2024-10-07 09:13:49
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the anti-immigrant League party Matteo Salvini and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán today criticized the European Commission and said that it is made up of “eco-terrorists” and “bureaucrats”, reported France Press, quoted by BTA.
“We have a duty to protect Italian entrepreneurs and farmers whose jobs are threatened by eco-terrorists from Brussels,” Salvini told thousands of League supporters gathered in the northern Italian town of Pontida for the party’s annual celebration
Salvini, who is known for opposing the European Commission’s green policies, accused Brussels of “wanting to close farms and factories, maybe to do the Turks, the Chinese and the multinationals a favour”. “We are here to protect the work and efforts of Europeans and Italians,” he added.
Orban, who is at odds with the European Commission and the European Parliament, also criticized Brussels and reiterated his refusal to accept migrants, repeating his threat to put them on buses and take them to Belgium.
“We will never give up our freedom and we will never leave our countries to foreigners. We will not give our countries to bureaucrats from Brussels, nor to financial powers, nor to migrants,” said the guest of honor.
The Hungarian head of state also criticized the European Commission’s recent decision to reduce future payments to Hungary to recover €200 million in fines imposed for defaulting on asylum contracts, which Budapest refuses to pay.
“The European left and the bureaucrats in Brussels are together punishing Hungary (…) because we do not allow illegal migrants to enter, because we are protecting Europe – this is a disgrace,” Orbán said.
“However, let me tell you one thing, if they continue to punish us, we will transport the migrants from Budapest to Brussels, we will leave them in front of the offices in Brussels. If the migrants want, let them take care of them themselves,” added the nationalist leader.
Orbán’s League and FIDES parties, as well as France’s National Assembly, are part of the far-right Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament.