I'm certain that Donald Trump will visit Hungary, which will happen during his current presidential term," said Gergely Gulyas, the minister in charge of the Prime Minister’s Office, at the Karoli Free University event, where he was in conversation with Laszlo Trocsanyi, Rector of Karoli Gaspar University of the Reformed Church. The minister added that as long as the Trump administration is in office in the United States, Hungary-U.S. relations will remain exceptionally strong because the values represented by the U.S. administration align closely with those of the Hungarian government. Moreover, he emphasized that the Hungarian government has always stood by the president.
Hungarian students are victims of Brussels’ hatred against Hungary
While Hungary’s view of the European Union is negative, this does not change the fact that in the 21st century’s global economic competition, Europe must maintain economic unity because that is what the current circumstances demand. Mr. Gulyas described the withheld payments for the Horizon and Erasmus programs as a legal absurdity.
"Brussels is stealing students’ money—this is, in reality, hatred against Hungarians."
He pointed out that in Poland, all EU funds were suspended, but after the arrival of a new government backed by Brussels—one that openly tramples on the rule of law—the funds were promptly released. "This is nothing but raw power politics: those who vote as expected on key issues are considered 'good Europeans,' while those who do not—like Hungary—are labeled 'bad Europeans,'" he stated.
The judges’ protest is absurd
Hungarian judges should not be judged based on the small number of their colleagues who pay regularl visits to the U.S. ambassador, Mr. Gulyas said.
– The judges’ protest is absurd—they know it too, as evidenced by their low turnout at last weekend’s demonstration.
He emphasized that judges are very careful not to take a political stance in political issues. "Ninety-nine percent of them simply want to uphold the law and follow their conscience," he concluded.
Common sense dictates constitutional amendment
Speaking about the Fundamental Law, which he co-authored with Jozsef Szajer, Mr. Gulyas emphasized that his political opponents resent it because it is the first democratically adopted constitution in Hungary. The world is changing rapidly. Back in 2010, it was not even a question that a father is a man, a mother is a woman, and a person is either male or female.
It appears that the Western world no longer follows the dictates of common sense, making the constitutional amendment necessary.
– Mr. Gulyas said.
He also pointed out that the European Union itself was a factor in the amendment. "Brussels is constantly trying to seize more and more powers, which made these changes necessary. The modern world demands increasingly rapid responses, which is why governments are expanding their powers. Moreover, it is the government’s responsibility to address most economic issues and crisis situations. The significance of the parliament will not diminish as long as any government must to secure a majority there," he noted.
Composure and illiberalism
Laszlo Trocsanyi remarked that he was surprised by Mr. Gulyas’s unshakable composure at government press briefings. In response, the minister said it was not something he had to make a great effort to maintain. "These debates are about content and style. Any aggressiveness and cynicism would backfire. Journalistic expertise was once better than it is today. One of the major obstacles to meaningful public discourse is that there are now too few well-informed journalists who ask good questions," he observed.
Mr. Gulyas explained that he avoids using the term "illiberalism," because - in its classic sense - it now applies to Brussels.
We are the true liberals because we insist that freedom of speech must not be restricted. The problem is that what is now called Western liberal democracy is, in fact, illiberal democracy,
– he argued.
Role models and influences
Discussing his role models, Mr. Gulyas recalled that former Prime Minister Jozsef Antall was a hero of the regime change who bore an immense responsibility in leading the government. He speculated that had Mr. Antall’s illness struck him in retirement rather than during his tenure, he might have lived longer than three years, as his sense of duty kept him going. The late prime minister’s legacy, he said, stands as one of the finest examples of public service, as he championed conservative, civic values in opposition to the barbarism of communism.
Mr. Gulyas said he's had a close friendship with Imre Konya since he was 20, and considers his role in the regime change to be of outstanding importance. He also highlighted the contributions of Gyorgy Szabad and Peter Tolgyessy. He said he no longer maintains much contact with the latter, although he still follows Mr. Tolgyessy's analyses with interest, as he believes the political scientist represents a high intellectual standard in Hungarian public life.
