The minister highlighted that Brussels has requested a further 98.5 billion euros in contributions from the member states, which is fifteen times the total annual personal income tax revenue in Hungary and roughly equals the entire annual Hungarian state budget.

‘If the measure regarding mandatory migrant quotas is adopted, a migrant camp accommodating 20,000 to 30,000 people should be established in Hungary,’ the PM’s Chief Security Advisor told public M1 television.

The mediation of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who supported the pact for the temporary relief of Italian refugee camps, and negotiations with the major member states failed to convince Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who eventually prevented the centre-right governments from presenting the migrant quota proposal as a huge step forward in the European election campaign.

The PM drew attention to the fact that Hungary spends over two billion euros to protect the Schengen Zone from illegal immigrants. ‘We haven’t received a single cent from Brussels. Why should we pay more? We have to spend all our money on protecting the borders, protecting Europe and Germany,’ Orbán stated.

According to the survey’s results, more than three-quarters (77 per cent) of respondents agreed that the European Union should send ‘migrant applicants’ to Hungary only with the approval of the Hungarian government.

He also stated that next year the country will have sufficient resources, for the first time since the regime change, to meet the NATO obligation of allocating 2 per cent of GDP to defence spending.

According to the prime minister, the ongoing conflict contains numerous unpredictable factors. In light of this, it is crucial for the organisations and leaders responsible for Hungary’s security to remain vigilant and prepared to take action whatever the circumstances might be.

Based on the above formulation, some have already suggested that there is actually no mandatory migrant quota, as states can decide for themselves how they show solidarity with other member states, so the claim to the contrary is just another Hungarian government talking point. Of course, it is possible that a Member State does not have to accept immigrants into the country in a physical sense, but in this case renitent countries must compensate for their recalcitrance with heavy sums of money or other material expenditures.