Western integration models have proven unsuccessful, says Hungarian FM

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, in an interview with public television on Friday, said it had become clear that the Western models of European integration do not work, arguing that they have led to the emergence of parallel societies, which he said pose security risks because of cultural differences.

Migration still poses a security risk and the Western Balkans region is still experiencing migration pressure, Szijjártó told current affairs channel M1.

Szijjártó said that at his talks with the interior ministers of the Western Balkan countries this past week, the ministers told him that their countries were seeing a continuous inflow of illegal migrants.

They also confirmed, he said, that mercenaries of the Islamic State terrorist group were trying to return to Europe.

On another subject, the minister said that it was reaffirmed at this week’s meeting of ambassadors that Hungary must continue to hold firm on its anti-migration position.

The minister was also asked to comment on press reports that on Thursday three parties within the European People’s Party called for the expulsion of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz from the centre-right bloc. Szijjártó said the EPP was not immune to disagreements on the issue of migration, pointing out that debates within the group on whether Europe’s demographic challenges and labour shortages should be resolved through immigration dated back to 2011.