Gergely Gulyás, Head of the Prime Minister’s Office, said at the National University of Public Service on Monday that Germany must play a leading role in Europe, arguing that "there is no strong European Union without a strong Germany."
At a discussion with Knut Abraham, a CDU Bundestag member, Gulyás said there was "no question" that Germany was Hungary’s most important economic partner, with a quarter of Hungarian exports going to Germany. Also, surveys showed 75-80 percent of German investors would invest again in Hungary, he added.
As regards political relations, Gulyás said there were some within the conservative CDU/CSU bloc with whom the Hungarian government had a "hostile" relationship, adding, at the same time, that "if we are not talking about Christian Democrat representatives in Brussels, then relations are good".
Concerning the Alternative for Germany’s (AfD) showing in February’s federal elections, Gulyás said the main source of voter dissatisfaction with Germany’s traditional parties was illegal migration and the deterioration of public safety that came with it. Universal basic income and gender policy were also reasons for discontent, he added.
Gulyás said that after what CDU/CSU politicians had done in Brussels, it was understandable that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán hosted the AfD’s leader in Budapest.
Turning to transatlantic relations, Gulyás said that because the Democratic administrations in the United States had aimed to oust the Hungarian government, Hungary had welcomed Donald Trump’s victory, adding that relations between the two governments remained "particularly good".
He added, however, that a negative impact of the US tariffs on the German auto industry would also be harmful for the Hungarian economy.
Abraham said Hungarian-German relations remained on a solid foundation, underlining the importance of maintaining dialogue, as the EU could only survive if European unity remained intact.