Life Keeps Refuting Mantra of Hungary Being Isolated

Once again, diplomatic reality has refuted the statement widely spread by the supporters of the Hungarian opposition that Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Hungary are isolated. Neither international meetings, nor developments in Europe bolster this statement.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris (Photo: Hungarian PM's Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)

Prime Minister Viktor Orban attended a working dinner in Paris on Tuesday evening at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. The meeting was part of Hungary's rotating EU Presidency, providing an opportunity to prepare for the November EU summit in Budapest and the meeting of the European Political Community, the French media reported. 

Although some EU member states did indeed prepare for boycotting Hungary's EU presidency held from July to January, they did not succeed.

In Paris, Viktor Orban also held talks with Marine Le Pen, the parliamentary group leader of France's most popular party, the National Rally. At this meeting, they agreed on action against migration just as they did at the Slovakia-Hungary-Serbia summit held in Komarno, Slovakia, on Tuesday morning.

Hungary being isolated – the repetition of which is probably intended to discourage voters from supporting the governing parties – is not only unsupported by diplomatic activities, but also untrue in terms of factuality.

Allies on all three fronts

Thus, Hungary has allies on all three major issues currently in the focus of Hungary's European policy (ie. supporting peace, rejecting migration and gender ideology). 

• At least two other European NATO members — Turkiye and Slovakia — are skeptical about the benefits of the West's Russia policy and arms supply for Ukraine.
• The EU's planned migration pact could easily run aground after the Netherlands, following in Hungary's tracks, refuses to comply with it.

"We'll need to take our asylum policy into our own hands again," said Dutch Minister of Asylum and Migration Marjolein Faber. The previous Dutch government led by the liberals had been at loggerheads with Hungary over several issues, but the Schoof cabinet formed after the last Dutch elections included as the largest party, Geert Wilders's Party for Freedom, an ally of the Fidesz-Christian Democrats. Just like Hungary's governing parties, the Dutch Party for Freedom is also a member of the Patriots for Europe, the third largest group in the European Parliament.

European elections confirm time and again that Brussels' migration policy is untenable. Take Germany's move to reinstate Schengen border controls. Viktor Orban was the first European leader to warn of the dangers of mass migration back in 2015.  Recently, PM Orban said that the EU is in a situation on the brink of rebellion with Western leaders panicking. 

• At least two other EU countries, Italy and Slovakia firmly gender propaganda and ideology. 

In the spirit of family values, Italy has stated, for example, that there are only two sexes, male and female, and most recently it limited surrogacy from abroad.

The mantra of being isolated

Nevertheless, Hungary's isolation is a recurring element of disinformation in the domestic and foreign circles of the Hungarian opposition.

• A recent report by the Sovereignty Protection Office established that as part of a circle of deep state agencies, Transparency International Hungary with its "corruption perception index" is assisting in Brussels' proceedings against Hungary, and thus the foreign-funded organization is serving the interests of the Hungarian opposition. Jozsef Peter Martin, executive director of the organization recently said: if the government fails to revoke the 2023 Sovereignty Protection Act and abolish the office that implements it, 
  "then this could lead to even greater isolation politically, if this could be further increased at all, because Hungary is already completely isolated within the European Union."

This can be seen in the video below between 6:50 and 7:05:

• Gabor Horn, chairman of the board of the Republikon Foundation and former state secretary of the Free Democrats (SZDSZ), said in an interview:

"So he goes down a path, this warrior, this big guy Orban, pushing ahead and defending I don't know what against everyone. Driven into international isolation, they will find it very difficult to explain themselves."

•  The German media cited Daniel Hegedus from the German Marshall Fund as saying:

"The Hungarian government's pro-Russian position over the past two years has done more damage to it within the European Union and has isolated Hungary much more than the twelve years of autocratization before that."

The German Marshall Fund is a behind-the-scenes think tank that serves American interests and is also connected to the American cover organization Action for Democracy, which is helping Hungary's opposition parties. At the same time, Hegedűs admits in his statement:

"Unfortunately, we see that on the fringes of the political spectrum, especially in the circle of the right-wing radical parties, the Fidesz has a fairly thick and strong network."

Hungary being isolated was also raised at the EP debate by Manfred Weber, president and EP group leader of the European People's Party, who strongly backs the Hungarian opposition Tisza Party led by Peter Magyar.

In response, Viktor Orban said:

President Weber said that nobody talks to us. This is a grave insult to those who have talked to us. This means they’re nobody. In preparation for the presidency, I went to your Chancellor in Germany, to the President of France in Paris and to the Prime Minister of Italy in Rome. Are they nobodies? Are they the nobodies, Mr Weber?

Cover photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris (Photo: Hungarian PM's Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)