Prague, Sept 13 (CTK) – The demand by Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn’s that Hungary be expelled from EU over its stance on migration is nonsense, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) said in a statement released to CTK yesterday.
Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek (CSSD) said statements that split the EU do not help it.
Former Czech foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg, honorary chairman of the rightist opposition TOP 09, warned of playing with the idea of expelling member countries.
The German daily Die Welt cites Asselborn as saying Hungary is treating refugees almost worse than animals.
Asselborn has criticised Hungary and other central European countries, including the Czech Republic, repeatedly, but never before he presented a similar demand.
“These days, we are discussing the future of the European Union and we need to preserve a rational approach and unity and devote our time to joint issues,” Sobotka said in reaction to Asselborn’s call.
Europe must provide safety and prosperity for its citizens and preserve its competitiveness, he added.
“I consider the widening of gaps and calls for expelling member states nonsense. In June, we unanimously agreed with other EU leaders on the continuation of European cooperation in the format of 27 member countries. Nothing has changed in this agreement,” Sobotka added.
Zaoralek said the EU foreign ministers agreed at their latest meeting that the EU must be united in order to be able to jointly deal with Brexit, migration, terrorism and the Ukraine crisis.
“That is why statements which split and divide the EU do not help us,” Zaoralek told CTK.
Schwarzenberg recommended to Asselborn to thoroughly study the European rules rather than refer to the European values.
“It is known that there exists no possibility of expulsion. We should not start expelling anyone or even play with the idea,” Schwarzenberg wrote in a statement sent to CTK.
He wrote that he is not delighted with Hungary’s policy, but that he sees a solution in an intensive dialogue based on which Hungary would make a compromise.
Tomas Prouza, Czech state secretary for European affairs, said the proposal is the most absurd and nonsensical thing he has heard before the informal EU summit to be held in Bratislava on Friday.
hol,ms/dr/pv,rtj
