Although the situation poses a serious risk to national security, the Hungarian government has not yet reacted to Moscow's ultimatum, while PM Orbán is set to meet with President Putin next week.Continue reading
The future of Hungary lays “in the European Union, in unity, and in NATO”, Péter Márki-Zay, prime minister candidate of the opposition alliance, said in Hódmezővásárhely, in southern Hungary, on Monday.
“Hungary belongs to western Europe, rooted in Christianity, and will be a faithful ally to NATO,” Márki-Zay said. He also added that he saw no reason why defence could not be under common European control. He noted the crucial importance of defence policy and warned that “in a worst-case scenario armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia could become imminent”. He said he considered Russia “the aggressor” in that conflict, and expressed support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Márki-Zay called it “revolting” that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had “not rejected (Russian President) Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that Hungary should quit NATO.” “Any decent Hungarian should have rejected that interference,” he insisted.
Ágnes Vadai, deputy head of the Democratic Coalition, voiced commitment to both NATO and the EU, and said the country should “actively contribute to both NATO’s policies and to the defence policy of the EU”. She called for cooperation “not only between the militaries (of the EU) but between the European secret services and defence industries, too”.
According to Vadai, the government had spent between 18,000-20,000 billion forints (EUR 50-56bn) since 2018 on military technologies “in secret”, without consulting parliament’s defence or national security committees. If the united opposition wins the upcoming election, a new government will review all military technology purchases since 2010, and propose new regulations to govern that area, she said.
Vadai also pledged changes to career planning within the military, with greater stress on meeting employees welfare, accommodation, and health care needs.
Featured photo via Péter Márki-Zay’s Facebook page
