Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that the Hungarian government, with a fourth election win under its belt, is Europe’s most stable. He added that the Fidesz government represented the nation’s interests fully.
Speaking at a forum in Budapest on Thursday, Minister Szijjártó emphasized the importance of the outcome of the spring general election in terms of determining Hungary’s reaction to current events. Whereas in times of peace a country’s future and political direction are determined in an election, much more was at stake in the April election as voters not only opted for an economic and social vision but also decided whether the next few years could be spent in peace, the minister said. So the past few months have underlined just how important Fidesz’s win was, he added. The ruling party made clear in its election campaign that the primary aim was to stay out of the war, he said, noting that at the same time Hungary is providing “serious humanitarian aid” to Ukraine.
Minister Szijjártó said the EU had reacted to the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in the “worst possible way” by introducing sanctions. The war is still raging while Europe’s economy is moving towards a recession, he said, adding that prices were skyrocketing while Russia’s economy had withstood sanctions. He accused the EU of pursuing new sanctions only to “somehow excuse” its own poor decision-making that was causing such damage. Admitting that sanctions were “a dead end” would tar those responsible for introducing them in the first place, he added. Yet leaders who backed sanctions should take responsibility for bringing the European economy to the brink of recession by resigning, he said. Hungarian energy supplies, Minister Szijjártó said, would not be put at risk, and Hungarian interests must be protected when negotiating any sanctions package, adding that tough talks lay ahead, and the outcome of the National Consultation public survey was important in terms of bolstering the government’s negotiating position.