Foreign ministry rejects French PM, former Italian president’s critical remarks on Hungary

Budapest, September 25 (MTI) – The foreign ministry on Friday rejected critical remarks aimed at Hungary for its handling of migrants by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and former Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

The ministry noted that on Friday Valls told French public service television channel France 2 that after their dangerous trek across the Mediterranean Sea, migrants arrive in countries where they are greeted in an “intolerable manner”.

Valls said Hungary’s handling of the migrant crisis, “installing barbed wire, tearing apart families, using tear gas against children” goes against European values. He said the Hungarian prime minister’s remarks that “all migrants are criminals” is unacceptable.

The ministry also noted that in recent a lecture, former Italian President Giorgio Napolitano asked: “Is it possible to tolerate Hungary, who has been a member of the EU for ten years, erecting a barbed wire fence reminiscent of Hitler’s reign of terror in Europe?”

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto responded to the criticism, saying that the foreign ministry “rejects the latest undeserved attacks on Hungary. The French prime minister’s smears are baseless … We would not have expected the former president of Italy to bring up the darkest chapter of Europe’s history in reference to Hungary. This is unfair to Hungary and the Hungarian people.”

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters