"Everyone is heartbroken and shaken by the attack. It is always unexpected when an assassination attempt happens, but the fact that the level of violence in Europe is rising is no surprise to anyone," Viktor Orban said in Kossuth Radio's morning program. The PM noted that there had been terrorist attacks in Europe in recent years, then came war, and Europe began to be transformed from a pro-peace to a pro-war stance. Central Europe is a risky area, and Mr Orban remembers well the fatal shooting of Zoran Djindjic.
"Europe's position has now radically changed," he underlined, saying that European leaders are already discussing sending troops to Ukraine. "Violence has become part of everyday life. It is a palpable process in Europe." He stressed that the EU's number one mission was to build peace, which is why Hungary became a member. "After such an attack, strong faith is needed to uphold this conviction," the premier noted, adding that the Hungarian right-wing maintains its belief that Europe means peace.
Losing a key ally
"We were counting on a pro-peace Slovakia. Our northern neighbor started on the road to peace after the elections.
That helped us a lot, and we have lost that support," he said. So far only the Vatican, Hungary and Slovakia had been on the side of peace, however the Vatican has no voting rights in the EU, leaving Hungary virtually alone in its opinion.
The perpetrator of the attack on Robert Fico was a progressive, left-wing, pro-war individual, the PM said, adding that
Great forces stand behind pro-war politicians and the pro-war position. Bigwigs have a vested interest in having this war continue and even expand,
The fact that an assassin is obstructing the pro-peace process of the Slovaks coincides with certain developments in the war, according to the PM. The pro-war parties are negotiating with each other. Both the head of the Soros empire and the US secretary of state visited Kyiv recently. They want to provide increasing amounts of money. Hungary has fought to stop Hungarian money from going to Ukraine, but we are still sending money as part of a joint EU loan.
NATO's Ukraine mission
NATO is also organizing a mission to Ukraine. "This is a defense alliance, it should not be thinking in terms of a mission", said the Hungarian leader, who has a bad feeling about the NATO mission plans.
"Everything must be done to ensure that Hungary is not dragged into the war. They want to spend a hundred billion dollars on this mission, and it will ruin us. In addition to the loss of human lives, the economy is also suffering in this situation, and the war is destroying the work of generations," Mr Orban said. "Instead of pushing for solutions on the battlefield, it is necessary to return to the negotiating table," he said. Viktor Orban also noted that the NATO secretary general will visit Hungary before the elections.
He recalled that Istvan Tisza (prime minister of Hungary 1913-1917) wanted to stay out of the First World War because he knew the risks were huge. Viktor Orban noted that he has recently looked up some history books and that the antecedents of both world wars are instructive in the current situation.
He pointed out that Miklos Horthy (regent of Hungary from 1920-1944) also wanted to stay out of the war, but then the Germans pushed him into it.
Our predecessors did not succeed. I set myself the goal of making sure that we succeed,
he stressed.
If in the upcoming elections, the Hungarians lend the governing parties sufficient support on the international stage, this will strengthen our position, the Hungarian prime minister said, addig that
Hungarians should demonstrate unity on the issue, but this is difficult because of the pro-war stance of the Left supported from abroad.
"It's important for leaders not to get discouraged. The foreign minister is doing well, and I'm also holding out. Robert Fico has dropped out, but we are looking for new allies," he said, noting that the Hungarian government has room for maneuver in diplomacy regarding this matter.
Cooperation with China offers a huge opportunity
Twenty years have passed between the Chinese president's recent visit and the last visit to Hungary by China's then president, PM Orban said. During those twenty years China's economic power doubled, while the EU lost twenty percent of its economic strength. At the time, China accounted for nine percent of the world's total economic output, and now it is about twenty percent. "We accounted for 19 percent then, now we are around 14.5," he said, referring to Europe. Not only the quantities have changed, but also the quality, in his view. In many technologies, it is not the West but the East that is leading the way.
The global economy is now at a point where not only the West dominates, but also the East, PM Orban pointed out. China has taken the lead in many areas. It is in our interest that the best technology that can be obtained from China comes to Hungary, the Hungarian prime minister said, adding that the goal for Hungary is to become a meeting point for Western and Eastern technologies.
We managed to free our Eastern relations from ideological and historical captivity, he emphasized. If Hungary does not want to fall behind, the country needs cutting-edge technology, he said. The Chinese president's visit to Budapest was a huge step forward, he stated, highlighting that Xi Jinping invited Hungary to take part in the modernization of the Chinese economy. This is a huge opportunity, PM Orban stressed.
"The Hungarian government is in favor of cooperation, and with this attitude we belong to the majority in the world. Let's not be fools! Others talk about caution while pushing for economic advancement the most aggressively," Hungary's prime minister said in conclusion of the interview.
