Quote from Orban is Message to Trembling Brusselites

Hungary's head of European affairs and the government commissioner for the country's EU presidency both react to the dread in Brussels.

Budapest, 2023. december 1. A Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda által közreadott képen Orbán Viktor miniszterelnök interjút ad a Jó reggelt, Magyarország! címû mûsorban a Kossuth rádió stúdiójában 2023. december 1-jén. MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán Fotó: Fischer Zoltán

Zoltan Kovacs, the government commissioner for Hungary's 2024 EU Presidency, also reacted to the events that kicked off the new year in Brussels by posting what has become a classic quote from Viktor Orban:

Let's preserve our strategic calmness,

he recommended on X.

❗️To all those voices wondering whether @PM_ViktorOrban could serve as an interim President of the European Council, should @eucopresident become an MEP: Let's preserve our strategic calmness. pic.twitter.com/Dm7iVYPGpM

— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) January 8, 2024

The PM introduced the term "strategic calmness" into the Hungarian public discourse back in February 2022. At that time, the premier was referring to the course of Hungarian policy in light of the war in Ukraine, saying that "it is very important to have strategic calmness in a country that is close to the war zone".

Cover photo: Prime Minister Viktor Orban being interviewed on the "Good Morning, Hungary!" radio program on MR1 on December 1, 2023 (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister's Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)