There's a major dispute on migrants between Hungary and the EU or rather, on the resolution of Europe's demographic issue through migrants. Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban is a severe irritant for Brussels just because he refuses to make up for Hungary's population decline by inviting migrants. Instead, Orban announced a large-scale pronatalism program in his country under the slogan "We need more Hungarians".
Orban is not only defending himself but is ready to attack Brussels. He launched an information campaign in Budapest condemning the EU migration policy. The slogan on the banner says "You also have the right to know what Brussels is planning." The banner has portraits of President of the European Commission Juncker and George Soros. Soros is considered an accomplice of illegal migration to Europe. Orban believes that rampant migration means capitulation.
Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary: "The number of children in Europe is decreasing. Migration is the West's response to this catastrophe. They want to invite as many migrants as the number of kids that could've been born so that the figures coincide. We, Hungarians, have a different mentality. We need Hungarian children instead of figures. Migration means capitulation in our case".
Juncker, in his turn, doesn't want to be in a single European party with Orban of the biggest faction of the European Parliament which includes the Hungarian party Fidesz led by Orban. Their faction in the European Parliament is called the European People's Party.
Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission: "We have nothing in common with Mr. Orban. Why should he remain in my party and sit at our family table if he rejects everything I stand for? I believe he's got no place in the European People's Party."
Denis Davydov with the details from Hungary, the most inconvenient country for the EU.
This family literally has a shoe full of children. Five of them are home, two more kids are about to come from school. The large family doesn't own an apartment and lives in a corporate one. But it seems now, multi-child families in Hungary have a chance to get their own housing.
Nagy Sandor: "Naturally, we're looking forward to getting that support. We'd like to use the government program. We have a lot of kids and we need our own big apartment".
Anna is expecting her first child. Their parents will help her and her husband to raise their son.
Anna Papp: "They're looking forward to nursing their grandson".
Grandmas and grandpas will get paid for that. The government allowed them to take family leave for up to three years.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced his support for Hungarian families. His every statement was met with standing ovations. He introduced seven steps that are supposed to stop the decline of the nation. The annual decline of the Hungarian population is 32,000 people. The government offers preferential loans for housing and cars and assistance with mortgages.
Laszlo Toroczkai, leader of the Our Home Movement: "According to the polls, young Hungarian couples want to have more kids than they give birth to. Material and economic reasons lie at the heart of the current demographic situation".
Hungary's demographic issues have started after WWI. The treaty signed after the war divided the people. The neighbors stole 70% of the Hungarian territory. Consequently, about 13,000,000 citizens ended up on the other side of the border. Their historic Motherland is actively handing our passports to let Hungarians gather and multiply.
Another item of the new demographic program is the construction of nurseries and preschools. After giving birth to her fourth child, a woman will be exempt from paying income tax for the rest of her life.
A black journalist from Britain decided to speak on behalf of Hungarian women. She published an article in The Guardian claiming that nationalistic politicians are using women's bodies.
"Anti-women policies are masquerading as those intended to help women. These policies utilize women's bodies for an agenda that is about anything but gender equality".
Budapest is forced to respond: on TV, in newspapers, and on the streets. It's not just a couple of billboards, there are hundreds of them across Hungary. It's like an address of the ruling party to the nation. The banners say "You have a right to know what Brussels is planning". The culprits are depicted here: President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and the American financier George Soros. Budapest believes that these two don't just encourage migration but launch some sort of experimental migration project with the countries of Africa.
Africa has a record birth rate — 5-7 children per woman. Europe just can't compete. Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Hungary are lagging behind: fewer than 1.5 child per woman. More than 2 is needed to replenish the population. Different EU-states have a different vision for the solution to this complex issue.
Viktor Orban: "The number of children in Europe is decreasing. Migration is the West's response to this catastrophe. We, the Hungarians, have a different mentality. We need Hungarian children instead of figures".
Hungary does everything possible to increase its birth rate. It would seem one should be happy for the country but the EU-neighbors turned against Budapest. Sweden is the one complaining the loudest. The scandal is so big that both state's Foreign Ministries have summoned each other's ambassadors. The choice of words in their dispute is anything but diplomatic.
The Swedish minister compared Hungary to Nazi Germany of the 1930s. She tweeted that she's disturbed by what's happening in Hungary because Orban wants more "true Hungarian children" to be born. Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary responded immediately.
Zsolt Semjen, Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary: "What else should Hungary desire other than the birth of Hungarian children? I believe that what that poor sick creature said is not normal. It's some politically correct madness".
We're in Malmö, Sweden. It's the third-largest city in the country. Here's what one of its malls looks like. You can hear Arabic much more frequently than any other language. The range of wares is appropriate: hijabs, sheeshas, and tickets to the countries of the Middle East and Africa. Migrants make up 43% of the population of the city.
Here's how they welcomed journalists from Australia who came to Malmö to shoot a movie about the life of the city. The government supports migrants more than the native Swedes.
"I like it here. I'm so grateful to Sweden. My kids can go to school here. And we get free medical help".
It's a perfect place to give birth to your fourth child. Leyla is expecting a boy. Women like her make up the Swedish birth rate. The country's average is about 2 kids per woman. The most densely populated areas are the migrant districts.
Native Swedish families rarely have many children.
"I think two is enough for us. Men and women are working equally now, building their careers. A child requires your attention 24 hours a day".
The Swedish ladies from a younger generation believe even one child is too many.
"Children, kids... I don't know".
"I might get married at 28, but I'm not sure about kids".
The next statement was rather frank. It's about wives instead of husbands and kids.
"I'm focused on my career. I can adopt a child if I ever want one. I can do the same with a husband or a wife".
13,000 same-sex marriages have been registered in Sweden. Even more people gather at the annual pride parades. Many kids are walking along with the rainbow columns. The Bishop of Stockholm is keeping up with the times. Eva Brunne is an open lesbian.
Sergey Bondarev, Orthodox priest: The main issue is the loss of traditional family values. When it assumes its wildest forms like homosexuality, I believe society is close to a collapse.
- Is that one of the reasons Europeans choose Orthodox Christianity?
- Yes, that's one of the reasons. Indeed, there are some Danes and Swedes who convert to Orthodox Christianity.
Migrants never change their religion. Abdullah from Iraq already has four kids and thinks about having another.
"We're refugees, the authorities pay for our apartment and doctor's appointments we have a 3000-crown monthly welfare and get another thousand for each kid".
We ask his eldest daughter who her classmates are.
- Afghans, Turks, Pakistanis.
- Are there any Swedes?
- No, I don't have Swedish classmates.
Nagi Sandor: "The liberal policies of Western Europe is pure madness. In terms of culture, those migrants are alien to us. They have a different religion and habits. Instead of importing migrants, Europe should support its native people".
After complaining, the father of the large Hungarian family brags that he's expecting another child, his eighth. The support of the government comes in handy.
Perhaps, if Hungary succeeds, its neighbors will also believe in their citizens instead of filling the vacuum with outsiders.
Denis Davydov, Vladimir Averin, Tatiana Korolyova, and Andrey Karpenko Vesti: News of the Week.
