Hungary: Keep UK in security deal

HUNGARY led criticism from within the EU last night against the uncompromising stance of eurocrats over the Galileo satellite navigation system.

The country’s foreign minister said the European Commission, which runs talks for the bloc, was behaving irresponsibly by trying to restrict UK access to the system.

Jean-Claude Juncker’s ally Martin Selmayr, outlined the EU executive’s uncompromising approach on the £9billion system in a letter to Britain in April.

Member states, including Poland, Hungary, Spain and Sweden, have been left furious after their requests to see the text were stonewalled. Hungary’s foreign minister Peter Szijjarto said yesterday: ‘I really do think that the security risks that are ahead of the EU demand a very strong co-operation with the UK.

‘I think that giving up co-operation with the UK on the field of intelligence or any other security aspects would be very irresponsible on the part of the EU.’

The unease has been fuelled by a desire in many countries to conclude a wide-ranging Brexit security agreement with the UK, which remains one of the bloc’s leading military and intelligence powers.

The bloc’s other leading security power France is adamant that the UK should be kept as a close partner.