Orbán: Ruling parties’ EP election result ‘commands respect’

The result of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance at the recent European parliamentary election has been “a victory commanding respect”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told public Kossuth Radio on Friday morning.

Orbán said that respect had already been expressed by the leaders of all European Union members personally congratulating him.

“Hungarians commanded respect at the EP election and were granted that respect,” he said.

Orbán also said that among winners of the election were “leaders of countries attacked by Soros’s foundations, civil organisations and the liberal media network”. “Apart from Hungary’s ruling parties the Polish government party, Italy’s League and the Austrians” earned the best results at the election, he added. Commenting on the performance of his own party alliance, Orbán said “it is nearly a miracle” if a party garners more than 50 percent of the votes in a list system.

The EP election has “swept away” the governments of Britain and Austria, while Greece will hold early elections, Orbán said, adding that the next few weeks, when the results are evaluated, could shake “one or two more” governments.

Concerning the EU’s new leaders, Orbán said that he could only support an “anti-migration candidate that respects Europe’s nations and protects Christian culture”.

“We have such candidates in reserve, more than one,” he said, but declined to mention names. He added that the Visegrád countries would support one or another candidate unanimously. “Those times are over when the Germans and the French decided over important European issues; the Visegrád countries are now to be taken into consideration with equal weight,” the prime minister said.

Orbán noted that Tuesday’s EU summit declared that the party groups’ top candidates for European Commission president will not automatically become the European Council’s candidates for the post. “We have put them aside,” Orbán said.

Apart from negotiations over personnel issues, leaders of the EU need to put together a document of strategic objectives for the next five years, with “party issues to come later”, Orbán said. He added that the European People’s Party and the Socialists have “further weakened” and an alliance between them in itself would not ensure a majority. “A more complex negotiating and operative mechanism will be needed,” Orbán said, adding that Fidesz would need to find its place in this “changing constellation”. Fidesz, an EPP member, will wait and see where the group goes and if it can influence its directions and if those directions “are in line with the interests of Hungarians,” Orbán said.

“If so, we will stay, if not, we will join a new formation,” he added.

Concerning Hungary’s opposition, Orbán congratulated the opposition parties on their election results but said that in the pre-election campaign he had “sensed that the people are dissatisfied with the opposition”. Those opposition forces gained more support whose governments had “destroyed” the country between 2002-2010, he insisted.

Commenting on the economy protection action plan approved at Wednesday’s government meeting, Orbán said new measures were needed because Hungary’s economy was accelerating while Europe’s was slowing down and several economic decisions made in Brussels were disadvantageous to Hungary.

Hungary needs foreign investment involving state-of-the-art technology in order not to fall behind the competition, Orbán added.

The new plan involves tax cuts and allowances, and growth incentives, to support Hungary’s small and medium-sized companies he added.

He also said that a special government security was being introduced offering higher interest rates and more flexibility than before.

“People can trust the Hungarian economy and the tax cuts could bring attractive results within one or two months,” he added. As a result, Hungary can fulfil its plan to keep economic growth 2 percentage point above the EU average, he said.

Commenting on Wednesday’s disaster of a sightseeing boat carrying South Korean passengers on the River Danube, he said he was shaken by the accident where “passengers had no chance of survival”. He expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and added that he had also talked to South Korean President Moon Jae-in over the phone. He said he had asked for a comprehensive, strict and thorough investigation in the case, adding that “we want to know exactly what happened and why” and the public will be informed about the results.

Source: MTI