Europe in midst of “mass invasion,” of which not fully aware, Orban tells on World Science Forum

Budapest (MTI) – Europe is in the midst of “mass invasion”, but is “not yet fully aware” of the challenge it poses to the continent’s culture, way of life and conduct of affairs, the prime minister said at the opening of the World Science Forum conference in Budapest on Wednesday evening.

This mass migration poses a never-before-seen challenge and it can “crush and bury the way of life we have known until now,” Viktor Orban said, warning that there was a lot at stake.

He said joint efforts had to be made to identify new opportunities that may arise from new challenges, for which, he said, events such as the World Science Forum offer an excellent platform.

The prime minister said it was a great honour for Hungary that Budapest can once again welcome the world’s leading scientists, decision makers and experts who bring science and society together. Orban noted that when Hungary last hosted the forum in 2011, the focus was on the ongoing global economic crisis. Today, however, leading politicians in the western world are bound to talk about migration, Orban said.

“We are living through a crazy and interesting times in Europe,” the prime minister said. The continent is under enormous migration pressure as the rest of the world follows the events in astonishment, he said. Orban said that apart from the migrants already flowing into Europe, tens of millions more are preparing to set off for the continent. This is one of the biggest flows of people in history, Orban said, adding that there was no end in sight to the mass migration which may have a tragic outcome.