Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

PM Orbán: 'We See Hungary's Future in EU, NATO'

PM Orbán: 'We See Hungary's Future in EU, NATO'

Hungary’s election winners and government believe in the concept of the nation state and see the country’s future in the European Union and NATO, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told an international press conference on Wednesday.

The government believes crises like migration, the pandemic and wars are global in scope, while responses to them are always made at the national and local level, Orbán said. “This is why we continue to believe in nation states,” he added.

Another pillar of the government’s vision is Hungary strengthening its alliances, the prime minister said. “We continue to see our future in the European Union and want to play an active role in shaping the European Union of the future,” Orbán said. “We are a NATO member state, we will remain one, and we want to build a much stronger military, which will also strengthen NATO,” he added.

As regards his government’s most urgent tasks, Orbán stressed the need to establish peace in Europe. The first step towards peace is a ceasefire, which should be followed by a European peace conference, he said. Orbán said this needed to happen as soon as possible, because “the war is getting increasingly brutal”. He said there was a risk that unless a ceasefire was agreed soon, “the suffering in that part of the world will continue”, and the suffering and problems would get closer to the core of Europe.

Orbán calls for urgent measures by Brussels to offset effects of high energy prices


At the same press conference, the Hungarian Prime Minister called for urgent measures to be implemented by Brussels to offset the effects of high energy prices.

High energy prices are a consequence of the war in Ukraine and will remain so as long as the war continues, Orbán said, proposing the suspension of the EU’s administrative system “irrespective of the purpose of its introduction”. He also proposed suspending “the complicated system of taxing fossil energy” and the scheme of attaching the price of electricity to that of natural gas. Finally, he proposed scrapping the requirement to blend biofuel additives into fuels.

Speaking in broader terms, Orbán said “a serious economic crisis is unfolding for a number of reasons, with the major one being the sanctions applied on Russia”. “We are going to pay the price of it,” he said.

Orbán said Hungary had a special position “on the eastern border of the western world”, adding that Hungary’s experience showed “how brutal wars can be” while “occupation is not such a rare occurrence in this region”. “We understand this whole thing and know that wars never end as they start, and will become more and more brutal as time goes by,” he said, adding that was why he proposed an immediate ceasefire to Putin. Hungary has an “uncompromising” position concerning peace because Transcarpathia has over 200,000 ethnic Hungarians and “Hungary has a responsibility for their lives.”

Answering a question, Orbán said Russian President Vladimir Putin, former US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tajjip Erdogan had congratulated him by phone on his election win.

Orbán’s take on the war


Asked about developments in Ukraine Orbán said “this is a war that Russia started attacking Ukraine, which is aggression”, adding that it was the European Union’s position “which Hungary shares”. He urged an independent and impartial probe into the atrocities, and said the Turkish president also proposed such investigations. Civilians must be protected and violence against them must be “most firmly condemned”, he said. He warned, however, that “we should not chase illusions” because “neither Russia nor the US recognise the powers of the International Court of Justice in the Hague”.

In his response to a question if Putin asked him to veto European sanctions concerning Russian gas and oil imports, Orbán said Russia was “aware of the situation, in which NATO and EU member Hungary is in opposition to Russia”. “Therefore the Russians will never ask for anything,” he added. Hungary and Russia have built well-functioning ties “which are now being destroyed”, and which the Hungarian government is trying to save “but the sanctions and western pressure could be so strong that there may be nothing left”, the prime minister said.

Answering another question Orbán said Hungary-Russia ties were “fair”, adding that “the Russians have not deceived us and we have not deceived them once” in the past 12 years. He also added that if Russia wants payment in roubles “it will be no problem for us”.

On another subject, Orbán said the West’s decision not to integrate Georgia or Ukraine into NATO back in 2008 had been “an important milestone in policies concerning Russia”, which created a new border between Russia and NATO. “Right now they are coming out of the old Russia policy and they don’t know the new one yet; it is not yet know what security system Europe will have,” he said. “The situation must be monitored and analysed, adopting to new developments, and save whatever can be saved,” he added.

Hungary is not planning to expel Russian diplomats, Orbán said, but added that “we will if we have a reason”. Hungary protects its interests well “not only against Russia but against everybody else, too”, he said. The country “will not expel anybody as part of a political campaign”, he said.

Concerning the International Investment Bank, Orbán said Russia had a minority stake in the bank and the government sought to keep it in Budapest.

On the subject of gas supplies Orbán said the question was not what gas cost “but if it is available”. Long-term supply agreements are not aimed at profits but to ensure supplies, he insisted.

Asked whether Hungary would move to protect the ethnic Hungarian community’s members living in the territory of Ukraine in the instance of a protracted war in the neighbouring country, Orbán said “Hungary is a member of NATO, without a NATO decision we will not move an inch from NATO territory”.

Asked whether he believed “in the renaissance of Ukraine as a nation state”, Orbán said “Ukraine exists, we know them, they are Hungary’s neighbours. They are defending their homeland in a tough fight” which the prime minister said was “no surprise”. “I have always been at the opinion that Ukrainians are good soldiers.”

Asked about his “war of words” with the Ukrainian president, Orbán said when there is a war going on, it is not the time to cite the many instances when Hungarians had been a target of attacks over the past years. “These attacks have put a shadow over the two countries’ relations,” he said, adding that “an intelligent Christian country would not bring such things up in a situation when they [the Ukrainians] are in trouble”.

Asked whether remarks he made on the eve of Sunday’s ballot about Volodymyr Zelensky “were unfortunate”, Orbán said the Ukrainian president “has a bad habit which is that he wants to tell everybody what they ought to do”.

“I think it would be better to quit that habit, especially when asking for help,” Orbán said.

Paks upgrade


Concerning the upgrade of Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant, Orbán said that Hungary had a general objection against the sanctions, but “since unity within the EU is important, Hungary approves such measures unless they do not impact vital Hungarian interests”. Current plans for EU sanctions “affect no component of nuclear energy” therefore the Paks project “could continue under the agreements made earlier”, he said. The project, he added, had “suffered many attacks” without which the upgraded plant could have been operational by 2023 and “Hungary could take the current energy crisis more easily”.

On the subject of Hungary-Poland relations Orbán said that some issues such as around an aviation ban or extending sanctions to energy might make those ties more difficult, but added that “the Visegrad cooperation is not a geo-political alliance aimed at making joint foreign policies but to promote their interests more efficiently within the EU”. “In this latter area cooperation continues to be smooth,” he added.

Asked about the EU’s rule of law mechanism against Hungary, Orbán said that reinforcing Hungary’s ties with Poland was paramount. “Alone you cannot stand such a storm, but who knows… better not try,” he said. Hungary and Poland is an “alliance of mutual protection” and one will not allow the other to be excluded from European decision making, he said. The two countries may have a number of differences in foreign policy but their cooperation should be active in the area where it can be most successful and that is “self-defence within the EU”, he insisted. Orbán said he had not received a letter concerning the EU launching the mechanism. He said he did “not understand” the move as Hungary had not received “a single cent” from the recovery fund “therefore it has not been in a position to spend it unlawfully”. Irrespective of the letter, “one thing is certain, Hungary will not send weapons to Ukraine and will not give in to any pressure aimed at rolling out sanctions against Russia to gas and oil, nor will it give in concerning gender issues,” he said.

‘Fidesz-led alliance secures all-time biggest win’


Talking about Sunday’s election, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance achieved its all-time best result in the general election, scoring the most votes since Hungary’s change in regime.

The alliance garnered 54 percent of the votes cast, which translates into more than two thirds of parliamentary seats, he told an international press conference.

Orbán attributed the victory to three factors. Firstly, Hungarians wanted peace and, in view of the war raging in their neighbourhood, backed the political force that provided a bigger guarantee for peace, the prime minister said. Secondly, Hungary is a successful country, and finally, the opponent was a “coalition for power” which is basically a “disrespectful approach” to the electorate, he said.

The ruling alliance, in turn, represented a “programme of heart and passion” in the election campaign, he said.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
×