Hungary alleges EU exhibits excessive anxiety over Russia's border regulations
Hungary has stood its ground against EU criticisms over its lenient policies towards Russian citizens' entry and residency. During a trip to Brussels, Hungary's Minister for Europe, Janos Boka, dismissed these critiques as "political freakouts" from certain EU members. Boka was referring to concerns that Budapest was aiding "spying" activities by Russians within the EU.
Boka clarified that the reforms didn't involve visa loosening but instead, the issuance of a "national pass" granting Russians and Belarussians access to Hungary's job market and family reunification. As of July, Hungarian authorities have only given out 14 such passes.
The decree expanding these national passes to Russians and Belarussians was signed by Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, at the start of July. Manfred Weber, the conservative European People's Party (EPP) chairman, cautioned about a potential "loophole for espionage activities."
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, requested clarification from the Hungarian government. If the Hungarian move poses a threat to the Schengen area, "we will intervene," she wrote in a letter to Budapest. The EU Commission suspects that Russians might travel freely from Hungary to Austria or Germany.
Johansson explained, "Granting easy access to potential Russian spies and saboteurs in the EU would undermine our collective security." In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU had hardened its visa rules for Russian citizens and imposed entry bans on hundreds of individuals in September 2022.
Orban is the only EU leader keeping strong ties with the Kremlin. His surprise visit to President Vladimir Putin at the start of Hungary's EU presidency in early July drew strong criticism.
Boka's dismissal of EU critiques as "political freakouts" was met with increased hysteria within the EU, as concerns over potential Russian spying activities grew. The EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, strongly condemned the potential loophole for espionage activities that the new reform could provide.
