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At a conference titled European Competitiveness, Hungarian Economic Neutrality, officials discussed Hungary’s position within the European Union and its need to adapt to growing international economic challenges.
The event, held at the National University of Public Service (NKE) in Budapest, gathered prominent figures like Balázs Orbán, Csaba Lentner, and Árpád Kovács.
Mr. Kovács, a member of the Prime Minister’s Strategic Advisory Board, warned that the EU’s political and economic decisions were harming itself, costing “thousands of billions of euros.” He emphasized that
Europe’s green transition is too expensive, while leading Asian powers use “spectacular tricks” to demonstrate green compliance.
Csaba Lentner, an NKE professor, echoed these concerns, stating that Hungary must trade and attract investors independently of the EU due to its weakening productivity. He criticized the EU’s approach to energy and labor issues, claiming that “slogans about building the most advanced and innovative community have come to nothing.”
Balázs Orbán, the Prime Minister’s Political Director, focused on Hungary’s economic situation and the increasing misalignment with EU policies. While advocating for Hungary to continue leveraging EU opportunities, he highlighted the bloc’s growing “institutional inertia.”
@PM_ViktorOrban presented the #Hungarian strategy of economic neutrality at @uni_nke today.
Here are the main pillars:
1️⃣ We decide with whom we do business.
2️⃣ We do business with the ones most profitable for us.
3️⃣ We negotiate only on the basis of our #values; we are not… pic.twitter.com/KIH1wmQoNb— Balázs Orbán (@BalazsOrban_HU) September 25, 2024
Mr. Orbán stressed the widening innovation gap, pointing out that leading global tech companies rarely originate in Europe, which they view primarily as a market.
He criticized the EU’s funding system, calling it “anti-innovation” and noted that domestic companies could benefit from capital injections if not for ideological battles over the past 6-7 years. According to the PM’s Political Director, “the invention of the 73rd gender makes no sense because it creates neither jobs nor competitiveness.”
Balázs Orbán’s proposed solution involves Hungary taking charge of its own innovation policies. He argued that innovation funds should be “brought closer to universities and research networks” as they are better positioned than Brussels to determine what projects deserve support. Additionally, he questioned the EU’s approach to security, expressing doubt over the feasibility of a common European defense force given opposition from member states.
The conference underscored the belief among Hungarian officials that while the EU remains important, Hungary must chart its own economic path to ensure competitiveness and resilience in a rapidly changing world.