'Europe cannot be the new home for millions of people in need' Helmut Kohl. (Euractiv).
In the preface to the Hungarian edition
of his book, “Out of Concern for Europe”, Helmut Kohl has written that
the continent cannot become the new home for millions of people. EurActiv’s partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.
In the lead up to his meeting with
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Tuesday (19 April) former
German chancellor Helmut Kohl has criticised the opening up of borders
to refugees in Europe. “The solution lies in the affected regions. Not
in Europe. Europe cannot be the new home for millions of people in
need,” Kohl wrote in the preface to the Hungarian edition of his book,
”Out of concern for Europe”, which was published in an abbreviated form
in Der Tagesspiegel on Sunday (17 April).
Kohl, one of only three people to be
granted the status of Honorary Citizen of Europe, also criticised the
refugee policy of Angela Merkel, without actually referring to her by
name. The ex-chancellor voiced his disapproval of Merkel’s September
2015 decision to invite refugees from Hungary to continue their journey
on to Germany. Kohl also criticised the fact that the current chancellor
did not discuss the matter with her EU partners beforehand.
Additionally, Kohl went on to list Viktor
Orbán, one of Merkel’s fiercest opponents when it comes to her
so-called “open-door policy”, as “my friend”. On European questions, “I
know that I agree with my friend Viktor Orbán”. On Tuesday, Kohl intends
to welcome the Hungarian prime minister at his home.
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