Famous Polish Publicist Praises PM Orban's Policies

According to publicist Lukasz Warzecha, who praised Viktor Orban's policies, the majority of Polish voters expect "moral politics" rather than "realpolitik" from their politicians, which is why Poland cannot have a leader like PM Orban.

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban addresses the audience at the Tusvanyos Summer University in Baile Tusnad on July 27, 2024. (Photo: AFP)

Realpolitik

According to the publicist, Hungary's prime minister has a realistic assessment of the international situation, as evidenced by his speeches delivered at the Tusvanyos Free Summer University. All of these demonstrate a degree of political realism, which is missing from the Polish political mainstream, he said, adding that this mindset is best characterized by statements in the Polish media, such as "Orban defends Putin", "Hungary's prime minister attacks Ukraine again", or "Viktor Orban echoes Russian propaganda".

In Poland, the fact that Viktor Orban believes the war should be stopped as soon as possible is already being described as shameful. Poles also reject the view - which, without beink linked to Hungary's premier, has become somewhat of a cliché in Western political discourse - that the war is being delayed because it is in the interests of the real parties, the United States and Russia. In the Polish mainstream, this view is a source of utter indignation, as they do not accept the obvious fact that this is a proxy war in which Ukraine is only a pawn.

He notes that "when we reflect on an imaginary Polish Orban, we should not be thinking of a direct copy of Hungarian policy towards Russia or Ukraine, but of the way we judge the way we act, guided by iron-fisted rules. This includes being able to cooperate with everyone if we can benefit from it, and playing two, three or even more instruments at the same time. Hungary is successfully negotiating with and bringing investment from China. It is worth drawing attention to another aspect of Viktor Orban's thinking, which he also referred to in his speech at Tusvanyos, namely the decline of Western civilization. In Poland, this is also seen as an echo of Russian propaganda."

Lukasz Warzecha also pointed out that the clamor surrounding the Hungarian prime minister's views is also extremely absurd because he says nothing that is not regularly voiced in the international public sphere. The debate about whether Ukraine has a chance to regain the territory that it's lost, what price will it have to pay and what risks are involved in a war that began two and a half years has been ongoing since 2022, including on the pages of the prestigious Foreign Affairs magazine, where dissenters were not branded or labeled as Russian agents, he explained. 

Hungary may be a small country, but it is more mature than Poland in defending its own interests,

– the well-known Polish publicist concluded.

Cover photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Photo: AFP)