2014. november 21., péntek

PM Orban calling for strong commission&president

Excerpts from the speech of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán delivered at the 4th meeting of the Hungarian Diaspora Council
20. November 2014, Budapest


One thing we can say, perhaps I should start with this [is] that in the Eastern neighbourhood of the EU, in Ukraine, there is a war-like situation, and this results in a  „cold peace” inside Europe.
I would like to make clear for all of you that we consistently stand by the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our Eastern neighbour. Not only because … there is one single anchor for us, namely international law … and we cannot lose this point of reference, and, consequently, we must stand by the Ukrainians, but there is also an element of national interest in there, not only an abstract respect for international law. [Averting a geopolitical situation in which there is no independent and sustainable] Ukraine between Hungary and Russia … is in the Hungarian national interest.  We do not deduce our interest from the American, or Russian, or even Ukrainian position … and the Hungarian interest is clearly a sustainable, sovereign and democratic Ukraine, that we hope can be home to the 200 thousand strong Hungarian ethnic minority there. A Ukraine that confers those rights on this community which can be expected from a country looking towards the West.
We need to pose the question: “what is the Hungarian interest?” and not „whose side should we take?” … Hence I suggest we remind ourselves that we are a member of NATO and we fulfilled our duty always without hesitation. We went to Afghanistan, which was not our war, but we went nevertheless because we decided that the US was the subject of a terrorist attack and it must be followed by an appropriate response.
… We went to Iraq as well … outside the NATO framework, because the US, which is our friend, asked that we take part in an international operation
Now things are happening here, in Central Europe, and hence we expect all our allies to represent the Hungarian position. Here, in Central Europe, is where we live, this is our life, our fate … we ask all our allies to help the Hungarian interest, just like we helped them in achieving their goals … For this we must define precisely what is the Hungarian geopolitical interest here in Central Europe [which] can be summed up in three words: peace, energy [security] and trade
Let me now say a few words on the situation within the EU … The [European] project seems to have come to a halt. I quote [from the UK PM article the other day]: „six years on from the financial crash that brought the world to its knees, red warning lights are once again flashing on the dashboard of the global economy” and „as I met world leaders at the G20 in Brisbane, the problems were plain to see. The eurozone is teetering on the brink of a possible third recession, with high unemployment, falling growth and the real risk of falling prices too.” So, this is not a Hungarian assessment, which malicious commentators often describe as EU-sceptic position. The HU position is not EU sceptic, but realist … Certain things flow from this assessment. The first and most important, is that we must reinforce our European institutions, because we won’t be able to avert the coming wave of recession banging on our door without strong European institutions. For that we need a strong Commission, and strong Commission President. The debates around the President are well known. This is the time when Hungary – irrespective of the fact that we did not support his election – must make clear that we need a strong and operational Commission, which cannot exists without a strong President. Juncker is our President, we must support his work, because otherwise we all – Hungarian economy included – will suffer serious losses

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