Hungarian leader seeks new Europe ‘blueprint’

Renewal of region won’t happen with migration, he says.

The prime ministers of four Central European countries that are in the European Union reiterated their opposition to migration Friday, with Hungary’s leader saying Europe needs a “new blueprint” to be successful.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the countries of Central Europe were making increasingly strong contributions to the EU economy, which Orban said needs to be more competitive.

“We are not receiving or requesting aid,” Orban said during a panel discussion with the other regional leaders.

“We are a self-conscious community which gives to the European Union at least as much as the EU gives us.”

Orban said the blueprint he envisions would return Europe to the technological forefront, include a joint defense force and the goal of a “work-based society — meaning a clause relating to total employment.”

Orban said there was agreement among the Visegrad Group, which also includes Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, that it was in their interests for Europe to be strong while preserving the independence of individual countries instead of creating a “United States of Europe.”

The meeting also included Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, acting Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Orban said the migration crisis had made it more difficult to renew Europe. He called U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ proposals about a global agreement on migration “dangerous.”

“It’s not worth it for the European Union to try to reach a common position at the U.N. because we won’t be partners in this,” Orban said, adding that Central European nations “want to stick to our tolerant, Christian way of life.”