Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the coming local council and European Parliament elections will be crucial factors in Hungary’s fight to protect its sovereignty.
Addressing a podium discussion in Békés, in south-eastern Hungary, Minister Szijjártó said that Hungary had succeeded in protecting itself and its interests amid the various crises in recent years. The minister noted Hungary’s swift vaccination campaign during the pandemic, the government’s investment promotion scheme and Hungary’s ability to stay out of the war in Ukraine “in spite of the immense pressure put on our country”. Hungary, he said, had stood firm on “the only morally acceptable position” of calling for peace when it came to the war. Meanwhile, he noted that the government had succeeded in evacuating all Hungarian nationals following the outbreak of the war in Gaza, and in freeing all but one of the Hungarian hostages taken by Hamas. Szijjártó said all of this had only been possible because of the country’s “exceptional political stability”. He said that over the coming years, Hungary would have to keep defending itself against “attacks” questioning or “seeking to eliminate” its national sovereignty. “It’s clear that this liberal mainstream is trying to rule over us both at the European and global levels,” the minister said, adding that because Hungary had a “patriotic and sovereigntist government”, it could expect to keep having to fight to protect its national interests in the coming years. Concerning the EP elections, Szijjártó said a pro-peace and anti-migration shift on the European political stage would not be possible without a rightward shift, saying it was crucial for the patriotic right-wing parties to have a successful showing at the June ballot. Meanwhile, Minister Szijjártó said the Visegrad Group cooperation was “at the heart of” Hungary’s foreign policy, and Hungary, Czechia, Poland and Slovakia were far more effective together when it came to crucial issues than they would be on their own.