Orbán: We are in the hands of two women who must reach an agreement – interview

The European Commission “has failed on every front”, from the war to migration, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a newspaper interview, saying the time had come for the rebirth of the right wing, and for that to happen, an agreement between Meloni and Le Pen was needed.

In the interview published on Tuesday in the Italian daily Il Giornale, Orban said his Fidesz party’s European Parliament delegation was ready to join the party family of European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) headed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

“We are aware of differences of opinion, but Giorgia and I have known each other for years, and she is doing extremely well in government,” he said.

Orban said he expected the European parliamentary elections to bring about a right-wing majority.

“This European Commission has failed on agriculture, war, migration and economy. They must quit,” he said.

Referring to Meloni and Marine Le Pen, the head of France’s National Rally (Rassemblement National, RN), he said:

“We are in the hands of two women who must reach an agreement.”

Put to him that the Fidesz EP group may also consider joining the Identity and Democracy (ID) party family, he said they were mulling multiple options, including setting up a new grouping. “The main goal is to be useful to Europe.”

Orban said that the EU was putting financial pressure on Italy because of its high public debt, and “blackmailing” Hungary for its stance on migration and gender policy. “It’s a political issue, it has nothing to do with the rule of law. We are resisting. We have a strategy to protect our sovereignty… Out fight may serve as an example to many other European nations,” he said.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, Orban said the war was at a crossroads: “Either we isolate the conflict and find a diplomatic solution, or we wade deeper into the war.” Allowing Ukraine to attack Russian territories with weapons received from Italy and other countries may lead to a reaction from Russia and “the involvement of NATO will be just one step away”. Europeans wanted peace rather than war, he said, “and that is not to be toyed with”.

He slammed the EU’s “failed” migration policy and said that Hungary wanted to preserve its identity and stable welfare system. “We must stop illegal migrants arriving in Europe without the permission of nation states,” he said.

Regarding Ilaria Salis, an activist placed under house arrest in Hungary who is running for a seat in the EP, Orban said “Hungarians … don’t like foreigners coming to Hungary to commit crimes and beat up Hungarians.”