France’s Rassemblement National a strong ally of the Orbán cabinet, says minister

The Patriots for Europe (PfE) has “a great significance” in the European Parliament, and the cooperation between Fidesz and the French Rassemblement National (RN) is especially important within the party group, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s minister of foreign affairs and trade, said in Paris on Wednesday.

Speaking ahead of a meeting with RN president Jordan Bardella, he said that the party is an ally of the Hungarian government, and sits with Fidesz and the Hungarian Christian Democrats (KDNP) in the third largest party group of the European Parliament.

At the meeting, Szijjártó said, according to a ministry statement, that they would mostly review Europe-related political issues, as several of the two parties’ approaches to challenges facing the continent were similar.

Marine Le Pen (c) and RN president Jordan Bardella (l1) with PM Orbán (r2) in Brussels. Photo: FB/Jordan Bardella

The two parties agree on border protection and tightening migration regulations, which “could remedy one of Europe’s greatest problems, the migration crisis,” Szijjártó said. “Europe’s external borders must be protected, and it must be made clear that entry to Europe is only possible through legal and regulated channels; immigration must be stopped rather than managed,” he said.

Europe of nations

“Also, we both believe in a Europe of nations, and are protecting our sovereignty. Unfortunately, we had to face many attacks from Brussels on that score. Our sovereignty would definitely suffer, if the requirement of unanimous decision was scrapped on issues where it is currently in place,” he said.

That would turn the EU into “the alliance and server of a few large member states, and midsize and small countries would have no other choice but to agree with them.”

Hungary, on the other hand, wants to represent its own interests in the EU, he said.

RN is the largest party in PfE, and Fidesz gives the only prime minister in the group, Szijjártó noted.

“It’s the same on the matter of foreign affairs. I am the only one representing the PfE in the Foreign Affairs Council, so cooperation with the party group is especially important when it comes to working in the EP and the European Council,” Szijjártó said.

Energy cooperation between Hungary, France ‘outstanding’

Cooperation between Hungary and France in the area of energy is “outstanding”, Szijjártó said after a meeting with Agnes Pannier-Runacher, the French energy minister, in Paris on Wednesday. In a statement issued by his ministry, Szijjártó said energy was “the most successful area of bilateral cooperation” between Hungary and France, adding that the sides were “in full agreement” on the use of nuclear energy.

He augured a “dramatic” increase in demand for electricity to power heating and cooling systems, industrial capacity and electric vehicles. Nuclear energy is the “only affordable, safe and stable” means to meet that demand, he said. “Without nuclear energy, there can be no green transition in Europe, and without nuclear energy, there can be no economic competitiveness on the continent,” he added.

He pointed to the establishment of a coalition of European countries that use nuclear energy and see the issue as one “based on facts and science” not as an “ideological, political or philosophical” question. French companies are playing a “key role” in the expansion of Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant, delivering the control system as well as the generators and turbines, Szijjártó said.

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