PM Orban Reveals Whom He Considers a Born Political Genius

In an interview on Mandiner’s Hotel Lentulai program, Viktor Orban spoke candidly about the nature of politics, the divisions within Hungarian society, and Judit Varga’s withdrawal from politics. According to Hungary's prime minister, there is no resting in politics — it is a constant struggle: “It’s like rugby — if you have the ball, they come after you.” He believes Ms. Varga had prime ministerial talent, but never had the chance to come into her own.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Photo: MTI / Prime Minister’s Press Office / Zoltan Fischer)

“I suppose when you do something for the first time, you always get nervous. At 62, that doesn’t happen often anymore — but this time, it did,” said Viktor Orban on Hotel Lentulai when asked if he had felt nervous while speaking with Tibor Kapu.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban sat for a lengthy interview with Krisztian Lentulai (Photo: Screenshot/Mandiner)

According to Mr. Orban, it is difficult to find points of consensus in Hungarian society because “this is who we are.” The prime minister recalled that similar debates took place in the past over the construction of the Chain Bridge or the new Parliament building.

We are Hungarians. This is our nature,

 – he remarked, responding to those who have voiced skepticism or grumbled about Kapu Tibor’s space mission. The prime minister said critics have raised a familiar question — one he himself posed to the astronaut just a few days ago:

Why do we even need to send a human into space?

PM Orban said he was told by Mr. Kapu that the experiments he will conduct are Hungarian, and the findings will provide valuable information for Hungarian researchers. Mr. Orban added that there is another side to the debate: some people in Hungary believe the country should not aspire to influence great matters and should be content with being small.

But we Hungarians are capable of anything—if we pull ourselves together,

– he said, summarizing the attitude of one segment of society.

This is a cultural divide — one that politics may reflect, but not create, according to Mr. Orban, who emphasized that when Kapu Tibor arrived in space, he was looking to spot Hungary — and that is what matters.

Orban: “I’m convinced we’ll play in a World Cup final in my lifetime”

Mr. Orban said he is not particularly devoted to foreign soccer teams — perhaps only to Real Madrid because of Puskas. These days, he watches Liverpool games because of Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez.

Reflecting on the death of Diogo Jota, PM Orban said he was shaaken by the news, and he thought of the poor Portuguese player’s mother, who lost both her children in an instant. And he felt, because he had watched Szoboszlai’s matches, that this was a personal tragedy.

Duscissing the national team’s prospects for the World Cup, Mr. Orban said he remembers many games from his childhood and still considers the 3–3 draw between Sweden and Hungary a tragedy. That match, he said, marked the start of a long decline. The 1986 World Cup appearance seemed like the beginning of a hopeful new era. He believes that he will live to see Hungary play in a World Cup final.

“Keri Laszlo was still my teacher,” Mr. Orban said in response to a question from the host - Mr. Lentulai -, who asked whether the prime minister still addresses his former professor by his last name. The answer: yes — even though “Laci” says things about Mr. Orban that make his hair fall out.

Laszlo Bogar once called Mr. Orban a “primordial force.” Orban’s reply: “I only wish I was.” He described himself as a radical thinker — a trait he considers part of the Hungarian spirit. But, he noted, “You can’t be radical in politics. I think radically, but I act with restraint.”

 

“I don’t have a crystal ball — I just want to understand the world”

Mr. Orban explained that his radical thinking compels him to reflect deeply on global events. He doesn't claim to have a crystal ball; rather, he spends a great deal of energy trying to understand the world. His wife, he said, was the one who helped him act more swiftly during the migration crisis. As a volunteer aid worker, she went to help migrants at the very beginning — then came home and said they must not be let in, because the group was made up almost entirely of military-age men.

Next, he was shown a photo from 2009. He said that the promises made back then were indeed fulfilled. Of course, he added, there’s always room for criticism. In Vienna, they say, “everything’s lovely, but nothing’s in its place,” and he agrees. That’s also due to his Calvinist background, where even the church must be constantly reformed. This belief, he said, applies to him regardless of whether he’s in opposition or in government.

A man in the Gutenberg galaxy

Orbán Viktor a társadalom „kormányzásra ráunás” képességéről szólva azt mondta, ez előfordulhat, de nem szabad hagyni. Mint mondta, náluk többet ebben az országban kevesebben dolgoznak, 

Speaking about people's capacity to grow tired of governance, Mr. Orban said that’s a real risk — but one that must not be allowed to prevail. In his words, few people in this country work more than we do — 

those 14 to 16-hour days are real.”

He added that if people grow weary of the government, that’s not necessarily a problem. In countries like Belgium or Italy, no one even notices if there’s no government. But Hungary isn’t one of those countries — without a government, everything grinds to a halt. He said he hopes to reach the point where people simply say everything is fine—but we’re not there yet. He said:

Politics is like rugby. You have to fight while running — and once you’ve got the ball, you’re not the one attacking; you’re the one being attacked. There’s no time to get comfortable, because they'll take you down.

According to Mr. Orban, the archetype of the politician has changed significantly since the 1990s. Communication, he said, is now the key to politics. Humanity is currently in its third communication era. The first was based on in-person conversation; the second, on reading and writing, where literacy was a requirement and understanding was the goal. Now, in the third era, everything is visual. Understanding is no longer the focus. Young people mostly send pictures — the text is getting shorter and shorter. Images, he conceded, might contain more information than a Dostoevsky novel (perhaps with some exaggeration),

but all this takes away from understanding things.

That’s the world we live in today, so that’s how we must communicate, Mr. Orban said, adding that he considers this a decline from the 1990s' standards.

Policy debates: The “Lazarinfo” solution

Mr. Orban was also asked about detailed policy discussions. He said the answer was the “Lazarinfo,” because

very few in politics know as much as our construction and transport minister, who can be sent to the street corner without worry.”

Mr. Lentulai observed that those who disagree with Fidesz are not looking for a new governor — they’re looking for an executioner. Mr. Orban described this as a natural aspect of politics: there will always be critics. No matter what he does, someone will be dissatisfied. In response, he recalled that even those who didn’t vote for his government ended up benefiting from it, while even supporters of the Left have suffered under left-wing rule.

– “I am a man of Hungarians — I serve the Hungarians. Those who oppose us are always led from the outside,” Mr. Orban said. The point, he concluded, remains the same.

Orban on Judit Varga: She had prime ministerial talent

Commenting on Judit Varga’s recent public statement, Mr. Orban said he had struggled through her last year to year and a half in politics with her.

She tried to resign at least three times because of what was happening at home.

But she persevered. According to PM Orban, this was a tremendous loss for the country, because true political talent like Ms. Varga’s is rare to find. In politics, experience matters most, he said — but he knows how to spot talent and instinct. And in his view, Ms. Varga had prime ministerial talent, but she would've needed another four to eight years to grow.

Cover photo: Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister’s Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)