European People's Party (EPP) chairman Manfred Weber has warned that the EU must tackle migration if it is to avoid the rise of the far-right movement on the continent.
"If we don't find a solution or a proper common understanding of how to manage migration, then I'm very worried about the next European election," he said at a Politico event.
The EPP chairman pointed to the election in the Netherlands, where far-right populist Geert Wilders won a surprise victory last week, as an example.
Similarly, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Germany is gaining strength, driven by concerns about migration, which Weber called "a big shock and a matter of concern".
At the European level, the President of the EPP called on the parties to finalize the agreement on migration.
"We have to revive her," he said. "People need to see that we are not only talking about migration, that we are not only appealing to solve the problems, but that we are really able to legislate and really find a solution at the European level to stop illegal arrivals on European soil." /BGNES
