Varga: Hungary expects Brussels to contribute more money for border protection efforts
Finance Minister Mihaly Varga has invited European budget and administration commissioner Johannes Hahn to see for himself what the situation at Hungary's southern border is like.
Since the start of the migration crisis in 2015, Hungary has spent 700 billion forints (EUR 1.8bn) on border protection, while EU contributions have barely surpassed 1 percent, Varga said on Facebook on Monday, noting in December he sent a letter to Hahn asking the EU to increase its financial contribution.
The European Commission reacted by indicating that it saw no reason to increase EU border-related financing, Varga said, adding that Hahn should visit the border “to be briefed personally on the efforts of Hungarian soldiers, policemen and other border enforcement agencies, and to see for himself the effectiveness of the Hungarian border protection system”.