(AFP) German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday accused Hungary’s right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban of failing to respect “humanity” with his immigration policy, days after she made key border protection concessions to hardliners who have embraced Budapest’s anti-migrant stance.
In a remarkable clash on European values at a time when feuds over migration threaten the cohesion of the EU, Merkel and Orban each presented themselves as staunch defenders of the bloc’s very purpose.
“The problem as I see it, and where the difference lies, is that we must always remember that we are talking about human beings,” Merkel told a joint news conference.
“It is about human beings who come to us, and about Europe’s basic message. And that is humanity.”
