06:33The European Parliament held a heated debate on Hungary's recently introduced national card system in Strasbourg on Wednesday, with some claiming that it could pose a security risk to the bloc and others telling lawmakers to 'back off'.
"You can see it very clearly, this is gift from Orban to Putin and a middle finger to the rest of the EU," claimed Jeroen Lenaers, from Holland's Christian Democratic Appeal party. "It is a direct sabotage to all the work we do while putting the security and the integrity of the whole Schengen area at risk."
However, Grzegorz Braun from Poland's Confederation of the Polish Crown party, warned MPs not to interfere.
"This is really ugly, this is really nasty. That is why the European Union as it is should be overthrown and back off everybody from us sovereign free people, we want to remain free people," he stated.
The new system, implemented in July 2024 by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to address labour shortages, also streamlines visa procedures for Russian and Belarusian citizens.
Dutch MEP Tineke Strik, from the Greens, called the move a 'provocation',accusing Orbán of prioritising ties with Russia over co-operation with the EU.
"Orbán made it very clear where his true alliances lie when he extended the Hungary national card scheme to Russian and Belarusian citizens shortly after his controversial mission to Moscow," Strik said.
Swedish MEP Jonas Sjostedt also condemned the policy, calling it 'yet another provocation' from Orbán and claiming it provided further evidence that 'Hungary should never have been allowed to become chair of the Council of Minister'.
Hungary’s Minister for European Affairs, Janos Boka, defended the policy, asserting that Hungary's actions were in line with EU law. "The rights of any member state to issue national residence and work permits... do not imply an infringement or circumvention of EU rules," he said, adding that all required security checks for the Schengen area would continue as per EU standards.
Further concerns were raised by European Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, who referenced intelligence reports from Sweden and Norway alleged rising Russian 'sabotage activities'.
However, Slovakian MP Milan Mazurek also criticised the EU’s stance, accusing it of disrespecting Hungary's right to govern its own affairs. “These are the same members who want to change illegal migration into irregular migration so that violent people who get rid of their documents come to Europe. We don’t know if they are going to commit terrorist crimes in Europe," he added.
The national card system, aimed at simplifying visa and residency processes for workers from Russia, Belarus, and other non-EU nations, has been heavily criticised by EU officials. The EU suspended visa facilitation for Russian citizens in 2022, following the conflict with Ukraine.
'It's a middle finger to the EU'… 'Back off! - Strasbourg Parliament brawls over Hungarian national card system
The European Parliament held a heated debate on Hungary's recently introduced national card system in Strasbourg on Wednesday, with some claiming that it could pose a security risk to the bloc and others telling lawmakers to 'back off'.
"You can see it very clearly, this is gift from Orban to Putin and a middle finger to the rest of the EU," claimed Jeroen Lenaers, from Holland's Christian Democratic Appeal party. "It is a direct sabotage to all the work we do while putting the security and the integrity of the whole Schengen area at risk."
However, Grzegorz Braun from Poland's Confederation of the Polish Crown party, warned MPs not to interfere.
"This is really ugly, this is really nasty. That is why the European Union as it is should be overthrown and back off everybody from us sovereign free people, we want to remain free people," he stated.
The new system, implemented in July 2024 by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to address labour shortages, also streamlines visa procedures for Russian and Belarusian citizens.
Dutch MEP Tineke Strik, from the Greens, called the move a 'provocation',accusing Orbán of prioritising ties with Russia over co-operation with the EU.
"Orbán made it very clear where his true alliances lie when he extended the Hungary national card scheme to Russian and Belarusian citizens shortly after his controversial mission to Moscow," Strik said.
Swedish MEP Jonas Sjostedt also condemned the policy, calling it 'yet another provocation' from Orbán and claiming it provided further evidence that 'Hungary should never have been allowed to become chair of the Council of Minister'.
Hungary’s Minister for European Affairs, Janos Boka, defended the policy, asserting that Hungary's actions were in line with EU law. "The rights of any member state to issue national residence and work permits... do not imply an infringement or circumvention of EU rules," he said, adding that all required security checks for the Schengen area would continue as per EU standards.
Further concerns were raised by European Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, who referenced intelligence reports from Sweden and Norway alleged rising Russian 'sabotage activities'.
However, Slovakian MP Milan Mazurek also criticised the EU’s stance, accusing it of disrespecting Hungary's right to govern its own affairs. “These are the same members who want to change illegal migration into irregular migration so that violent people who get rid of their documents come to Europe. We don’t know if they are going to commit terrorist crimes in Europe," he added.
The national card system, aimed at simplifying visa and residency processes for workers from Russia, Belarus, and other non-EU nations, has been heavily criticised by EU officials. The EU suspended visa facilitation for Russian citizens in 2022, following the conflict with Ukraine.
The European Parliament held a heated debate on Hungary's recently introduced national card system in Strasbourg on Wednesday, with some claiming that it could pose a security risk to the bloc and others telling lawmakers to 'back off'.
"You can see it very clearly, this is gift from Orban to Putin and a middle finger to the rest of the EU," claimed Jeroen Lenaers, from Holland's Christian Democratic Appeal party. "It is a direct sabotage to all the work we do while putting the security and the integrity of the whole Schengen area at risk."
However, Grzegorz Braun from Poland's Confederation of the Polish Crown party, warned MPs not to interfere.
"This is really ugly, this is really nasty. That is why the European Union as it is should be overthrown and back off everybody from us sovereign free people, we want to remain free people," he stated.
The new system, implemented in July 2024 by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to address labour shortages, also streamlines visa procedures for Russian and Belarusian citizens.
Dutch MEP Tineke Strik, from the Greens, called the move a 'provocation',accusing Orbán of prioritising ties with Russia over co-operation with the EU.
"Orbán made it very clear where his true alliances lie when he extended the Hungary national card scheme to Russian and Belarusian citizens shortly after his controversial mission to Moscow," Strik said.
Swedish MEP Jonas Sjostedt also condemned the policy, calling it 'yet another provocation' from Orbán and claiming it provided further evidence that 'Hungary should never have been allowed to become chair of the Council of Minister'.
Hungary’s Minister for European Affairs, Janos Boka, defended the policy, asserting that Hungary's actions were in line with EU law. "The rights of any member state to issue national residence and work permits... do not imply an infringement or circumvention of EU rules," he said, adding that all required security checks for the Schengen area would continue as per EU standards.
Further concerns were raised by European Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, who referenced intelligence reports from Sweden and Norway alleged rising Russian 'sabotage activities'.
However, Slovakian MP Milan Mazurek also criticised the EU’s stance, accusing it of disrespecting Hungary's right to govern its own affairs. “These are the same members who want to change illegal migration into irregular migration so that violent people who get rid of their documents come to Europe. We don’t know if they are going to commit terrorist crimes in Europe," he added.
The national card system, aimed at simplifying visa and residency processes for workers from Russia, Belarus, and other non-EU nations, has been heavily criticised by EU officials. The EU suspended visa facilitation for Russian citizens in 2022, following the conflict with Ukraine.