In a press conference following his meeting with Marine Le Pen, Prime Minister Orbán began by saying that whenever a leading politician from France visits Hungary, it’s a great honor for the country. “There have been attempts to crucify us several times in the last few years in the European Parliament. There were those who stood by us, and there were those who betrayed us,” PM Orbán said, adding that Marine Le Pen and her party stood beside Hungary when the EP unrightfully attacked us.
According to PM Orbán, the EU’s competitiveness is decreasing globally, as it couldn’t find a solution to the migration pressure, something that remains an “open wound” for the bloc to this day. “And we cannot even cope with rapidly increasing energy prices around the EU,” he continued. Meanwhile, in the prime minister’s view, the European political party structure is undergoing a stark shift. “We oppose any form of a European ‘superstate,’ and this is why we are trying to adapt to the changing structure,” PM Orbán said.
“Ideological pressure tactics have reached a previously unseen level in the EU. The European Commission has become an ideology center instead of serving as a guardian of the Treaties,” PM Orbán said. According to him, the sovereignist camp in France has become a force to reckon with, and the Hungarian government seeks opportunities to cooperate with it, as we would also prefer to bring about a Europe of nation states.
Speaking to the Hungarian press, Marine Le Pen commended Hungary for “always standing up for freedom” as she remembered the heroes of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
“The EU is no longer an interstate structure. It has embarked on a federalist path and believes it can centralize power in Brussels,” Le Pen said, adding that the protection of European sovereignty is paramount, as nations cannot exist without sovereignty.
“We support the freedom of peoples,” the French political leader said.
Le Pen also observed that Hungary has defended its “state and culture” from migration with success, while the effect of migration is already apparent in France.
On the topic of rising energy prices, Le Pen said that “we cannot just stay idle [as some EU member states have on the issue of migration] and witness the rapid increase in energy prices,” adding that “national sovereignists must act now because we have been paralyzed for far too long.”
Commenting on the ongoing debate on the future of Europe, Prime Minister Orbán said that the debate carries a great opportunity: An opportunity for us to have our voice heard. “The debate on the future of Europe could be over as soon as the first quarter of next year, during the French EU presidency,” PM Orbán said and added that the question of migration is still not “settled” in the EU.
The Hungarian standpoint, he said, is unchanged: We believe migration is a bad thing.