Dispute over EU border control plans

Commenting on the plans to strengthen Frontex, a pro-government columnist agrees with the government’s position that EU member states should keep their sovereignty over border and immigration control. A conservative critic of the government believes that stronger EU border control is not intended to weaken sovereignty.

In Új Szó, András Stumpf contends that the proposal to strengthen Frontex does not imply the weakening of national sovereignty over immigration control. The conservative pundit describes the proposal as clearly stating that Frontex is to be beefed up in order to help EU member states stop illegal migration, while decisions on asylum applications will remain in national competence. Stumpf recalls that three years ago PM Orbán called for joint EU border patrols. He accuses the government of opposing the plans for Frontex in an attempt to prolong fear-mongering over alleged threats to Hungary’s national sovereignty.

Magyar Idők editor in chief Ottó Gajdics rejects a remark by Chancellor Merkel of Germany who accused Hungary of having been late in building its border fence in 2015, as she was welcoming those whom she indiscriminately called refugees well after that, when they were arriving through other countries. He also rejects Ms. Merkel’s idea that member states should relinquish more sovereignty in favour of Frontex, the EU border agency. Gajdics proposes that Frontex should help out those EU member states that cannot secure the Schengen borders themselves, rather than centralizing migration and border control in the EU.

Tags: border fence, Frontex, Merkel