Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has demanded the European Union foot the bill for at least half of what it has spent on border protection.
“We have spent over €1bn on border protection,” Orban said in a video posted on his Facebook page ahead of a summit of European Union leaders in Brussels. “We are not only protecting ourselves, but Europe as well. At least half of this sum should be reimbursed.”
As reported by the Reuters news agency, Orban also said Hungary would propose to EU leaders a “red card” procedure to enhance the sovereignty of national parliaments that would give national parliaments the power to stop debates in Europe if they are perceived to be violating the national interest.
In a separate report, Euronews noted that human rights groups – in Hungary and abroad – have been highly critical of Orban’s government for cracking down on the rights of refugees and migrants.
