Expert: Orbán suggested Huxit behind closed doors

A well-known Hungarian investment expert, Viktor Zsiday, examined a last year speech of the prime minister. Viktor Orbán talked about the challenges and opportunities of the new decade at a Christmas dinner, organised by the Széll Kálmán Foundation. The event was not open to the press. Balázs Orbán, the political director of the prime minister shared Orbán’s words in a government-close paper later. Based on his writing, Mr Zsiday believes Orbán’s message about “getting away from” the European alliance can mean a Huxit.

Huxit possible?

According to the portfolio.hu, a Hungarian economy-focused website, the manager of Citadella Alap analysed the thoughts of PM Orbán on his blog.

Zsiday said in his analysis that he agreed with Orbán about the necessity of determined state intervention during the 2008 global financial crisis. However, he disagreed with Orbán on why the West opted for loosening economic ties with the East. Zsiday said the West decided to do so because they had realised the system favoured the East.

As a result, an Eastern and Western block formed. Orbán said taking sides would have been disadvantageous for Hungary because it would have become a subdued periphery state of the West. Therefore, the government decided to transform Hungary from a peripheric country into a bridge between East and West. That is how Hungary can become a high-income country, the prime minister highlighted in his speech.

Not taking sides implies that Hungary’s ties with the West will weaken and may lead to a possible Huxit, Mr Zsiday argued on his blog. The other option is transforming the EU from a political alliance into a free trade agreement.

• Read also: Czech minister: Hungary on the edge of the abyss, Huxit possible

Here is the reaction of Orbán’s press chief

Zsiday slammed Orbán’s argument about attributing the last decade’s economic development to the Eastern trade and investments in Hungary. He said that the trend developed in the 2010s. All of the countries in the Central European region did so. However, Hungary’s catch-up to the 75 percent of the EU average remained below the regional median (9 percent vs 13 percent).

Zsiday highlighted that Hungary ran on the same track as its regional competitors. Furthermore, it used its cheap but skilled labour force to attract investments. Meanwhile, many Hungarians left the country to work for higher wages in the Western European states. Therefore, Hungary’s development can be thanked to the EU instead of the East.

He also argued that if Hungary left the EU, the flow of Eastern investments would end. Hungary is interesting for them only until it is part of the Western alliance and a member of the EU/NATO, Mr Zsiday added. A Huxit would mean an economic suicide, he warned.

RTL Klub asked the press chief of Orbán whether avoiding the West block means leaving NATO or the EU. Bertalan Havasi said the question was ill-intentioned and absurd since Hungary was a committed member of NATO and the EU and a devotee of free trade.

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Source: portfolio.hu