The friction between Hungary and the European Union is becoming more and more intense. The European executive has asked the government of the national populist Viktor Orbán for explanations on the opening to Russians and Belarusians of its more lax formula for work visas, a measure that has caused great concern in the Union, where it is perceived as a threat to the security of the community club, in the midst of Russia’s war against Ukraine and when Moscow’s hybrid attacks in Europe have increased.
Brussels has given Budapest until August 19 to give an account of the initiative – and is threatening to take action against the most unruly member of the EU club with the government closest to the Kremlin – if the new visa scheme affects border control and poses a risk to the EU.
“Russia is a security threat. We need more vigilance, not less. Giving potential Russian spies and saboteurs easy access to the EU would undermine the security of us all,” says EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson, who has sent a harsh letter to Hungarian Interior Minister Sándor Pinter.
Johansson is urging Budapest to explain its position in order to assess whether the new migration formula is in line with European regulations. If it is not, or if it poses a threat to EU security, Brussels could isolate Hungary from the Schengen area of free movement within the EU, where some countries have already imposed temporary controls for fear of a migration crisis and a terrorist threat.
The Swedish Social Democrat politician explains that although member states have the power to issue long-stay visas and residence permits, such systems must be “carefully balanced” so as not to jeopardise the integrity of the common area without internal border controls and “due consideration of possible security implications”. But that threat is not the only concern in Brussels: there are also concerns that the Hungarian measure is another crack in the common EU stance on Russia and gives fuel to the Kremlin’s divisive rhetoric.
In the harsh letter, the European official says she shares concerns about the fact that Budapest has extended to Russians and Belarusians these visas – previously only available to Ukrainians and Serbians – which allow them to work in Hungary for two years, renewable without the need for a security authorization, bring their families to the country and apply for permanent residence after three years; in addition to being able to travel within the European Schengen area, and therefore move to other EU countries without going through security checks.
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The new visa (which has also been opened to citizens of Moldova, Bosnia and North Macedonia) has been in force for a few days, coinciding with the start of the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council; a semester that has started very hotly. During the first days, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán infuriated the Union with what he called his “peace mission” for Ukraine, which included asking the government of the country invaded by Russia for a ceasefire, and visits to the Russian Vladimir Putin, in Moscow, the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, in Beijing, and Donald Trump, the Republican candidate to return to the White House, in Florida, and very critical of aid to kyiv.
The European Commission and several member states have retaliated against Budapest, which, in its “peace mission”, has not acted with loyalty to the common position on foreign policy required by the treaties, and are boycotting high-level events organised by the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council.
Schengen Area
The EU has not closed itself off to Russians and Belarusians, but following the Kremlin’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it has sought to strengthen the security of the Schengen area and suspended the visa facilitation agreement with Russia. The European Commission has also issued a series of guidelines for processing visa applications for Russian citizens and for controlling their passage through external borders. Hungary, which has railed against European criticism and has assured that opening its more lax work visas to Russians and Belarusians poses no risk, has cracked down on these European measures.
“We must remain united in our determination to cripple Russia’s war machine, in the interest of our citizens who rightly demand a common area of freedom and security,” Ylva Johansson says in her letter to Budapest. “This includes ensuring that Russian citizens who may pose espionage or other security threats face the highest level of scrutiny,” she adds.
The Home Affairs Commissioner stresses that for the Schengen area to function well, it is important to take into account the “migratory and security considerations” of all the member states. And the Baltic states and Poland, for example, have long been warning about the Russian threat. Western intelligence services have uncovered Russian sabotage in several European countries, which is also increasing as the Kremlin is rebuilding its spy network, which suffered a severe blow with the expulsions decreed by the EU after the invasion of Ukraine.
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