Government’s regular press briefing about Germany’s migration decision, land sales, mayors of small towns

Budapest, November 5 (MTI) – If Germany wants to let migrants into its territory Hungary will respect its decision, but it will not accept being told to do the same, government office chief Janos Lazar said on Thursday. By turning to the Constitutional Court over the government’s planned farmland sales the opposition is turning against farmers, Lazar said. Mayors of small localities could receive a 30 percent pay rise if they can generate the funds to finance it, government office chief said.

Hungary respects Germany’s migration decision but won’t be dictated to

In response to the German chancellor’s statement that immigration should be legalised, Lazar said Germany wants to force its own will on Europe.

“If Germany feels remorse about something and wants to settle people it is free to do so, but this should not become an obligation for Hungary,” he said.

The Hungarian government decided at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting that the “state of crisis” due to mass migration declared for four counties in the south of the country should stay in place, Lazar added.

He said he did not want to comment on Austria laying a razor wire at its border with Slovenia because he wanted to avoid the mistake made by Austrian politicians who “talked down to” and passed judgement on Hungary and its prime minister for building a fence. “Our interest lies in restoring and strengthening Austrian-Hungarian relations”, Lazar said. Hungary will not demand explanations from Austria in connection with human rights issues and European values as Austria did with Hungary, he added.

He said the cooperation between Visegrad Four countries in the issue of migration was exemplary. Poland has now also sent off 43 border police to help Hungary, he added.

In response to a question about the possibility of migrants expelled from western Europe being send back to Hungary, he said around 40,000 requests had been received so far but Hungary “will not take anyone back”. It was not in Hungary where these people initially entered the European Union, he added.