“Hungarian EU Presidency Provides Impetus without Influencing Decision-makers”

Peace will be at the focus of the Hungarian EU Presidency, Viktor Orbán stressed in an exclusive interview with M1 news channel. The Prime Minister added that another important objective will be to strengthen competitiveness.

Viktor Orbán, who was interviewed in Brussels after taking over the EU presidency from Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo on Monday, said that Europe’s biggest problem today is the war between Russia and Ukraine, and that this is the most important issue of the next period.

He explained that the Americans should not be left out when thinking about the future of Europe. In the U.S. presidential debate, Republican candidate Donald Trump had made it clear that he wanted to end the war within 24 hours; if he won, there would at least be a ceasefire.

Europe must therefore prepare itself for the fact that the Americans and Russians will negotiate with each other sooner or later,

emphasized the Prime Minister. The most important questions that need to be asked are therefore what place Europe will have in this agreement, who will represent its interests and what its interests are in the first place, he noted.

Busy first day at the office. As of today, Hungary holds the Presidency of the EU. Time to make Europe great again! #MEGA #HU24EU @CharlesMichel @alexanderdecroo pic.twitter.com/eirNNRBy2A

— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) July 1, 2024

Viktor Orbán pointed out that Hungary cannot answer these questions, but as President-in-Office of the EU Council, he can do what is part of the job of an EU Council President: put proposals on the table and help the 27 prime ministers make a decision. The politician described Hungary’s openness and directness in international diplomacy as a virtue and the fact that it can bring the Hungarian character trait of calling a spade a spade to European debates.

The Hungarian Presidency could provide impetus and is good for Europe because it speaks openly about the most difficult issues without trying to influence the decision-makers.”

At the same time, the politician added that Hungary knows its place in the world, it knows its virtues and its mistakes, and it adds what it has to European values to the best of its knowledge and belief.

Regarding illegal migration, the Prime Minister pointed out that the migration pact, which was agreed in a “big sham”, is not working and that “we need to move on.” He said that he proposed that Brussels should not punish Hungary for not letting migrants in, but that this migration policy should be adopted in Brussels and other capitals. Suddenly everything would become simpler, he added.

On one of the goals of the Hungarian Presidency is to strengthen European competitiveness, as it was a mistake to introduce big international taxes, “taxes are bad things”, he underlined. “To boost the economy, you have to support the economic actors,” Mr. Orbán reminded. He said that measures “which are supposed to be about protecting certain industries, especially the car industry, from the East” would be revised.

The European Union was on the verge of getting into a trade war with the East, which it would only lose,

the Prime Minister highlighted. He also noted that there is a need to radically rethink and reshape green energy policy, because the result in recent years has been that Europe is using more coal than before, and energy prices have doubled or tripled.

During the Hungarian Presidency:

• 120 legislative dossiers will have to be taken forward,
• 1,500 working group meetings will be held,
• 230 Presidency events and
• 37 high-level meetings will take place, and
• the summit of 27 European prime ministers and the European Political Community, bringing together 47 European prime ministers and heads of state,

will also be held in Budapest.

Assessing the European Parliament elections, the Prime Minister stressed that the people of Europe voted for change, because in 20 out of 27 countries parties won “who said that things in Brussels cannot go on like this”. He noted that the more obvious it is that change is needed, the more change will come, which is why a new group has been launched. The Fidesz president described the Patriots for Europe (PfE), formed with the participation of Hungarians, Austrians and Czechs, as a pan-European, right-wing and patriotic political organization that

stands for peace, order, security and development, and which will become “a large parliamentary group faster than anyone would think”.

“In four or five more days, many people will be surprised,” Mr. Orbán emphasized, adding that their inaugural meeting will be held on July 8 and that an Italian party will soon join the Portuguese Chega, that has already announced its accession.

According to the Prime Minister, the alliance is “growing at an incredible pace” and will very quickly become the third and then the second largest political group in Brussels.

We are the ones who want to improve Europe,” he stressed, adding that the new alliance was made up of patriots who were passionate about their country and Europe.

Viktor Orbán stressed that they want strong European cooperation, not against Europe, but for the benefit of their own country. “We want national sovereignty and independence under our own national flags,” he concluded.

Patriots for Europe is growing day by day! pic.twitter.com/ymquQ4Mv5s

— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) July 2, 2024

Via MTI; Featured image via MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán