"It was my umpteenth free university this year, and it is always a great experience to be here. Perhaps the best way to describe the event is to say that it's a way of life, where the focus is on the things that bind us, Hungarians, together and not those that divide us," the Hungarian prime minister's political director said, in response to Magyar Nemzet's inquiry about this year's Balvanyos Free Summer University and Student Camp in Baile Tusnad [popularly called Tusvanyos]. He highlighted that PM Viktor Orban's speech this year - in which he emphasized that there was a conflict of principles between the liberal forces and Hungary's constitution - also reflected this. The former, he said, are solely focused on the individual, while we can only envision the individuals in a community. "In our view, therefore, the task of the constitutional system is to strengthen bonds, not to provide a legal basis for detachment," Balazs Orban added.
Asked what he thought about the provocations he had experienced at the event, PM Orban's political director said that he had also met the counter-demonstrators, who did not appear to be very enthusiastic, but our people, on the other hand, welcomed them cordially.
One thing is sure: we welcome the leaders of all neighboring countries, and everyone is free to talk about anything. We think this is not a bad model, we recommend it to everyone,
he added.
Magyar Nemzet also quizzed PM Orban's political director on his thoughts about reports published by leftist media outlets and opinion leaders disparaging the event and its visitors and seeking to portray ruling party politicians in a bad light through raising irrelevant topics. In response, Balazs Orban stressed that he had given interviews to all opposition media outlets present at the event and also met a good deal of journalists and pundits during the evening programs.
They appeared to be having a good time, they picked up the atmosphere of Tusvanyos. If that's the case, then it was worth it. When I was released from a ring of opposition journalists after almost an hour of questioning, one of the foreign guests told me laughingly that the scene he just watched was a clear rebuttal of all rumors and criticism about the poor state of democracy in Hungary,
Balazs Orban said.
Speaking about international reactions to PM Orban's speech, the director stressed that it has once again become clear that Viktor Orban is the only Hungarian politician who is able to see, think and plan internationally, and is the only Hungarian politician who draws international attention. "I see that there has been a great deal of positive response from international conservative circles this year," he said, adding that few Western politicians speak so honestly about the problems in our world as the Hungarian prime minister. In his view, the recipe of Hungary's foreign policy - as outlined by PM Orban - also carries a particularly important message, even for the rest of the world: "we must keep our wits about us when it comes to great world affairs, we must build connections in the global economy, we must fight in EU disputes, we must persevere in intellectual debates and we must remain steadfast in national unification.”
In response to our query about how Hungary can adapt to the protracted war in its neighborhood and what measures are needed to overcome the difficulties in the coming year, Balazs Orban said that
we can tell Western leaders what everyone in Tusnad already knows: the Hungarian bear is not a toy. "This is why we are promoting the message of peace everywhere through diplomatic channels. Hungary rejects the sanctions policy, because it is ruining Europe's economy. It is crucial to continue to protect the peace and security of our country, as well as Hungarian families, pensioners and young people,"
the PM's political director emphasized, in response to our inquiry.
Cover photo: Political Director Balazs Orban and Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Source: Facebook/Balazs Orban)
