Hungarian Socialists sign cooperation pact with Bavarian Social Democrats – Update
Budapest, May 25 (MTI) – Hungary’s opposition Socialists and the Bavarian chapter of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) have agreed to intensify cooperation.
At a joint press conference in Budapest on Wednesday, József Tóbiás, the Socialist Party leader, and Inge Aures, deputy president of the Bavarian state assembly, argued that a common European solution was needed to the migrant crisis.
Tóbiás said they had discussed issues related to social and budgetary policy, as well as the “Orbán regime” (referring to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán).
He said a European solution to the migrant issue was needed, but this was not helped by the position of the Hungarian government.
Tóbiás said it was no accident that his meeting with Aures had focused on welfare and social justice because it is important to maintain security for European citizens. Also, they want to help people in trouble. Efforts are being made to meet both expectations, but no country can resolve this on its own, which is why a common European solution is needed, he said.
Aures said that whereas she agreed that a joint European approach was needed, it was understandable that some countries wanted to implement their own measures. She said that 70,000 people live in her constituency and some 1,000 migrants have been settled there with the help of civil society and the churches. “It has caused us no problems,” she said. Regardless, but the scale of the totality of migrants cannot be neglected, she added.
She said she was in agreement with Tóbiás at the meeting that public security is one of the most important issues. At the same time, the conditions for human dignity must be maintained, she added.
She noted that Hungary is one of Bavaria’s most important trading partners. Lots of Bavarian companies operate in Hungary and thereby create jobs, she noted.
Update
The ruling Fidesz said in response to the meeting that the Socialists seem to have started preparations to move migrants to Hungary and they are seeking foreign allies who support migration.
“The pro-migration European and Hungarian left want to jointly carry out forced settlement,” the party group said in a statement.
It called on the Socialists to “stop consultations on the possibility of settling in migrants against the will of the Hungarian people”.
“Only the Hungarian people can decide who they want to live with or don’t want to live with and that’s what the quota referendum will be about”, the statement added.
Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters