“It is not backed by a majority as yet, but events are progressing in that direction,” he said, adding that a trend was emerging whereby “formerly excommunicated, despised, scorned and detested positions slowly develop into a consensus and the people promoting them are welcomed as respected partners.”

In connection with the Hungarian proposal to transport migrants rescued from sea back to where they came from, he said it appeared that progress would be made “in the direction of common sense”.

In the past EU leaders had been only willing to discuss “the humanitarian conditions under which refugees are allowed entry”, and the policy of protecting the EU’s external borders was “banned”, Orbán said.

This has now changed, he added. Commenting on quotas for the redistribution of migrants, he said no concession would be made. What German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants is not something Hungarians want, he said.

The position of those who allowed masses of “mostly economic migrants” into Europe and now want to distribute them “to spread the trouble around” is not an appealing one, Orbán said.

Moreover, fully 3.3 million people voted in Hungary’s October plebiscite to say that “no one other than the Hungarian people should be making decisions about who can live in Hungary.”

Orbán said another encroaching issue is an EU plan to introduce rules that would “prohibit countries from centrally regulating energy prices”, and this would put the brakes on the government’s scheme to cut public utility bills.

“This would have a fundamental influence on the Hungarian people -- on poor people even more than on the better-off -- so it is a point of honour that we must persevere and not make any allowances,” Orbán said.

Meanwhile, the prime minister said the EU’s policy in connection with Ukraine’s visa status is “morally unacceptable”.

Visa-free status has not been allowed even though the Ukrainians have met all conditions, he said.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: Szecsődi Balázs