PM Orban: We Have Raised Hungary–Slovakia Cooperation to New Heights

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Bratislava, where he first met with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, followed by talks with Prime Minister Robert Fico. PM Orban and PM Fico held a joint press conference.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Photo: MTI)

Three Key Issues: Peace, Sovereignty and Energy Supplies 

Prime Minister Orban addressed three key topics during the talks: peace, sovereignty, and energy supply. On peace, he backed Mr. Fico’s stance:

Our task in Europe would be to welcome peace initiatives concerning the Russia-Ukraine war, as the fact alone that the US and Russia are in talks has lowered the danger of escalation.

He emphasized the importance of sovereignty protection in migration policy.

No one can decide in place of Hungarians or Slovaks whom they must live with as a result of migration. We are a migration-free country, and we refuse to sacrifice our children's future to a misguided migration policy.

Regarding the issue of energy, Mr. Orban emphasized Ukraine’s responsibility:

It’s unfortunate that Ukraine is blocking gas shipments across its territory. This will make it very difficult for them to move closer to Europe.

Further infrastructure developments are in the works between the two countries:

Let me remind you that we increased the interconnection capacity between our countries to 3.5 billion cubic meters, and now we’re adding another 900 million cubic meters.

PM Orban signaled that plans are afoot to further strengthen the cross-border infrastructure between the two countries:

We are planning three new roads, three new bridges, and new railway lines—and we will also renovate several older border crossings.

Joint Action in Brussels to Protect Veto Rights

Answering questions from journalists at the press briefing, PM Orban emphasized:

In issues of foreign policy, we must not abandon the principle of unanimity, as that would effectively eliminate the member states' sovereignty.

He added that Brussels is not the guardian of democracy:

Democracy does not reside in Brussels, but in the member states. It’s not Brussels that guarantees democracy in Slovakia or Hungary—we guarantee Brussels’ democratic character against the bureaucracy.

Mr. Orban argued that the EU must respect its members' national interests and should not curtail sovereignty by taking powers away from member states.

Hungary and Slovakia Are Constructive EU Members

PM Orban emphasized that Hungary and Slovakia not only protect their national interests, but are also constructive members of the EU:

As examples, he cited proposed changes to the Green Deal, initiatives to manage energy prices, and Hungary’s proposal to avoid tariff wars.

Robert Fico: We Work for Diversity

In closing, Mr. Fico also reaffirmed:

We are the ones who support diversity. Differing opinions are necessary, because if everyone always agreed on everything, the European Union could not function.

The Slovak prime minister emphasized that Slovakia and Hungary will continue to focus on protecting national interests and maintaining pragmatic cooperation, regardless of whether this meets with approval in Brussels.

Cover photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Photo: MTI)