The Prime Minister reminded that if we do not cooperate with other countries, we will be in trouble.Continue reading
In an interview with the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed his belief in a multipolar world order, criticized the EU’s weakness and two-faced policy, and said that he sees in Donald Trump the possibility of a new geopolitical balance. He also mentioned that next week he will host Alice Weidel, co-chair of the Alternative for Germany party and candidate for chancellor.
Asked about Trump’s return, Viktor Orbán said that the world had changed in ten days thanks to the “Trump tornado” more than it had in years, and to Hungary’s benefit. In the light of these changes, the Prime Minister hopes for closer cooperation with the United States, especially on economic issues. He criticized the attitude of the former Democratic administration towards Hungary. “The Democrats hated us,” he underlined. We had opposing views on issues such as migration, gender and the war in Ukraine, he reminded. “They supported all the organizations and media in Hungary that were against me. Trump put an end to that,” the Prime Minister explained.
In the interview, Viktor Orbán warned that Europe cannot count on the United States if it does not make an attractive offer of cooperation. He stressed that Hungary is pursuing a policy of balance between the West, China and Russia. Mr Orbán said that the US and China would sooner or later come to an agreement, while smaller nations like Hungary would have to remain flexible.
He expressed his conviction in the interview about the West’s loss of economic and political space. “Economically, we live in a world where there is no Western supremacy. The EU is constantly losing its competitiveness. It has no strategy and no leadership. It is embarrassing what is happening here. The dynamism of the world economy is in the East,” he emphasized.
If Hungary has economic relations only with Europe, that is madness”,
Mr Orbán said.
He added that Europe should be “more modest”. “The EU talks about being a global player. However, it cannot even control developments in its own neighborhood. We could neither prevent the war between Russia and Ukraine nor integrate the Western Balkans,” he pointed out. He said that a strong EU foreign policy would only be possible with strong leadership from Germany and France, which was lacking.
Regarding sanctions, Mr Orbán emphasized that he is opposed to them against Russia because they would hit Hungary hard economically. “We have lost 19.5 billion euros in the last three years because we have had to restrict trade and energy prices have risen. Hungary has suffered more than Russia because of the sanctions.” Asked by the paper, Mr Orbán explained the Hungarian vote to extend sanctions against Russia by saying that “we have received assurances that Brussels will support the resumption of gas transit through Ukraine, which will continue to allow oil deliveries”. The promises are “vague but better than nothing”, he added.
Viktor Orbán called the Western strategy in the Russian-Ukrainian war a mistake. He does not see a Ukrainian victory as realistic unless there is a total war, which he says is out of the question. Instead, a ceasefire is needed, which only a strong leader like Trump can achieve, he reminded.
Trump needs to sit down with Russia and Ukraine and tell them: Let us have a ceasefire, guys. That is the only solution. Weak leaders cause wars, strong leaders create peace,”
Viktor Orbán emphasized.
In the interview, the Prime Minister stressed that while other countries have had bad experiences with Russia, Hungary has always been able to defend its interests. “We have concluded many agreements. Putin has always kept his word. The experience of the last fifteen years is that Hungary can trust Russia,” he said, adding that “but I am not pro-Russian, I am pro-Hungarian”.
According to Mr Orbán, Brussels poses a bigger challenge to Hungary than Moscow. “It is easy to reach a rational agreement with Russia. With Brussels it is almost impossible.”
He criticized the EU for interfering in Hungary’s domestic politics, especially in the areas of migration and the rule of law, and for applying double standards: while Hungary is punished for border protection, similar measures by other countries are accepted.
The Hungarian Prime Minister sees the European right on the rise. As he said, Fidesz has distanced itself from the European People’s Party (EPP) because it has shifted to the left. It now relies on an alliance with other right-wing parties, such as the French National Rally and the Italian League. “Europe will look different in a few years from today,” he underlined.
On the German Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Viktor Orbán said he approved of their policies in many areas and rejected the isolationist policies of German domestic politics. “We have no experience with the AfD and we have no contact with them. Their program sounds good for Hungary: tax cuts, redesign of the green deal, return to nuclear energy, strict migration policy. However, I do not want to interfere in German affairs.” He added that Alice Weidel – the AfD’s co-chair and candidate for chancellor – had called him and asked for a meeting.
“I am meeting her next week in Budapest. The AfD could win 20 percent of the vote. If their leader wants to talk to me, why should I say no?”
Looking forward to your visit, @Alice_Weidel!
Berlin has always been a city of walls. It’s time to tear another one down!https://t.co/2uwsP03mmd— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) February 3, 2025
In response to a question on Péter Magyar, leader of the largest opposition party Tisza, Viktor Orbán said that “in a democracy, you must always be prepared for political opponents. Even if – like us – you win almost half of the votes, the rest goes to someone else. This is not unusual.” As to whether the rapid emergence of an opponent could be linked to mounting economic problems, Mr Orbán conceded that “yes, yes. The war and sanctions have created a very difficult situation in the last three years, with high inflation, increased energy prices and low growth. I do not like war for many reasons, including economic reasons,” the Prime Minister concluded.
Via Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Featured photo via MTI/Fischer Zoltán
