Orbán ready to ‘go to the wall’ to defend views

(Photo: MTI/ Zoltán Máthé)

In his regular Friday morning interview on government-controlled Kossuth Radio, the prime minister spoke primarily about his recent trip to China, remarking that Hungary is shaping up to gain an important role in Chinese economic policy in the coming 20-30 years. According to Orbán, a country as large as China wants to do business with Hungary because it recognizes its achievements in terms of economic growth and reduced unemployment.

In Orbánʼs view, everything has gone according to the plan worked out with Minister for National Economy Mihály Varga and György Matolcsy, now governor of the central bank, when Fidesz assumed power in 2010. He added that if the present government succeeds in winning next yearʼs elections, then economic growth can be expected to rise above 5% by 2020.

Speaking about the ongoing tense relationship with the European Union, culminating in this weekʼs call by MEPs to trigger an Article 7 procedure against Hungary, Orbán described the attitude in Brussels as “depressing,” and indicated that the EU is “sitting on the horse backwards” in its approach to problems. With respect to the relationship of nation-states to the EU center, he added that “they depend on us, not us on them.”

Quoted on official government website kormany.hu, Orbán described the resolution adopted by the European Parliament against Hungary on Wednesday as proof of a misguided policy, saying that in fact it is a “Soros report,” referring to the Hungarian-born financier and philanthropist George Soros.

The prime minister said that behind the attacks on Hungary stands the issue of migration, and “everything else is irrelevant.” There is, he said, “a European community of interests which transcends party boundaries, and which seeks to import hundreds of thousands of immigrants to the continent.” He added that the “founding father,” co-funder and co-organizer of this strategy is Soros.