Tusk calls EU leaders naive over migration crisis

EU Council chief Donald Tusk criticized fellow conservatice European leaders over the handling of the migration crisis at a gathering in Madrid attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, among others. "We can no longer allow solidarity to be equivalent to naivety, openness to be equivalent to helplessness, freedom to be equivalent to chaos. And by that, I am of course referring to the situation on our borders," Tusk said in a 5-minute speech. Addressing the European People's Party, an alliance of centre-right movements, Tusk said the leaders present must not "abdicate" their "primary duty" to protect their territory. "If you want to help others, you need to first be able to take care of yourself and your loved ones," he said, praising host Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for curbing illegal migration to Spain. He also called for an end to "this completely unnecessary argument between the proponents of protecting external borders and the advocates of solidarity and openness", and for a "rational hybrid" of both. Due to the worsening situation in the Balkans, a crisis meeting will be held on Sunday hosted by Jean-Claude Juncker. It has raised concerns that a division between EU leaders may deepen, particularly between those who call for solidarity, and others who stress the need to tighten Europe's borders.