The flooding caused by Storm Boris in Eastern and Central Europe was the worst in two decades.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the country should rely on its own resources to deal with flooding that has been ongoing since earlier this week, instead of asking the EU for money.
Orbán was asked about European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal to allow flood-affected Eastern European countries to benefit from up to 10 billion euros from the Cohesion Fund, although he did not mention Hungary among them.
“Apparently, he classifies us as Western Europe,” replied the Hungarian prime minister.
According to him, “one day someone from somewhere, a woman named Ursula, some European Union or commission, will send us money or help us – it’s like dinner for a dog (a Hungarian expression meaning an uncertain event).”
“We can deal with it ourselves, but we welcome any help so I don’t suggest that we make an unfortunate beggar. We are a serious country, we have done our job,” said Orban.
Orban doubts that Hungary will receive timely aid from the EU after widespread flooding in central Europe this week.
“With all due respect, if we had waited for help from Brussels, we would have been up to our necks in water,” the prime minister told his government’s news conference on Thursday morning.
The flooding caused by Storm Boris in Eastern and Central Europe was the worst in two decades. At least 24 people were killed as a result – five in the Czech Republic, seven in Romania, seven in Poland and five in Austria.
In Hungary, the Danube is expected to rise on Saturday and begin to recede gradually over the next few days.
Source: korrespondent
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