Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Orban: Hungary will defy EU court ruling on asylum policy

Orban: Hungary will defy EU court ruling on asylum policy

Hungary will not change its immigration policies despite a recent ruling from the European Union's top court that found them in contradiction with the bloc's laws, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Tuesday.
Orban's announcement came as Hungary's anti-immigration government is locked in a dispute with the EU over the bloc's jurisdiction over the affairs of its 27 members, especially concerning his government's policies on immigration and LGBT issues.

A ruling last year by the European Court of Justice found that Hungary had failed to respect EU law by conducting pushbacks of people entering the country without authorization, denying them the right to apply for asylum and detaining them in "transit zones" along Hungary's southern border with Serbia.

But during a rare news conference in Budapest on Tuesday, the right-wing populist Orban insisted that Hungary would continue its migration policies, and that "it doesn't matter what the European court ruled. Hungary must continue to defend its borders."

"We decided that we will not do anything to change the way the border is protected," Orban said. " We won't change it and we aren't going to let anyone in."

The refusal to comply with the European court's decision could result in heavy fines being levied on Hungary by the EU. In September, the bloc's highest court began issuing daily fines of 1 million euros ($1.2 million) to Poland, a key ally of Hungary's, after it failed to comply with a court decision on suspending changes to its judicial system.

Such potential fines from the EU would be the next in a series of financial penalties that have already seen Hungary lose out on billions in funds from the bloc.

The EU's executive, the European Commission, has withheld around $8 billion in COVID-19 recovery funds earmarked for Hungary because of what it sees as inadequate anti-corruption measures in the country's spending plan.

On Tuesday, Orban - who next spring will face what is expected to be the tightest election since he took power in 2010 - called the withholding of recovery funds "political blackmail," and said the EU had "no right" to hold back money owed to Hungary.

"The entire procedure is the most brutal sabotage of the unity and future of the European Union," he said. "This is what is breaking up the Union. I've never seen more irresponsible politics than in this issue. Who after this will trust the Commission?"

Hungary's government this month decided to halt more than $1 billion in investments to stem budget deficits emerging from record-high inflation and major state expenditures in the form of tax cuts and social benefits to retirees and families with children.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×