The mood at the EU summit in Granada was tense. Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán enjoyed the role of provocateur.
The police presence in Granada is huge, water cannons have been deployed and numerous streets have been closed. But the population of the southern Spanish city seems unimpressed by the meeting of EU heads of state and government, and the many tourists are not bothered by the political bustle. Some groups of holidaymakers pose with the police for a souvenir photo.
Language scandal: “We were raped”
The summit itself was less relaxed. Even if no decisions were taken, the dispute over European migration policy, which saw no progress yesterday, weighed on the mood. Only one person was happy: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. He loved provocation and visibly enjoyed it, looking for the cameras and microphones of the waiting journalists. “We have been legally raped,” Orbán said, when asked about the planned reform of the EU asylum system. For an agreement, the Union needs a qualified majority, which can also be achieved without the agreement of Hungary and Poland, which strictly reject the entire package. In Orbán’s words it goes like this: “If you are raped – legally forced to accept something you don’t want – how is a compromise and an agreement supposed to be reached? That is impossible.”
Austria considers asylum pact ‘indispensable’
Austria was represented at the summit by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) was absent due to illness. The response to the Hungarian derailment came from Vienna: Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) called the asylum pact “indispensable”, even though there was still much to be done.
New Lampedusa in the Canary Islands?
Meanwhile, in the Canary Islands, concerns are growing about becoming a Spanish Lampedusa. The number of refugee arrivals there has been increasing for days; on Friday alone, 518 migrants were rescued from boats off the coast. Most of the rescued people come from sub-Saharan countries. The Spanish rescue service expects the situation to deteriorate further.
The planned joint statement failed
The no to the asylum reform was not Viktor Orbán’s only objection on Friday. The Hungarian Prime Minister also spoke out against new aid to Ukraine and put a brake on Ukraine’s possible accession to the EU. The conclusion of the Granada summit is sobering: no new findings, no progress whatsoever. The subject of migration had to be removed from the already very vague statement of the joint summit.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
