Viktor Orbán to Krónika: Supporting Hungarian Communities Abroad Is Not a Favor, Rather Our Duty

I promised them that, when the opportunity arose, we would help to do whatever it takes to push, pull or drag Romania into the Schengen Area because they had long deserved it. We didn't do them a favor – we did what was right and what they deserved. We kept our promise. I won't go into the complex maneuvers it took to achieve this in EU politics, but the result is that Romania is now in the Schengen Area. The Romanians know this and can see our goodwill and readiness to cooperate. So we're not off to a bad start, but we will see what happens. I don't envy this new government; it's inherited a very difficult legacy, particularly in regard to the economy. They'll need all their skill to ensure the Romanian people endure this phase with the least damage possible. I wish them success.

On George Simion and his statements

– In your speech in Tihany in May, you made reference to George Simion, President of the Alliance for the Unification of Romanians [AUR], then candidate for state president, raising eyebrows among Hungarians in Transylvania. You also discussed this with RMDSZ (Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania) President Hunor Kelemen. Were you surprised that the Hungarian community in Romania, including its representative organizations, firmly rejected cooperation with the Romanian far right? How should your remarks be interpreted?

– They're absolutely right not to cooperate with extremists – neither the far right nor the far left. They should not collaborate with anyone hostile to Hungarians. And people in Transylvania know best who those enemies are. So yes, they did a fine job defending themselves against a far-right candidate. What the current president will bring remains to be seen – that’s a different story. I said nothing different than what I always have and will continue to say. I was surprised at the uproar, but elections are emotionally charged times. What you say, the actual words, may matter less than when you say it. I have made outstanding statements before, and I can tell you now what I will say in five years during the next Romanian elections.

I said we would not interfere in the Romanian presidential race. But from that symbolic location in Tihany, we sent a message to the people of Romania and their future president: Hungary stands for unity and cooperation – today, tomorrow, and five years from now. We will not support any political isolation or retaliation against Romania or its leaders in the EU no matter who ends up getting elected. So nobody should expect me to support Hungary in backing EU sanctions that go against any democratically elected Romanian leadership – as is often the case in the EU. As of now, they are sanctioning and punishing Hungary. If Romania is punished in Brussels for defending its sovereignty or Christian values, we will stand by them. That is our message now and will be in the future.

– Over the past fifteen years, Hungary has provided substantial support to ethnic Hungarians abroad, with the largest proportion of going to Transylvania. This policy has its critics, particularly the educational subsidies granted to Hungarian-speaking students, which some argue strongly influence their school of choice when considering language predominance. Can we expect changes in this policy? Moreover, how far can Hungary's financial capacity be stretched to support this?

– I can’t help anyone who doesn't understand why we must support our fellow Hungarians in Transylvania through their communities and schools. It's as simple as two plus two. Hungarians here are in a restricted situation, fighting for survival for a hundred years. If someone doesn't understand this, if it doesn't touch their heart or reach their conscience, I can't help them. If your heart isn't Hungarian, I can't explain what it means to be Hungarian. And if you're Hungarian, my friend, back home in “Little Hungary”, you cannot forget about those Hungarians who rely on you. If you don't get that, I can't explain it to you – that is hopeless. I don't mean to offend, but we might as well talk about something else; there might be other topics in life we agree on. If you don’t understand your duties as a Hungarian in the motherland to help our compatriots abroad, living as minorities, then I cannot explain it to you. If someone says we shouldn't give money to Hungarians abroad for schools, kindergartens, nurseries, or churches, they either don't know what they're saying or live in such a different world that it’s better we change the subject.

History has seen our borders drawn and redrawn, but the Hungarian nation exists regardless of borders. A country has borders, but a nation does not. To me, we are one nation. You here are a part of the nation, just as I am, from western Hungary. It's one and the same. Thus, we're not providing charity or aid – we're doing what is our duty of our government, to ensure the survival and strengthening of every part of the Hungarian nation. And though it is rarely said out loud, you help us too. If we look at Hungary-Romania trade – which benefits Hungary – much of our surplus is generated by Hungarians living here in Transylvania. So let’s forget the idea that this is some sort of gift or charity. This is a matter of responsibility to all parts of our nation, and that is what I have always believed.

We decided that Hungary will be a big and rich country

– Much of this support depends on Hungary's economic situation. What are the prospects in this regard? I ask in part because Romania's new government is implementing tough austerity measures due to a large budget deficit.

– I can tell you that in Hungary, we’ve recently made decisions such as removing taxes on childcare benefits like GYED (childcare allowance) and CSED (parental leave benefit) which are available to mothers on maternity leave. As of July 1, this will leave an extra 40,000–70,000 forints a month in families’ pockets. We also just introduced 3% interest-rate loans to support first-time homebuyers, compared to the 8–9% mortgage rates on the market. From July, we increased child tax credits by 50%, and in January, they’ll rise another 50%. In October, mothers of three will receive full tax exemptions, and from January, so will mothers of two – for life. In October, pension supplements will also be introduced.

This is happening now in Hungary, these are real achievements. The rest is fiction and fairy tales. We are strong and moving forward. Looking from a historical perspective, we must remember that when we lost World War I our opponents – at the time, enemies of war – wanted Hungary to be small and poor. And this is how they wanted to keep us for 100 years. But me and my generation decided otherwise: Hungary will be big and rich. That’s what we’re working on and what we’ll do. That’s the essence of our national program.

Hungarian politics has always had a major national party – which we represent right now, but it was this way between the two world wars and before that too. There is the big national party that fights for our independence and historic justice, and then there is the foreign-funded and maintained, cosmopolitan, suspect international formation lead by placeholders backed by foreigners that try to get into power with the help of money and influence from abroad. That’s what cost us World War I, so this is nothing new to Hungarian politics. Our task is to retain our supporters and relay to them the reality of the situation; but most importantly, we must govern well, so that the people choose us and keep those foreign-backed forces away from governing. That is the mission of a national party. I lead this effort as party president, and we will win the next election. That’s the plan.

– So you're approaching the campaign with great confidence.

– This confidence is healthy and historically grounded. I am in my twentieth year as prime minister; we have won five elections, most recently, four in a row. We have implemented measure after measure that provides more and more opportunities for Hungarians. Why shouldn’t we be confident?

– Every astronaut in space represents a huge step forward for man – and even more so for a country, for a nation. You recently spoke with Tibor Kapu, Hungary’s second astronaut, of whom all Hungarians are proud. It is a huge step for a nation. What does it mean for the nation that, after 45 years, a Hungarian astronaut has once again gone to space?

– I see two things here. First, we're experiencing good times right now, because recently we've had two Nobel Prize winners, and now we have an astronaut. That doesn’t happen often. And it raises the question: can a country the size of Hungary, and with a fate like ours – a country that lost two world wars – set such ambitious goals for itself? Or should we say that space and Nobel Prizes are for the big players, and we’re too small for that? The leftists often say, “Let’s dare to be small.” But we say no – let’s dare to be great! And it’s not always about size.

We should be there. I think it matters and for us Hungarians, it’s a question of self-respect. It is how we see ourselves, and sometimes we need reassurance. The second thing, which was especially moving for me, is that when they launched Mr. Kapu into space, what would you expect a person to think first? Perhaps that, “the Earth is far below my feet, and I’m looking at parts of it I’ve never seen before, or can’t see from home.” But what did Tibor Kapu say? “We launched, and the first thing I looked for was Hungary.” That’s the remarkable part.

– I am not happy to do it, but I would like to end our conversation on a serious note: the question of the neighboring war is relevant for many of us. Has the world come any closer to peace since the war in Ukraine began three and a half years ago?

– No, we are continuously drifting closer to war. This is not our war; it’s a fratricidal war between two Slavic peoples, and we have nothing to do with it. The narrative that the Russians will come here and gobble everyone up is a ridiculous argument. If you look at the strength of the Russian army, its military expenditures, and compare them with the military capabilities and economic power of the Western European NATO countries – and on top of that adds the entire United States standing behind us – come on, let’s be serious. There is no monster big enough to swallow all that. So this is not our war, and we must keep our distance from it. I find it sad that the Europeans want war, while the Americans want peace. President Trump is constantly working for peace, while the Europeans keep talking about defeating the Russians on the Ukrainian front.

Everyone sees that we are living in an age of danger, and no one knows which way things will go. That’s why there is a global sense of uncertainty; it’s felt in the economy, not only here but on the other side of the world as well. Perhaps China is the only exception. In such times, security becomes a more important consideration than investment or expansion for businesses. The world is thinking: let’s preserve what we already have. And if the world thinks that way, the entire global economy slows down. We're seeing the economic consequences of this now. But it will be okay; we Hungarians need to focus on our own goals. We've set them, and we need to achieve them while staying on the side of peace. We cannot let it happen again – like it happened twice before – that in a large European war, which later became a world war, Hungary gets dragged in against its own interests and intentions. We must stay out of it. That’s my task, and I am unwavering in this matter.

korábban írtuk

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