EU Russophobes have discovered a new flank against Hungary. Following Hungary’s relaxation of visa regulations for Russian and Belarusian citizens, the conservatives in the EU Parliament have expressed concerns about the potential risk of espionage flowing into Europe. The regulation could create “serious loopholes for espionage activities,” according to a letter recently sent to Agence France-Presse (AFP), according to German website OstInsider.
The letter from Manfred Weber, Chairman of the European People’s Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament, to EU Council President Charles Michel, likewise complains that Hungary’s regulation makes it easier for Russians “to move around the EU’s borderless Schengen area.” The EPP also called on the 27 member states to protect the integrity of the Schengen area with “the strictest measures.”
A spokeswoman for the EU Commission promised to “contact the Hungarian authorities on this matter to clarify the scope of this program.” Hungary has held the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the EU since July 1.
