PM Orban: European Commission Report on Ukraine is Fabrication

Viktor Orban spoke about Ukraine's accession to the EU, the rule of law and the role of NATO in an interview with Le Point newspaper.

Budapest, 2023. november 17. A Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda által közreadott képen Orbán Viktor miniszterelnök beszédet mond a Délkelet-európai Országok Parlamenti Elnökeinek 11. konferenciáján Budapesten, az Országházban 2023. november 17-én. MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán Fotó: Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán

During his trip to Paris, Prime Minister Viktor Orban also gave an interview to French weekly Le Point, Mandiner reported. Hungary's premier spoke among other issues, about Ukraine entering the EU, his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, national sovereignty, rule of law, migrants and the role of NATO.

Report from European Commission is a lie

I will not agree to a decision that is bad for Hungary. My understanding of Europe is that until everyone agrees, there is no decision. Ukraine is in a difficult situation because of the Russian invasion, so we decided to support it. I agree that the European Council should send positive signals to Ukraine, but these are quite different signals, such as the opening of negotiations on EU membership. We must not make that move,

PM Orban said on the war-torn country's accession to the EU.

Technically, this is not a veto. According to the interviewer, all eyes in Europe are now on Viktor Orban, so he immediately asked the head of government why he was opposed to the possible accession of Ukraine.

There are two reasons: number one because they are not ready to negotiate and two, we Europeans are not ready to accept them as full members. The European Commission report stating that Ukraine has met four out of seven conditions is simply a lie. The country is known as one of the most corrupt in the world,

Mandiner quoted the PM's response.

Had a great meeting yesterday with President @EmmanuelMacron in Paris. The Hungarian position is clear ahead of the December #EUCO. You can read it in @LePoint :https://t.co/IkYaKdxKvY pic.twitter.com/PfhrkHr8QC

— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) December 8, 2023

Viktor Orban noted that he had no idea whether French public opinion is aware of the economic impact of Ukraine membership, for example that France would have to pay 3.5 billion euros more a year into the common EU budget. "Do they accept that here?" the PM asked, expressing his belief that Ukraine would obliterate European agriculture the day after it were allowed into the common market. As the preparatory work to bring Ukraine into the European Union had not been executed, he pointed out, it would be better to postpone the start of negotiations to avoid committing the same mistakes EU leaders made with Turkey.

Human and minority rights not up for debate

The plight of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine also came up in the interview. Mr Orban said that human and minority rights are not subject to debate, nor should they be considered a precondition for membership. Ukraine must respect these rights, not because it wants to join the EU, but in order to maintain its relations with Europe, "otherwise, sooner or later we will have to drastically curb our cooperation with them". Hungary is always ready to make good agreements, however, the issues have to be classified accurately, he, for example, puts them into one of three categories: historical, strategic and tactical. Ukrainian accession to the EU is a historical one and that 40 years of political experience have taught him that total chaos threatens if bad decisions are made on historical issues.

That is why I do not wish to sign off on an agreement on the Ukraine question, but I am ready to do so on other issues,

he admitted.

Sanctions harm EU more than Moscow

He reiterated that the appropriate balance must be found, and that he will only veto sanctions against Russia if they cut into Hungary's fundamental interests, such as in the field of energy. Regardless, he does not support the punitive measures as repeatedly throughout European history they have proven to be ineffective and are currently causing more damage to the European Union than to Russia. On the handshake with Vladimir Putin in Beijing, he said that Russia is a very different type of civilization from European countries and it is unrealistic to expect it to operate like us.

I support rational discussions on how to deal with Russia. There are, of course, differences of opinion among member states on this issue, with some saying that the EU has made a rational decision and others saying that it will lead to the military, financial and political collapse of Ukraine.

Rule of law: political tool against Hungary

If the French think that letting in migrants is a good decision, they should do so, PM Orban said, pointing out that they should not force others to do likewise. Hungarians believe that the decision is too risky as there are no guarantees that the mixing of cultures will achieve better results than traditional societies. National sovereignty should be taken more seriously in Europe, he stressed, adding that Hungary will not accept the Brussels bureaucrats' centralist way of life of and its imposition on us. 

The EU treaties do not contain a definition of the rule of law. A common interpretation is needed, but instead it has become a political tool wielded in the hands of those who want a centralized European Union, and now it is being used against Hungary.

On migration, the PM noted that once migrants are allowed in and cannot be sent back, they will not behave as European intellectuals would like. On the criticism of the Hungarian border fence, he said that it is not easy to fend off every attack along three to four hundred kilometers, and that it is a constant battle against organized groups.

Europe must defend itself with its own resources

Regarding NATO, he said it is necessary to ensure security, as it is much stronger than Russia. However, he believes that we Europeans have to take responsibility for defending ourselves instead of being dependent on the US, which is why he is adamantly in favor of increasing defense spending.

Europe must be able to defend itself on its own, otherwise we will perpetually be in the shadow of the Americans. You, the French, have a crucial role to play in increasing European military strength,

Mr Orban said, pointing out that Hungary started modernizing its armed forces four years ago and has reached the NATO's national military industry spending targets of two percent of GDP.

Cover photo: Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister's Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)