Hungary describes as “political hysteria” the fears of the European Commission and the largest faction of the European Parliament regarding the distribution of the “national card” to Russians and Belarusians.
The European Commission has said that this new residence and work permit scheme raises the risk of espionage in the European Union.
“There are no legal or security issues with the national card,” Hungarian European Union Affairs Minister János Bók said at a press conference in Brussels, “However, there is… a clear political hysteria created by the majority of the European Parliament and some member states.” .
Previously, Hungary’s national card system was only available to citizens of Ukraine and Serbia, but in July it was expanded to eight countries, including Russia and Belarus.
