According to Viktor Orbán, we are seeing a repeat of the attacks against Hungary of four years ago, but with much greater intensity and force, and infused with a great deal of hatred. The Prime Minister was speaking in an interview aired on Monday evening on Slovenian television channel Nova 24.

He pointed out that the 2013 procedure resulted in the associated Tavares Report “becoming an object of ridicule”, which negatively affected the image of the European Parliament.

“The political profession is much more vulnerable than it was several decades ago, because now short-term considerations are being given precedence over long-term considerations”, the Prime Minister said. He noted that the European economy is not in a good condition, and everyone is struggling to survive up until their next parliamentary elections.

Mr. Orbán stressed that things have always been different in the Central European region, where “they respect serious people”.

The Prime Minister said that in 2008 Hungary was the first economy to collapse – before Greece – and the new government that came to power in 2010 chose “a more difficult approach” – despite receiving so much resulting criticism so that “we almost drowned”.

“It was not easy to survive that”, he noted.

Mr. Orbán stressed that in the first quarter of this year Hungary’s GDP increased by four per cent, unemployment plummeted from twelve per cent to four per cent – meaning that full employment can be achieved by next year – and this year the minimum wage was increased by 15 per cent.

It now truly makes sense for people to make a greater effort and to work more for their families, the Prime Minister said, stressing that the Government is optimistic: “overall we are moving in the right direction”.

“Over the past seven years the goal has not been to create a welfare society, but to establish a work-based society”, he emphasised.

Speaking about the dangers associated with the migration crisis, the Prime Minister stressed that every nation has the right to decide its own future. “If the French or the Germans want to try cooperating with millions of Muslims arriving in their countries as migrants, that is their business; but they should not try and force Hungarians to follow the same path”, he said.

“This is a decision, and we are asking Europe to respect this decision and this choice”, Mr. Orbán declared.

According to the Prime Minister, Islamic civilisation must be respected, but we must recognise that certain principles of Islam differ from the regulations of the Hungarian legal system, “and accordingly we are unable to provide a solution enabling two different civilisations to live together in the same country under the umbrella of a single constitutional system”.

In reply to a question, the Prime Minister explained that “The Hungarians have great respect for freedom fighters, and – since he is always on the side of freedom, fights and takes risks for his nation – we regard Slovenia’s former prime minister and the President of the Slovenian Democratic Party Janez Janša as a freedom fighter”. Mr. Orbán added that “He is a loyal man and a good friend”, noting that for more than a decade the Slovenian politician has always kept his word. The Hungarian prime minister continued as follows: “We share the same values. He believes in freedom, which is important; he believes in merit, and in the fact that society must be based on merit and on personal effort; he believes in low taxes and dislikes bureaucracy – just like the Hungarians”.

Speaking about the Hungarian origins of George Soros, the Prime Minister said that he was “in the first instance a talented Hungarian”, but pointed out that the image of society the financier represents is totally foreign to the European approach: “Here in Europe […] we believe in a social market economy; as a financial manipulator he believes in a kind of casino capitalism”. Mr. Orbán stated that this attitude involves a vision of the future that is not good for the continent, and is also not in line with the traditions of the peoples who live here.

The Prime Minister also pointed out that financial speculation by Gorge Soros has caused suffering for millions of people, as he has “attacked national currencies very effectively and profitably” for his own interests. But, the Prime Minister added, the key issue is George Soros’s view on migration, which is that Europe, like the United States, should become a radically liberal multicultural society composed of multiple ethnic groups and in the process lose its identity.

Mr. Orbán observed that George Soros has significant personal responsibility for the destabilisation of Macedonia, and “is working to destabilise conservative, national and Christian governments” in every state in the region. The Prime Minister said that we can combat this by using the instruments of democracy and transparency.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)