More than a thousand refugees remained yesterday at the edge of Serbia with Hungary awaiting the Hungarian authorities to open their step, despite the sealing of the border. Hungary would not be accepted today in the European Union if it is catered to so-called Copenhagen criteria, established in 1993 as a prelude to the incorporation of the countries that were formerly part of the Soviet bloc and were evolving towards democracy step. There were four demands, which also served as an impetus for all States who were waiting: they had with democratic institutions, ensuring respect for the rights, the functioning of the market economy and the implementation of the Community legal acquis. With the implementation of its measures against refugees, Budapest violates at least three of these criteria.
Hungary is a unique and extreme, but other former communist countries are adopting positions on refugees in open discord with European values and international legal rules, specifically the United Nations conventions, which oblige to accept not discriminate or penalize asylum seekers as victims of war or persecution.
So much so that the German Government warns EU partners, especially in the East, that is sick of being "payer" of Europe and other states participate only when it is charging, but not when it touches demonstrate Minimum solidarity between countries and citizens. Too many EU members put their national self-interest ahead of collective action which should allow the joint distribution of 120,000 refugees and other common sense measures proposed by the Commission. Germany is right. One can understand the restoration of border controls where most migratory pressure exists, but is unacceptable attitude of many governments that try to ignore the tragedy that hit the gates of the Old Continent.
The refugee crisis is a good opportunity for the EU to strengthen the content of enlargement to 28 countries, conducted between 2004 and 2012, or otherwise allow progress further political integration in the core countries of favorable policies asylum and left in a second speed who want to impose restrictions.
We must quickly build a common asylum policy, instead of remaining in the current limbo which means the mere coordination of national policies designed for another era. Countries that refuse to host refugees allocated to them should leave the Schengen agreement, plus penalties become candidates as put forward by the government of Angela Merkel. There is now another way to preserve the European single market freedoms, including the free movement of persons.
And in that context, should not be dismissed take much stronger action on a country like Hungary, ruled by a party that has become xenophobia and nationalist irredentism in components of its anti-European ideology, closer to Putin's Russia than to Europe Adenauer, Schuman and Monet.
