He stated that he would celebrate Donald Trump's victory in the US elections with champagne but could not fully keep his word because, as he explained, he was in Kyrgyzstan when the results were announced. However, Viktor Orban did not want to miss toasting to the "fantastic result" achieved by his ally and found a solution that is very typical in Russia: vodka.
"In Kyrgyzstan, they have different customs, so we happily depleted the vodka reserves," explained the Prime Minister of Hungary, who is hosting the meeting of the European Political Community and EU leaders in Budapest on Thursday and Friday. Although initially hinting at downplaying his close relationship with Trump, he eventually left a statement showing the admiration he has for him, most likely prepared in advance: "They wanted to imprison him, tried to confiscate his assets, tried to kill him, and today he is the president of the USA."
In a somewhat peculiar appearance with the President of Albania, Edi Rama, who, for example, referred to Emmanuel Macron as "his majesty" and joked that Orban is the black sheep of Europe, the Hungarian President also stated that his solution is the only one that works to contain immigration: a fence allowing entry only to those with permission.
"We protect all of Europe, not just Hungary," emphasized Orban. The reality is that his discourse is increasingly resonating among European leaders. Not everyone is as drastic or grandiloquent in their words. But, as numerous community sources point out, "almost everyone wants innovative solutions," as the President of the European Commission named the series of actions that also include detention centers outside the EU.
He has not shied away from the war in Ukraine either and has once again called for peace. However, not a peace where Russia withdraws from occupied positions and respects Ukrainian territory, but rather a sort of ceasefire negotiated by both parties, which is not exactly what the European Commission advocates.
And precisely in the process of forming the new Commission, Orban's Hungarian candidate has suffered a significant setback: he did not receive approval from Parliament, which requested more written information to continue assessing his suitability, making him the only candidate so far not approved.
Oliver Varhelyi aspires to be the Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, but many in Brussels are wary of giving that position to a representative of a country that, for example, chose the Russian vaccine during the pandemic. "How can we support a Health Commissioner who is unable to criticize a Member State that chose Russian/Chinese vaccines instead of those approved (in the EU), or to explain how to ensure women unhindered access to health and sexual and reproductive rights?" explained Renew's coordinator, Pascal Canfin, very clearly.