The Visegrád group and the European migrant crisis : cause factors and the case of Hungary

Abstract

The European migrant crisis has propelled the European Union (EU) to face many challenges, starting from the division of different ideas on how to manage a high number of refugees and migrants. The crisis is marked as a turning point for right-wing populism to gain its strength in modern European politics. The European Member States (EMS) have started to lose their trust in European institutions because of their unclear strategic direction on solving the refugee and migrant crisis. Correspondingly, Euroscepticism is spreading all over Europe. The situation has been worsened as more refugees are continuously entering Europe. Therefore, populists and right-wing leaders have taken this severe crisis as an opportunity to strengthen their political discourses and rhetoric. This kind of action can be seen in the case of the Visegrád group; of which members are the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Republic of Poland and the Slovak Republic. The Visegrád group has implemented negative policies towards the refugees and migrants. This can be seen especially in the case of Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Fidesz party have played an important role in keeping the refugees and migrants out of the country. The Hungarian government has conducted anti-refugee and migrant campaign series and instigated its political discourses, which have been used to establish the narrative of “protecting European identity” from “the Muslims”. This antipathy towards refugees and migrants among the Visegrád group contradicts the core values of the European Union of “unity within diversity” and “respect for human rights”.