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A recent decision by the Hungarian government to make it easier for Russian and Belarusian citizens to enter Hungary is drawing criticism within the EU, with the leader of the largest political bloc warning it could open the door to spies.
In a letter to European Council president Charles Michel, European People's Party (EPP) leader Manfred Weber said the Hungarian move raised "serious national security concerns".
The "controversial" new rules "create large loopholes for espionage activities ... potentially allowing large numbers of Russians to enter Hungary with minimal oversight, posing a serious risk to national security," Weber said in his letter. , a copy of which was provided by the Financial Times.
Earlier this month, Hungary released details of a new fast-track visa system for citizens of eight countries — including Russia and Belarus — to enter Hungary without security checks or other restrictions. Budapest has said that many of them will be employed in the construction of a nuclear power plant that has been contracted to Russia's Rosatom.
Russian citizens do not face a ban on entry into the EU and the border-free Schengen area, which also includes Norway and Switzerland, if they have a valid visa and are not related to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But Western sanctions in response to Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine include a ban on Russian-owned airlines operating in EU airspace, making it more difficult for Russian citizens to travel to the bloc. At the same time, the rules for granting work permits are a matter for each EU member state.
In his letter, Weber called on EU leaders "to adopt the most stringent measures to immediately protect the integrity of the Schengen area, to limit the security risk that has already emerged and to prevent member states from undertake similar initiatives in the future".
Orban, long criticized for his friendly ties to Putin, faced fresh backlash earlier this month after traveling to Moscow to meet the Russian leader after a stop in Kiev.
Holding the EU's next six-month presidency, Orban described the visit as a mission of peace, but EU leaders made it clear he was not representing them on his travels.
Many countries have since refused to send their ministers to the meetings held in Hungary, causing them to be reassigned to Brussels.
Throughout Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, Orban has broken with other EU leaders by refusing to provide Kiev with weapons to defend against Russian forces and has routinely delayed, mitigated or blocked the effort to send financial aid to Kiev and impose sanctions on Moscow.
The EU's longest-serving leader, Orban has become an icon for some conservative populists for his staunch opposition to immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. He has also attacked the press and the judiciary in Hungary and has been accused by the EU of violating standards of the rule of law and democracy.
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