PM Orbán – PM Fico summit: Hungary has a new ally in the EU
Hungary-Slovakia relations are at a high point as one backs the other in the European Union in economic and energy-security terms, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after talks with Slovak counterpart Robert Fico in Budapest on Tuesday, noting the launch of a new bilateral cooperation. Slovakia does not back the curbing of Hungary’s rights in the European Union, and “will never agree to a country being penalised for fighting for sovereignty and national independence,” Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said in Budapest on Tuesday.
Slovak PM concerned
Speaking after talks with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Fico told a joint press conference that developments “around Hungary and Slovakia” in the EU were reason for concern. The EP was planning to adopt a declaration on changes to the Slovak Penal Code and on the country abolishing the special prosecutor’s office, he said. He also slammed the Slovak opposition, saying “they harm the entire country just so they can harm the government.”
Slovakia is monitoring the situation around Hungary too, as there have been proposals to strip the country of its voting and other rights, Fico said.
He pledged to oppose any measures “aiming to punish countries for fighting for national independence and sovereignty.”
Fico said Slovakia also rejected the EU migration pact, and agreed with Orban’s stance on the war in Ukraine and on the role of the Visegrad Group.
Hungary’s rights can only be curbed with a consensus of all member states, “and I, President Robert Fico of Slovakia, shall never agree to such an attack, because it would be contrary to my stance on the protection of sovereignty and national interests,” he said.
Orbán got an invitation
Fico invited Orbán to visit Slovakia, praised Hungary’s proposals on the EU budget and support for Ukraine as “intelligent and sensible”, and said Slovakia would back those proposals.
Despite belonging to different political factions, Fico said he agreed with Orban’s stance on rejecting the migration pact, Ukraine and the future of the Visegrad Group, as well as Europe’s future.
He thanked Hungary’s help in protecting Slovak airspace.
Regarding aid for Ukraine, Fico said Slovakia would continue to provide humanitarian aid but will reject delivering weapons.
Meanwhile, Slovakia would like to allocate more EU funding to the fight against illegal migration and the secondary effects of the war in Ukraine.
“It is tragic that the Visegrád Group has been hobbled,” he said, and called on the Czech prime minister to convene a meeting of the heads of government of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia “on matters concerning all four member states”.
Fico about veto rights
On the future of the EU, Fico said scrapping the veto rights of member states and introducing majority decision-making in important security and political issues “would be the beginning of the end”.
On bilateral ties between Hungary and Slovakia, Fico called for further border crossings and said the Slovak government is planning to hold sessions outside of Parliament, including the regions inhabited by ethnic Hungarians. The ombudsman for ethnic minorities will also be an ethnic Hungarian, he added.
Orbán praised Fico: interests in the same direction
At a joint press conference, Orbán welcomed Fico’s return to office, adding that “we have long been waiting for this meeting”. He noted that their first bilateral meeting had taken place in April 2012 with the current one being the 33rd, “perhaps a European record”. Orbán said continuity, security and stability were the most important political values, calling long-term bilateral relations such as that of Hungary and Slovakia “highly valuable” which he said were serving the interests of both countries’ peoples. Both nations are deeply connected throughout history with Latin Christianity being “a deeply rooted and strong civilisational bond,” he said.
Orbán said that the interests of Hungary and Slovakia were “at least 99 percent in the same direction”, and sovereignty was important for both countries.
“On Hungary’s part — and I sense identical feelings here — we are unhappy about Brussels’ initiatives for a super state; we are not at all happy about efforts to make illegal migration legitimate, and we want to protect our borders and have a say about who we allow to enter the country,” Orbán said.
He thanked Fico for Slovakia’s police presence at the southern borders of Hungary, and he said Hungary was glad to contribute to air policing in Slovakian air space from the beginning of 2024.
Slovakia is Hungary’s 3rd largest trading partner
In terms of economic cooperation, Orbán welcomed as “fantastic data” that Slovakia is Hungary’s 3rd largest trading partner with a steady annual volume of 15 billion euros worth of bilateral trade. He noted that Hungary ensures the transit route for oil supplies to Slovakia while receives one-fourth of its electricity imports via that country. The agreement concluded with the Slovak prime minister in 2014 has been fully implemented, Orban said, noting the opening of 20 new border crossings in addition to the existing 20 which he said “have greatly contributed to a tangible improvement of the quality of life of those living in the border area”.
“Today we also agreed on preparing a second Hungarian-Slovak cooperation package and decided to set up a committee tasked with the coordination,” said Orbán.
Regarding the approaching Hungarian EU presidency, Orbán said Hungary had experience in filling that post, albeit “in less explosive times”. “We have an experience in representing national interests without harming the madiating role of the European Council president.”
The EU affairs ministers of Slovakia and Hungary will cooperate closely in the while Hungary is preparing for the role, he said.
EUR 50 billion to Ukraine in advance unimaginable
In connection with European Council President Charles Michel leaving his post to run in the EP elections, Orbán said neither he nor his ruling Fidesz party had any ambition to fill “any European post”.
Asked about the EU summit set for Feb 1, Orbán said its agenda would focus on ways of further supporting Ukraine and the related modification of the common EU budget.
Orbán said giving Ukraine 50 billion euros for four years in advance would mean that resources the member states are entitled to would also land in Ukraine. Any financial instrument for aiding Ukraine should be set up outside the EU budget, he said.
He agreed that Ukraine needed further help, but said further assistance “should not hurt the EU budget”. “Hungary does not want to take out a joint loan, but it is ready to provide its share from central budget resources. If Brussels accepts this proposal, Ukraine will receive help from outside the [EU] budget, but if not, I will need to stop the whole process,” Orbán said.
Regarding amendments to the EU budget, “Hungary is ready to support all points that are important for Slovakia,” he said.
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Fico is a prodigy of Orban.
He too is pro-Russian and a nasty piece of work. He doesn’t want to contribute to the EU policy on Ukraine just like his Master across the border – and he called an election because he resigned due to dark suspicions of corruption.
Two ‘nuisance’ journalists were assassinated who some think was connected to Fico. And he was sued by liberal president, Zuzana Caputova for spreading lies about her. He has besmirched opponents and NGO’s accusing them of following instructions of U.S financier George Soros. (Sound familiar?)
A truly nasty piece of work – who’s understanding of what a democracy is is as ignorant as Orban’s
He was a big noise in the communist party (and still is) and would happily lead Slovakia in becoming a Russian satellite. Another war-criminal denying Ukraine funds at a sensitive time.
Why does the EU put up with these tossers?
Fico won’t last long – he only polled 30-odd percent in the last election – and is in a tenuous position in coalition with two other right wing parties.
Orban’s attempt to create a strong bulwark to take on the EU via the ‘Visigrad’ four has failed miserably – Poland’s Donald Tusk won’t touch it with a barge pole! Only Orban and Fico – two corrupt communistic Putin-loving leaders on the path to failure, are antagonising the unity and cohesion of the EU.
The ‘VisiSAD’ Two!
Watch out for signs of a Huxit and Slovxit with a wind-assisted booting out of the EU.
Hungary fails again! Tch! Tch!
And good riddance.
Our Politicians “lost” Poland as BFF, replacing them with Slovakia. What a stunning victory! One ally in the EU – among 27. Thought Leaders!
Interestingly, you somehow do not hear Mr. Orbán and company so much about Mrs. Meloni, these days….
Fico’s Slovakia did not cooperate with Hungary’s holding out on an EU Ukraine vote recently, because its’ political suicide domestically when most voters support the EU (esp. vs. Russia).
Only hard right or conservative, ‘low info’, regional and ageing voters who support anti-EU policies, till it impacts them personally….