Orbán says society based on “Christian values” superior even for non-religious

A society which is based on Christian values is “better even for the non-religious”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in an interview published in Spanish daily El Mundo on Saturday. In his interview, Orban also said that ethnic and religious minorities were a “constructive constituent” within society, and called for a fairer approach from the European Union towards Hungary. Hungary is a sovereign country, which observes all European rules but meets them following its own path, he said, adding that the country wants fair treatment and rejects the EU’s applying any double standards. The prime minister added that Hungary, a country outside the euro area, wants its response to the crisis respected, even if the Hungarian approach is different from the ways applied in euro countries. On the subject of Christianity in Europe, Orban voiced his conviction that Europe’s values and institutions cannot survive without a Christian foundation. “I do believe that it would be useful for both the EU and its residents to reinforce Christian roots,” he said, adding that Hungary could not have survived the past millennium without its Christian faith. Concerning minorities, Orbán said that “we respect them as much as we respect ourselves”, and argued that Hungary’s constitution, a basic law based on Christian as well as European values, ensured protection to all groups within society, including religious minorities and non-Christian religions.