Hungary FM: Brussels Has Turned Europe on Its Head

On Tuesday, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto was the featured guest of 'The Fighters' Hour' program. Interviewed by host Balazs Nemeth, FM Szijjarto claimed that no one has done more to promote peace in Ukraine than Donald Trump. In his view, even if the Europeans had done only half as much — or simply had not stood in the way — progress might already have been achieved. He also commented on the controversies surrounding Ursula von der Leyen, as well as Hungarian public figures Majka, and Peter Magyar.

Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Photo: AFP)

Russia–Ukraine War

Regarding the war in Ukraine and Donald Trump’s latest ultimatum, Mr. Szijjarto said:

I sincerely hope there will be no breakdown between the American and Russian presidents, because I believe the world became a safer place the moment they began taking to each other. We live here, in Central Europe, and we have a clear historical experiance, which teaches us that when Russians and Americans can cooperate in a civil manner, the world is safer. When they can’t, we’re in trouble.

That’s why I find the attempts by Western Europeans to undermine Donald Trump’s peace efforts and U.S.–Russia talks not just extremely irresponsible, but outright criminal - he added.

The thing is: if Joe Biden’s failed administration hadn’t made so many pro-war decisions between its collapse and the new president taking office... if President Zelensky and his team hadn’t sought to sabotage Donald Trump’s efforts... and if the Western Europeans hadn’t obstructed his peace initiatives, we might now be in a far more promising situation than we are - he spelled out.

Western European leaders bear heavy responsibility for failing to contain and localize the war that broke out over three years ago. They’ve essentially turned the conflict in Ukraine into a global crisis — a European war,

he said, and then added: 

We don’t know exactly how many have died, but certainly a great many. The two countries have inflicted serious wounds on each other, and deep grievances have accumulated. Meanwhile, the European Union keeps pouring canloads of oil onto the fire. The situation is far from simple.

No one has done more for peace than Donald Trump. If the Europeans hadn’t stood in the way, I believe we could have made real progress, he emphasized.

I remember when Prime Minister Orban, after Hungary assumed the EU's rotating presidency last summer, visited Kyiv, Moscow, and Beijing — and later met with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Afterwards, at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, I listened as 25 out of 26 ministers — everyone except my Slovak colleague — expressed outrage: ‘Who does the Hungarian prime minister think he is? Do Hungarians want Ukraine to surrender? What do they mean by ceasefire, and peace negotiations?’

– he pointed out.
Mr. Szijjarto also underlined that he is usually the last to speak during the agenda items concerning Ukraine, which he objected to.

Today in Europe, there is a tyranny of opinion. Donald Trump has overcome this, but here in Europe, there's n effort to push down normal, conservative, patriotic politicians who support peace, or to shame them,

– he added.

Trump Ate Ursula for Breakfast

Speaking about the tariff agreement, the host noted that many EU politicians believe the deal, although far from ideal, offers some security and was the best that could be achieved. Hungary, on the other hand, sees it as severely damaging—preceded by bad, flawed decisions, he added.

In the space of a week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was humiliated by two major global powers. First in China, at the China–EU summit, she received a frosty welcome — even at the airport,

– Mr. Szijjarto recalled.
As Magyar Nemzet previously reported, the EC President was transported to the terminal in a minibus.

So first China wiped the floor with her, then the U.S. president did the same. Today, the European Commission president — the face of the EU — is a figure of ridicule and humiliation in world politics. This is where we are now,

 – Mr. Szijjarto stated. 

It’s absurd for the EU Commission President to publicly accuse China of despicable tactics in Brussels, then fly there and expect everything to be okay. This thinking is completely detached from reality, he added.

This is precisely the approach that appears to have backfired in terms of the tariffs — that for 8 years, Europeans have called Donald Trump every harsh name in the book,

 – the minister remarked. He added:

Until now, European car exporters paid a 2.5% tariff. Now it’s going up to 15% — six times higher. And while we’re stuck paying that, Ursula von der Leyen is patting herself on the back and even getting applause in Scotland. It’s disgraceful that someone like can represent the European Union.

And what about the Americans? They pay nothing. Ursula von der Leyen got wiped across the floor. And now, for the second time, the European Commission struck another blow against its automotive industry —  the backbone of the European economy,” he emphasized.

It could’ve been so simple: the U.S. had a 2.5% tariff on European cars, and the EU had 10%. When Trump took office, we proposed that the EU cut our tariff to 2.5% as well — to equalize the rates,

– Mr. Szijjarto said. So why didn’t the European Commission do it? All of this clearly shows how unfit Ursula von der Leyen for the role  he added.

Peter Magyar, Majka, and Fake News

Host Balazs Nemeth raised the topic that Peter Magyar has been spreading claims that a farmer’s field — one he visited last week in the Great Hungarian Plain — may have been deliberately set on fire. He then asked the foreign minister: How do you tolerate Peter Magyar’s lies?

Unlike some, I don’t actually know him. Maybe once or twice in my life we’ve been in the same room,

– he said, adding that when someone launches their political career by secretly recording their own wife and then publicly releasing the recording — that alone tells you everything you need to know about the person.
Over the weekend, some press outlets began reporting that mothers with four or more children would not be eligible for income tax exemption due to changes in the law.

In fact, the truth is just the opposite: step by step, the law is expanding to not just encompass mothers with four or more children. As of October, mothers raising three children will also enjoy PIT exemption, and from January, the benefit will also apply to mothers with two children,

– the minister said, adding that Hungary’s government offers the most comprehensive support for families anywhere in Europe.

I can only speak from my personal experience. Once they wrote a complete falsehood about me too — that my uncle was CEO of MAV, the Hungarian State Railways. Mr. Szijjarto noted that between 2006 and 2010 — while still in opposition — he served as Fidesz’s communications director. Speaking about the spreading of falsehoods online, he stated:

Nowadays, you have to deal with the internet and social media because anything can go viral in an instant. Everyone has a smartphone, and if people see something enough times, they start to believe it.

With regard to the left’s criticism of Lorinc Meszaros and other Hungarian businessmen, Mr. Szijjarto said:

Being in my line of work, I know many rich — even wealthy — Hungarian CEO's and business leaders. About half of them are left-leaning or at least not obviously aligned with us, and their fortunes mostly date back to the pre-2010 era.

Since the government supports all entrepreneurs equally, I think it’s highly unfair to single out Lorinc Meszaros, independently - he said. I know plenty of businessmen who enjoy a lifestyle equal to his, but the media doesn’t go after them. In fact, they don’t even look - he added. 

If there are successful left-wing or liberal entrepreneurs who provide jobs for hundreds or even thousands of people, well, that’s also a win for the country,

 – said Mr. Szijjarto, adding that the double standard applied by some politicians and parts of the media to Lorinc Meszaros is striking.

During the program, the host mentioned that Poland’s highest-circulation daily recently claimed that Viktor Orban is about to lose, citing statistics that the average Hungarian is now poorer than the average Romanian — or even the average Russian.

All I can say is this: we’ve often competed with Poland for major investments, and international investors have chosen us, not Poland,

– he said. He pointed out that at the Tusvanyos (Baile Tusnad, Romania) summer university, Prime Minister Orban met with his Romanian counterpart — Romania’s 24th prime minister since Mr. Orban first took office. “Romania has had to implement austerity measures: they’ve frozen pensions and public sector wages, raised VAT, introduced layoffs, and increased excise duties on fuel, alcohol, and tobacco. Things are seriously off track, and now we’re seeing protests and growing public dissatisfaction, he said. Mr. Szijjarto emphasized:

This is bad news for us, because Romania’s stability and economic growth are key for Hungary. Romania is the second largest export market for the Hungarian economy. Few people know this — and even fewer still believe it — but after Germany, Romania exports the most to Hungray. That’s one. And two: we also care because of the Hungarian communities living there. We want Hungarians in Transylvania and the Szeklerland to live decent. good-quality lives well.

The better Central European countries perform, the better it is for us, don’t you think?” he asked. “Since PM Orban’s meeting with the Romanian prime minister, I’ve also hosted Romania’s deputy prime minister, Barna Tanczos, who is of Hungarian descent. We discussed the current situation, which is undoubtedly difficult. But again, we want Romania to do well. That’s why close cooperation between the two prime ministers is essential.

The program also featured responses to viewer comments. One viewer noted that popular singer Majka reportedly received little support from the government during COVID and asked: could this be why he switched sides politically?

I don’t know how much or from where the artist received support,

 – Mr. Szijjarto said, but added that the artistic community did receive aid during the pandemic, as restrictions had been imposed. He said:

We tried to help everyone during the pandemic... which resulted in more people being employed in Hungary after COVID than before — and that’s a sentence worth repeating.

Regarding Majka personally, Mr. Szijjarto said: 

I’m honestly a bit disappointed in how things have turned out. I believe I’ve always been fair with him, as has our political community,

 – and when someone receives help during tough times, it’s not appropriate to turn around and behave like this. But people are different — we see, and think about the world in different ways.
A question also came up about the luxury villa of Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi.

I know where that villa is... and yes, it’s a big disappointment for me. Because he was one of us.

 He received a big appointment during our time in government, and now he speaks this way about us. On a human level, I just can’t process it - he said.

Regarding Peter Magyar, Mr. Szijjarto said it was strange that someone who for years ran a state-owned company, applauded the prime minister his annual addresses, attended Tusnadfurdo to hear Mr. Orban speak, and even applied for well-paying government jobs through Lorinc Meszaros would now suddenly turn against the government.

So all this was great for years... he told everyone how fantastic the situation was, how great the government was doing, how amazing the results were... And then, a year later, he says it’s all terrible and must be overthrown. I think that tells you a lot about someone’s character,

– he said. 

A recent media report suggested that the bad U.S.–EU trade deal may have been influenced by Ukrainian interests. Some even questioned: Is Ursula von der Leyen being blackmailed over her missing Pfizer SMS messages?

Mr. Szijjarto said it was “an outrageous scandal” that in 2020–21, when the COVID crisis began, vaccines failed to arrive on time in Europe.

We can all remember how healthcare systems were collapsing and people were dying because vaccines didn’t arrive — while Von der Leyen was placing orders via text messages, which later disappeared,

– Mr. Szijjarto declared.

I don’t believe those messages are truly gone. They must exist somewhere. I wouldn’t rule out a scenario that someone had read them and knows what’s in them — and that they possibly even shared this information with the text messages' author, who has since been wiped across the floor not once, but twice: first by the Chinese president, then by the American president - he said.

These are facts. What conclusions one draws from them is up to individual imagination. But I don’t think you need a major conspiracy theory to view these events as part of a sequence, Mr. Szijjarto emphasized.

The discussion, led by the spokesperson of Fidesz's parliamentary group, covers a number of compelling topics. Airing each morning at 7:30 a.m., the program is aimed primarily at those who are interested in knowing the truth.

Balazs Nemeth and his guests expose fake news, analyze current domestic and international events, and discuss what best serves the interests of the Hungarian people. Monday’s guest on the program was Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Cover photo: Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Photo: AFP)