Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán discussed Budapest and Brussels politics in an interview with the French newspaper Le Point, conducted at the Carmelite Monastery. He spoke on various topics, including Péter Magyar, Hungary’s position within the European Union, and right-wing party coalitions within the EU.
The Hungarian news site hvg.hu reported on Orbán’s recent interview. The Prime Minister addressed the future of European right-wing coalitions, Hungary’s EU membership, the ideology of Brussels and Péter Magyar.
He outlined his government’s priorities during its upcoming EU presidency, highlighting migration, the war in Ukraine, the green transition, the development of defence capabilities and demography as key issues to tackle. However, he stressed that the actual significance of the position Hungary is about to take should be properly assessed:
“It gives us the role of a fair broker, not a real leader,” he explained.
Fidesz’s prospects in the ECR
On the future of right-wing forces in Brussels, Orbán remarked that it is now “in the hands of two women,” adding that the future of European “sovereigntist” parties will largely depend on whether France’s Marine Le Pen and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni can collaborate effectively.
“If they manage to work together, either as a group or in a coalition, they will be a force for Europe,” said Orbán. He suggested this could be enough to reshape the European right and even displace the European People’s Party (EPP), which he described
He stressed that a possible future Fidesz accession to the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) in the European Parliament is under consideration.
“We would like to join the ECR, but we also want to be clear about our relationship with the National Rally on the one hand and the EPP on the other. […] What we need is for the right-wing voters’ views to be reflected and collected by the right. Not for the EPP to continue to gather right-wing voters, to deceive them and to cooperate with the left.”
Brussels ideology vs Putin: assessing threats
When asked what he considers the greatest threat to Europe, Vladimir Putin or, as Marine Le Pen has suggested, the creation of a “European superstate controlled by the Commission,” Orbán stated that NATO is a strong organisation and that Europe is currently not in military danger. Thus, he considers the ideological leadership of the EU to be the most dangerous.
Orbán stated that, unlike other political leaders, he considers the service of national interests to be his primary task, which is why he finds it strange that in some states principles and political interests are considered more important than people.
The outlook for Hungary in the EU
The Hungarian PM asserted that Hungary supports increasing European defence capabilities, but only if it is implemented gradually, without the uptake of common debt. Hungary is ready to pay for the EU military effort with its own financial contribution.
As for Ukraine, Orbán finds it premature to discuss its accession under the current circumstances, saying that the country’s borders and population need to be clarified first. Conversely, he views enlargement in the Balkans not as a burden for Hungary but as an opportunity.
When Le Point asked why Hungary does not join the BRICS countries if the government is so critical of Brussels, the Prime Minister replied that 75% of the country’s exports go to the European market, which is vital to the Hungarian economy. Thus, Hungary will remain a member of the Union.
Péter Magyar was also briefly mentioned in the interview. Orbán commented:
“It is difficult to imagine that Hungarians trust someone who recorded a conversation with his wife without her knowledge and then used this recording for political purposes. I cannot imagine that because Hungary is a serious country.”
Read also:
Minister: Hungary sticking to “sovereign, patriotic and pro-peace policies”
Source: HVG
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4 Comments
Orban’s statement putting Putin above the EU is proof positive that Hungary needs to be kicked out of the EU and NATO as soon as possible. Orban and Fidesz are extremely dangerous to the security of Europe and should be deemed “enemies” of Europe, NATO and democracy.
He’s 100% right. Putin doesn’t want Hungarian territory nor does he want Hungary’s past, present, and future to be destroyed with a third-world illegal alien invasion, Net Zero, Agenda 2030, “gender” ideology, Big Government and statism, forced “vaccinations,” and so much more. The E.U. does. You do the math.
Please kick out this trojan horse from nato and eu
Of course Mr. Putin will just stop when he gets what he wants in Ukraine! He will just send the soldiers home, mothball the excess defense industry capacity and the world will live happily ever after. NATO territory will never be threatened, I am sure Mr. Lavrov can promise. Question: would you want to take him at his word?