Orban calls for EU budget to be put on 'fair footing'

Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday called for the European Union budget to be put on a "fair footing", adding that the current concept includes amendments that shift monies from poorer countries to richer ones. After meeting European Council President Charles Michel in Brussels, Orban told Hungarian journalists that he foresaw a busy schedule for the next six months, with several unresolved issues to be discussed, including the post-2020 seven-year EU budget, migration, digitalisation and EU enlargement. The aim is not to simply debate those issues but to conclude them, too, Orban said. Regarding the talks with Michel, Orban said the budget was top of the agenda as Michel is convening an EU summit on the topic on Feb. 20.