Prime Minister Viktor Orbán Claims the EU Is Being Manipulated into Withhold Funds

“The European Commission is constantly being blackmailed by people in the European Parliament, controlled by George Soros, not to provide the funds to Hungary. This is because they want to give this money to Ukraine. We are talking about a lot of money, Hungary is entitled to a total of 32 billion euros,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán claimed in an interview on Hír TV.

According to the prime minister, Hungary has now secured EUR 10 billion out of this 32 billion, but another 22 billion still needs to be acquired. He stated that if this money was sent to Ukraine, and if it is as the U.S. Secretary of State said, ends up in U.S. companies, then it is not such a bad deal for them. He noted that the reason why the “booing” is so loud now is that the amount has been reduced by EUR 10 billion, which the Commission had to give Hungary.

Mr. Orbán said that the basic idea of the European Union is good, and that Hungary does not want to leave the European Community.

He added that cooperation between the nations of Europe, the creation of a common market, the pooling of our strengths, and the joint remedying of our weaknesses are all good ideas that could serve Hungary’s interests well. However, the prime minister added that there was no need to create a superstate that would constantly drain the powers of the Member States, blackmail, punish, or lecture them, and treat them as “provinces.”

We do not need an EU like that,”

he said, “but one that stands up for the respect and sovereignty of nations, and lets countries decide how they want to live their lives according to their own cultural traditions.”

We must win the next European elections and take political control of Brussels,”

he stressed.

According to the head of government, those who are at the center of Brussels today think about the world in a way that is particularly damaging for Hungary. “They think that the era of nations is over,” and that the EU should therefore exist as a new superstate, instead of nation states, he pointed out.

He also added that cyrrently, the United States is able to assert almost all its interests in Brussels without major difficulties.

On the opening of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine, it only made sense to talk about candidacy if the gap between the applicant country and the host EU could be bridged. The prime minister repeated his suggestion that the Ukrainians should have been offered a strategic partnership instead.

He stressed that Ukraine’s accession to the EU was not something the European community was prepared for, and that it was a country with Russian troops on its territory. “Are we going to take them in?” Viktor Orbán asked.

On EU financial support for Ukraine, Mr. Orbán said that this was something that could be discussed, as the country was under attack, had serious problems, and although it had not treated the Hungarians well, “and had even tormented them,” it was still possible to provide financial aid in such a situation.

The prime minister stated that it was not clear why a decision should be made on EUR 50 billion four years in advance when it was not possible to know what would happen on the front line in two months’ time. He also said that this aid would involve extra budget payments and loans to Member States. Hungary will not receive the funds it is entitled to from the budget.

On economic cooperation with China, he said there was a “long queue” of EU Member States ahead of us in trade with China, Vietnam, and Russia. They are attacking us to keep us out of it, they do not want any competitors.

Orbán underlined that it is in Hungary’s interest to accept that in its culture and territory, what is called “East and West meet.” This is true even if Hungary is a member of NATO and the EU. This is not something to be denied, nor is it to be “played as a bridge country,” he concluded.

Via MTI; Featured Image: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Benko Vivien Cher