Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said that Europe must abandon “the illusion of federalism”, and the continent must be made multipolar. He has also praised US President Donald Trump and urged a joint military and common security system for Europe.
During his speech at the Lámfalussy Conference organized by the National Bank of Hungary, the prime minister said a deal should be negotiated with China, and “the Russia issue should also be revisited”, arguing that there were plenty of opportunities in a “multipolar world”.
PM Orbán said Russia had survived “the West’s attempts” to “isolate” and “dismantle the regime” and it had survived low oil prices and the sanctions. He added thatit did not make sense for Europe to ignore the strength and opportunities presented by Russia.
The prime minister also praised President Trump for putting the nation’s interest first, saying this “big change” paved the way for an era of bilateralism.
MTI reports that PM Orbán welcomed Trump’s inaugural speech that each nation has a right to consider its own interests above all, saying that “this sentence could not have been uttered before”.
“We have received permission from the highest secular place that we, too, have the right to put ourselves first. This is a big thing, a great freedom, a great gift," PM Orbán said.
This will pave the way for bilateral military and economic cooperation deals, he said. PM Orbán said the EU should seek a new deal with the US because the EU-US free trade pact was “dead”. Also, the EU should “let go of the illusion of federalism”.
The prime minister said Europe should have more self-confidence. PM Orbán said the continent should be able to protect itself without any outside assistance. Right now it is incapable of doing so, he insisted. PM Orbán, however, welcomed French conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon’s visit on Monday to Berlin, where the matter of a joint European military alliance is expected to be one of the main topics of discussion. PM Orbán said one of the biggest questions regarding the future of Europe was whether it could defend itself without the help of the US.
“The key to solving this problem seems straightforward, and it is a German-French defense and military alliance, joint military and common security system,” the prime minister said. Outlining Europe’s problems, he said that the parts of the continent where many migrants had settled had also seen an immediate increase in crime.
Hungary’s economy has developed “spectacularly” ever since the central bank “stopped being in opposition," PM Orbán said. Assessing the state of Hungary’s economy, PM Orbán said the country had become a “success story”.