Szegedist
05-14-2013, 07:51 PM
Orbán: Hungarians are freedom fighters and patriots, denies conspiracy against country
Hungarians are basically freedom fighters with strong national feelings; and this can be called patriotism, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in an interview with Portuguese news television SIC Noticias on Saturday.
Asked why European institutions have doubts about Hungary’s commitment to democracy, Orban said honesty and direct talk is the style of the freedom fighter, but sometimes this is called populism in Europe.
Orban said he was not a populist, but tried as much as possible to speak directly and clearly with people.
Orban pointed out the battle being fought in Europe between the European People’s Party, of which governing Fidesz is a member, and the socialists.
He said Hungary had become a “prime candidate” for exposure to criticism after the government won a super-majority in the 2010 general elections. But he added that there was no conspiracy against Hungary, rather developments are taking place in as public a manner as possible.
There is a certain degree of ideology behind this criticism, too, he said.
Orban said the prevailing trend in Europe today was to be anti-church, anti-religion, anti-family and anti-national. But his party has a picture of Europe in which the importance of Christianity is acknowledged, the family remains a foundation, and Europe is recognised as a Europe of nations.
European regulations must be defended, but they must also be debated, he said. One can’t just accept that something is not good because somebody says so in Brussels, he added.
Orban said the government had very clear principles with regard to all of its decisions and was prepared to discuss these in a European manner. Everything Hungary strives for is in line with Schengen, free trade and the free movement of labour and capital, he added.
Answering a question about radical nationalist party Jobbik, Orban said that human dignity was at the centre of the new Hungarian constitution. He added that the fundamental law contained some instruments that defend not only the dignity of individuals, but the dignity of whole communities. This is a first in the history of European law, he noted.
For more than a hundred years, the radical right and the radical left have accounted for 16-17 percent of Hungarians, he added.
Hungarians are basically freedom fighters with strong national feelings; and this can be called patriotism, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in an interview with Portuguese news television SIC Noticias on Saturday.
Asked why European institutions have doubts about Hungary’s commitment to democracy, Orban said honesty and direct talk is the style of the freedom fighter, but sometimes this is called populism in Europe.
Orban said he was not a populist, but tried as much as possible to speak directly and clearly with people.
Orban pointed out the battle being fought in Europe between the European People’s Party, of which governing Fidesz is a member, and the socialists.
He said Hungary had become a “prime candidate” for exposure to criticism after the government won a super-majority in the 2010 general elections. But he added that there was no conspiracy against Hungary, rather developments are taking place in as public a manner as possible.
There is a certain degree of ideology behind this criticism, too, he said.
Orban said the prevailing trend in Europe today was to be anti-church, anti-religion, anti-family and anti-national. But his party has a picture of Europe in which the importance of Christianity is acknowledged, the family remains a foundation, and Europe is recognised as a Europe of nations.
European regulations must be defended, but they must also be debated, he said. One can’t just accept that something is not good because somebody says so in Brussels, he added.
Orban said the government had very clear principles with regard to all of its decisions and was prepared to discuss these in a European manner. Everything Hungary strives for is in line with Schengen, free trade and the free movement of labour and capital, he added.
Answering a question about radical nationalist party Jobbik, Orban said that human dignity was at the centre of the new Hungarian constitution. He added that the fundamental law contained some instruments that defend not only the dignity of individuals, but the dignity of whole communities. This is a first in the history of European law, he noted.
For more than a hundred years, the radical right and the radical left have accounted for 16-17 percent of Hungarians, he added.