Protesters in Budapest denounced Prime Minister Peter Magyar over the EU Migration Pact, accusing him of secretly agreeing to it for frozen EU funds. Critics allege the deal requires Hungary to build migrant transit facilities. Magyar dismissed the demonstrators, suggesting they were protesting EU funds allocated to Hungary.
The protest highlights internal Hungarian political divisions and public opposition to the EU's migration policies, potentially impacting Hungary's relationship with the EU and the release of crucial funds.
Protesters gathered in Budapest on Friday to denounce Hungary's new Prime Minister, Peter Magyar, over the EU Migration Pact. Demonstrators chanted "traitor" and "Dirty Tisza," demanding his resignation. They claim Magyar secretly agreed to implement the pact in exchange for the release of €16.4 billion in EU funds, which had been frozen since 2022 due to corruption and rule-of-law concerns under the previous government led by Viktor Orban.
Critics also allege that the deal necessitates Hungary constructing a migrant transit facility capable of holding 8,000 to 10,000 individuals near its southern border. While Magyar has publicly stated Hungary will not accept asylum or migration pacts, media reports suggest a reversal of Orban's opposition to the pact is a condition for unlocking the EU funds. Magyar later dismissed the protesters on Facebook as "frenzied, inarticulate, shouting fellow citizens," suggesting they were protesting the allocation of EU funds to Hungary.
The EU Migration Pact aims to create a unified framework for asylum and migration procedures, introducing a principle of "mandatory solidarity." Under this system, member states must either accept a specified number of migrants, offer operational assistance, or pay a penalty of €20,000 ($23,000) for each migrant they decline to host. This legislation has faced opposition from several EU countries, including Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, regarding the solidarity principle.