Hungarian PM Magyar linked the riots in France to migration and promised a hard line

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said the 'shocking scenes' of the riots in France justify Budapest's tough migration policy. Anti-austerity protests in Paris, Lyon and Marseille were accompanied by pogroms and fires, including the burned-down town hall in Limoges. Magyar's comments drew criticism in Hungary, while Tusk and Macron took different positions.

tafs uz editorial deskFirst published on tafs uz 18 October 2026 at 21:272 min readAI translation

The key facts

Magyar linked the French riots to migration and called them justification for Hungary's tough policy
Protests against austerity escalated into pogroms in Paris, Lyon and Marseille; the town hall in Limoges burned down
Magyar's comments were criticized by Budapest municipal councilor András Jámbor; Tusk and Macron took different positions

Riots in France and Budapest's reaction

Anti-austerity protests in several French cities escalated into riots on Saturday: pogroms were recorded in Paris, Lyon and Marseille, several buildings were set on fire, including the historic town hall in Limoges. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar on Sunday linked the events to migration, writing on social media next to a video of burning buildings that the 'shocking scenes' show why Hungary takes the toughest position on migration. He promised not to weaken the defense of the external borders and not to change migration policy, adding that the 'overwhelming majority of European countries' allegedly want a tougher approach and have 'finally woken up'.

Different positions of European leaders

At the European summit held this week, a group of countries, including Denmark, Italy and Hungary, pushed for tougher wording on migration in the final documents. French President Emmanuel Macron warned against 'stigmatizing' migrants, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez positively assessed their contribution. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Sunday, without naming France directly, said that Poland 'will neither repeat nor pay for' others' mistakes: the country protects its border from illegal migration, does not accept asylum applications and deports violators of the law. 'On security matters we will be merciless,' he wrote on X, referring to what he said to European leaders in Brussels.

Criticism within Hungary

Magyar's statements drew criticism in Hungary itself. Left-wing activist and Budapest municipal councilor András Jámbor accused the prime minister of using footage of the riots for political purposes. According to him, it is 'deeply alarming' that Magyar did not speak about the legitimate demands of the people and the unjustified violence, but 'labeled them as migrants'. Jámbor noted that although some of the protesters have migrant backgrounds, as does part of the population in general, the demonstration is 'bigger than that'.