Viktor Orbán called for an overhaul of EU migration policy, competitiveness and defence strategy in his address to the European Parliament on Wednesday morning.
The Hungarian Prime Minister unveiled the Hungarian Presidency of the EU's priorities to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday morning, criticising key pillars of EU policy and illustrating Hungary's vision of a "community of free states and a democracy of all democracies."
"This is the most serious period in the history of the EU," he told MEPs. His speech focused on the EU's migration policy which he says is "not working". He also stated that EU industrial competitiveness "faces slow agony" while arguing for the bloc to invest in its defence industry.
"Migration does not compensate for the decline of the European population," he said. "For the first time in modern European history, we are entering a period where our GDP increase will not be able to support an increase in the labour force."
Orbán said "outside hotspots" are the only logical approach to managing migration, referring to an illegal system of detaining asylum seekers in third countries while their claims are processed.
Hungarian Prime Minisiter Viktor Orban. Credit: EP
Green transition will not work
The Prime Minister also emphasised the need for the EU to preserve its competitiveness on the global market.
He criticised the EU's move away from Russian energy and its focus on creating Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) infrastructure, which he says is responsible for weakening the bloc's GDP.
"Our share of global trade is going down and EU businesses are paying two to three times more for energy than their US counterparts," he said, adding that the green transition would not resolve these issues and would not create jobs like the EU Commission argues.
"Decarbonisation will lead to job losses," he said. "Even if we manage to achieve our [climate] goals, the number of operational hours from fossil fuels will not go down by 2030. We need to face up to this."
In terms of agriculture, Orbán said the sector's competitiveness is compromised by "climate policy, foreign imports and excessive regulation [...] this is risking the livelihoods of farmers."
'Kowtowing' to Russia
On defense, Orbán said "the EU is unable to maintain its own peace and security," calling on Member States to follow Hungary's example and increase its defense spending to 2.5% of GDP and rely on European industries for procurement.
His speech also highlighted the need for "merit-based" EU enlargement, particularly to the Balkans, with Serbia as the most important player in the region.
Credit: EP Photo
Orbán's far-right rhetoric was negatively received by the majority of the Parliament (although his points on migration garnered applause from a section of the hemicycle).
His speech was followed by a debate among MEPs, who criticised the Prime Minister for failing to mention Ukraine in his address, "kowtowing" to Russian President Vladimir Putin, undermining democracy in Hungary and fracturing the EU rather than standing in solidarity with other Member States.
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A chorus of 'Bella Ciao' rang out through the Parliament when Orbán finished his speech. "This is more [Neflix series from 2017] Casa de Papel. This is not the Eurovision," said President of the Parliament Roberta Metsola (EPP).
Metsola and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (EPP) both paid tribute to the victims of floods that ravaged Hungary two weeks ago. The incident delayed Orbán's speech, which was supposed to take place on 18 September. Orbán did not mention the floods.
