The Hungarian government will follow the Netherlands and ask for an opt-out to EU rules on asylum and migration, the country’s European affairs minister János Bóka said on social media.

The move follows Dutch asylum minister Marjolein Faber’s announcement that she had contacted the European Commission about an opt-out for the Netherlands.

Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right PVV which dominates the new government, is a close ally of Hungary’s leader Viktor Orbán, who praised the Dutch move as “brave” on social media.

A European Commission spokeswoman said on Wednesday the Dutch request had been received but declined to speculate on the response. “An opt out is only possible if there are changes to the treaty,” she said. “We don’t expect any immediate changes.”

Faber said in her letter than in the meantime, the Netherlands will continue to prioritise implementation of a new EU pact on migration and asylum.

Those rules, according to the commission, “are designed to manage and normalise migration for the long term, providing EU countries with the flexibility to address the specific challenges they face, and necessary safeguards to protect people in need.”

Faber’s decision to send the letter came up for discussion during the second day of debate on the government’s spending plans on Thursday.

D66 leader Rob Jetten pointed out that the letter should have been sent to the Council of Ministers, not the European Commission.

“It is the job of the prime minister to coordinate the cabinet’s strategy for Europe,” he told prime minister Dick Schoof. “The first thing you do is let the migration minister send a hopeless, symbolic letter to the wrong person,” Jetten said.