Mart Helme to boycott Macron and Conte's migration debate
Minister of the Interior Mart Helme (EKRE) will not be taking part in next Monday's EU interior ministers meeting to discuss migration policy. Helme says he is sending a message that Estonia will not even discuss a central migration mechanism.
President of France Emmanuel Macron and Italian PM Giuseppe Conte want to redesign EU migration policy to have all member states take part. Those opting out would look at financial penalties. The new migration mechanism proposed by Italy will be presented to EU interior ministers in its initial form on Monday. Mart Helme will not be present.
"Our symbolic absence is meant to demonstrate that we are not about to discuss this matter. We will not be pulled into debates. Estonia will not accept immigrants based on a central distribution mechanism," Helme told ERR.
"It is clear the proposal will not be supported. It is also clear they will keep proposing it. Discussions will obviously resume at the next meeting in early October. And they will bring it up again," Helme said.
Helme added that countries that do not accept the proposed treatment of immigration number far more than just Estonia.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
