Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday that Hungary always defends itself and the "heroes of 1956 are sacrosanct", calling it a "mistake" on the part of his political director to have made "ambiguous comments" about defense against Russia and 1956.
"Hungary always defends itself as it has in the past, as it does today and will do so in the future with every possible means, just as the constitution mandates all Hungarians to do," PM Orbán told public broadcaster Kossuth Radio when asked whether Balazs Orbán's recent remarks implied that Hungary would not defend itself.
The prime minister said the disagreement between the "pro-war and pro-peace sides" would continue to intensify in Hungary and the rest of the world until November's US presidential election. Most recently, he added, the revolution of 1956 had been brought into the debate, warning that it was crucial to "be very clear when discussing such sensitive issues" and leave no doubt about where one stands.
"This time my political director spoke ambiguously, which in this context was a mistake since our community is grounded in the revolution of 1956; that is what it grew out of and wouldn't be our political community if it weren't for the heroes of 1956," PM Orbán said, adding that he had no doubts about the political views of any senior Fidesz politician. He said he was certain that Balazs Orbán would fight for the country "in the event of such a turn of history".
PM Orbán said "sacrosanct and unassailable events and heroes like 1956 and its heroes" should be kept out of the debate on war and peace. "I don't want the Ukraine-Russia war to cast a shadow on the memory of the freedom fighters of 1956 to whom we owe our gratitude and whose honour we should keep alive," the prime minister said.