Hungarian government will attract investments from anywhere, adds punitive tariffs on China do no good

The government wants to make Hungary a place that can attract investments from anywhere, Zoltán Kovacs, the government’s international spokesman, said in an interview with Eurasia Magazine.

“Hungary remains committed to openness. We continue to welcome investments from all parts of the world, whether in production, innovation, or development,” Kovács said. “These benefit not only our nation but also contribute to Europe’s overall competitiveness and economic growth,” he added.

He said Europe’s competitiveness hinged on acknowledging the diversity among Europe’s regions, unique differences that “cannot be standardised”. Regions need to be allowed to make the most of their own distinct capabilities, he added.

“Common sense” rather than “ideology”

Decisions that are “forced” on affected businesses, such as punitive tariffs on Chinese EVs, can do no good for European competitiveness, he said. He added that isolationist policies would lead nowhere. Kovács called for “common sense”, rather than “ideology”, when taking decisions on matters such as the green transition.

Asked whether he thought the Trump presidency would respect Hungary’s considerations with regard to China, Kovács said “ideologically-based pressure” was not expected, making things much easier from the start. He said the approach to the Trump White House would be founded on mutual respect, “something that is entirely lacking in Western European politics”.

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