengen Summit and then institutionalization with an international treaty. (...) The Hungarian presidency does not only recommend that we consolidate and expand the Schengen area. The Hungarian presidency also recommends that Bulgaria and Romania fully join the Schengen area (ed. - also with land borders) before the end of 2024".

Viktor Orban also spoke about the consequences of the war in Ukraine on Europe, stating that this conflict, which takes place on the borders of the European Union, endangers the security of the entire continent and contributes to economic instability.

"A war is wreaking havoc in Ukraine, that is, in Europe," the Hungarian prime minister said, stressing that this conflict, along with tensions in the Middle East and Africa, represents a serious threat to the EU. Orban has criticized the EU's separation from Russian energy resources, explaining that it has generated a significant increase in costs for European companies.

Orban's claims about the conflict in Ukraine were criticized by Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, who said the Hungarian prime minister was siding with the invader instead of supporting the invaded, and Manfred Weber, the EPP president, who said Orban's visit to Moscow was used as a media show to promote the autocratic regime of Vladimir Putin.

At the end of the speech, the MEPs of the EPP, S&D, Renew and the Greens mocked the Hungarian Prime Minister, humming the refrain of the Italian anti-fascist song "Bella, ciao!", at which point Roberta Metsola, the President of the Parliament, told them that she did not is at the Eurovision contest.