In a joint press release with French President Emmanuel Macron, issued before a meeting with the Visegrad Group, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said: "We are in agreement when it comes to patriotism, strengthening Europe and [Europe's] strategic autonomy."
The prime minister said that without a European defense industry, there is no strategic autonomy. Nuclear energy and agricultural self-sufficiency are also related prerequisites, he added. “This is why we are in favor of a joint European defense policy, nuclear energy, and a strong agricultural sector in Europe,” PM Orbán said, adding that chances of successful negotiations were high. PM Orbán said President Macron was respected in Hungary, adding that “since France is home to the Encyclopaedists”, he accepted the definition the French president had recently applied to them both: “We’re both political opponents and European partners”.
President Macron urged European cooperation when it comes to protecting the bloc’s external borders. Though France and Hungary have their disagreements, France is a loyal partner of Hungary and pro-European, the president said. France values patriotism and the mutual respect it and the other member states have for each other, he added. President Macron also thanked Hungary for its commitment to the fight against terrorism.
Photo credit: MTI