Hungarian Foreign Minister: "Quota system totally nonsense"

The European Union recently agreed to resettle up to 120,000 refugees presently in Greece, Hungary and Italy in other member countries. Péter Szijjártó tells Tim Sebastian: "It was totally nonsense to speak about this quota system."

On Hungary’s current reputation of being xenophobic, Szijjártó says: "There is an international campaign in the media against Hungary."

He adds, that "no member of any minority here has to be afraid of anything: we will protect everyone."

Péter Szijjártó, born in 1978, was the youngest member of the Hungarian parliament when he was elected in 2002. Two years later he became Vice Chairman of the Committee on Youth and Sport Affairs and also the spokesman of the conservative Fidesz-Party. In 2012, Prime Minister Orbán nominated Szijjártó as the chairman of several committees to boost Hungarian trade relations. In September 2014, Orbán appointed Szijjártó as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Tim Sebastian invites national and international decision-makers to his weekly DW show. "Conflict Zone" airs every Wednesday at 17.30 UTC and will be available online on demand.