Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has directly linked immigration to a recent attack in Germany, where a man plowed a vehicle into a Christmas market bustling with holiday shoppers, resulting in the deaths of at least five individuals and injuring 200 others. Orbán made this connection during a rare appearance before independent media in Budapest, expressing his condolences to the victims’ families of what he termed a “terrorist act” in the city of Magdeburg on Friday night. The Hungarian leader, known for his outspoken criticism of the European Union (EU), insinuated that the migration policies within the 27-nation bloc were a contributing factor.
Authorities in Germany identified the suspect as a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who is currently under investigation. Having resided in Germany since 2006 and working as a medical practitioner, the suspect described himself as a former Muslim. His online activity included sharing numerous tweets and retweets daily focusing on anti-Islam sentiments, criticizing the religion, and praising Muslims who had renounced their faith.
Orbán, without presenting evidence, asserted that such attacks only began occurring in Europe following 2015 when large numbers of migrants and refugees entered the EU, primarily escaping conflict and violence in the Middle East and Africa. While Europe has experienced various militant attacks over the years, such as the train bombings in Madrid in 2004 and the attacks in central London in 2005, the Hungarian leader emphasized that there is a direct correlation between migration and acts of terrorism. He further alleged that the EU leadership desires similar incidents to what took place in Magdeburg to happen in Hungary.
The Hungarian government under Orbán’s leadership has maintained a stringent stance on individuals entering the country since 2015, having constructed fences fortified with razor wire along Hungary’s southern borders with Serbia and Croatia. In a recent development, the European Court of Justice ruled that Hungary must pay a fine of 200 million euros ($216 million) for persistently violating the EU’s asylum regulations, with an additional penalty of 1 million euros per day until alignment with EU law is achieved.
Despite these legal obligations, Orbán, a right-wing populist known for his confrontations with the EU, has steadfastly declared that Hungary will not alter its migration and asylum policies, regardless of any decisions made by the EU’s highest court. In a statement on Saturday, he pledged that his administration would resist what he described as EU attempts to enforce immigration policies on Hungary.
