Horst Seehofer, the Minister President of Bavaria, and Orban met at the CSU party conclave, the Seeon Monastery this weekend to discuss the way forward.
The CSU, the Bavarian Christian Democrats, the sister party in the “Union” with Angela Merkel’s CDU, held their annual party conference in the Seeon Monastery in Bavaria.
At the press conference on Saturday evening by Orban and Seehofer, the political tremors already registered in Berlin when Seehofer promised that Bavaria would start a new initiative for better cooperation with the Central European states and Hungary, calling it a new “Central European alliance”.
Hungary’s charismatic Prime Minister in turn condemned the illegal immigration policies of Merkel and the EU, as Hungary faces a judicial review by the European Union for refusing to allow illegal Muslim immigrants into the country.
He also demanded the forced removal of the million Muslims from the Schengen Area back to their home countries. Jihadists have used this borderless notion to launch mass murder attacks across the continent.
Orban markedly said: “We built a fence, while in other places chaos and illegality ruled” with reference to Merkel’s unlawful pro-immigration policies.
The situation has become explosive in Germany, with ill-contained political anger and animosity rising. Orban is a hate figure for much of the German establishment for his rejection of multiculturalism and liberal notions on migrants.
The new censorship law moreover, has done little to enhance dialogue, because even the Left has expressed their misgiving about it.
The CSU typically invite international politicians to the conclave in Seeon. They were lambasted because they did not invite French President Emmanuel Macron, but instead chose entertain the Hungarian leader.
But Alexander Dobrindt, the head of the Bundestag group of CSU parliamentarians, who leads the joint CDU/CSU group with his co-chair from the CDU, Volker Kauder, explained why Macron was not invited.
At the press conference on Friday evening, Dobrindt noted: “Hungary, together with the Visegrad states, is one of the closest economic trade partners with Germany. The trade balance with the Visegrad states is markedly higher than that of Germany with France.”
Seehofer may be trying to quell a rebellion which has been brewing for months in his own party. Bavarians in general are opposed to the CDU’s immigration policy, and blame the party leader of the CSU for going along with Merkel’s opportunism, analysts say.
Seehofer has lost voters to the AfD [Alternative für Deutschland, Alternative for Germany] and may find himself out of a job soon if he does not change course.
Hence the suggestions of a Central European Alliance, establishing Munich as an independent-minded capital of the Bavarian state.
In addition, inviting Orban instead of Emmanuel Macron was an act of open rebellion against the EU oligarchy.
Orban told the media: “I have said that the migration problem has become a democracy problem. The Europeans have a clear will; you might say the will of the people is unambiguous.
“They do not want to live under the threat of terrorism. They want safety; they want the borders protected.”
He reminded Bavarians of the pivotal role Hungary has played in their security. “Because the southern Bavaria border runs along the Hungarian-Serbian border, and when we protect this border, we protect Bavaria, too.
“We have acknowledged the statement [you made] with appreciation that Bavaria is a Christian country and that it will remain so.”
The SPD considers Orban’s visit an open provocation ahead of faltering coalition talks with Merkel, and leader Martin Schulz expressed his anger over the Orban visit.
Schulz called Seehofer out on not confronting Orban over his stance on migrants, and said the Hungarians were pursuing a “dangerous logic”.
“I expect [him] to set very clear limits on this issue and also on the question of freedom of the press,” Schulz told Bild Zeitung.
The Social Democrats oppose the plan by the CDU/CSU bloc to extend a temporary ban on family reunification for certain categories of migrants. “Germany must comply with international law, regardless of the mood in the country or in the CSU,” Schulz told Bild.
But in order to comply with “international law”, Germany has to ignore its own laws.
