PM’s political director makes case for connectivity in new book

Balázs Orbán, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s political director, said a strategy aiming for a return to a world of blocs was not good for Europe and “certainly not in the interest of Hungary”.

Presenting his new book, Huszarvagas – The Hungarian Strategy of Connectivity, in Debrecen on Tuesday, Orbán said, the traditionally dominant position of the Western world was weakening as the global balance of power shifted, and some were addressing this change by pressing for a return to the “logic of the Cold War”.

“We think this isn’t a good strategy … we need to follow an alternative path, we believe in connectivity, instead of a world of blocs,” he added.

He said Hungary needed to concentrate on finding “mutually beneficial economic cooperation” and harnessing the potential of the country’s geographical location, its historical attributes and the structure of its economy.

Orbán said Hungary’s traditional alliances such as NATO and the European Union had weight, but also noted the growing importance of complementary international initiatives for cooperation such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the Organisation of Turkic States. The world, he said, was becoming multipolar and Hungary must forge its own path, “establishing ties of the right depth and quality with all poles in line with its own interests”, he said.