The Hungarian Prime Minister spoke about the scandal that led to the resignation of the president, Sweden’s accession to NATO and the European elections.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sought to contain the political fallout from a presidential pardon scandal during his annual state of the nation address on Saturday, his first public appearance since the Hungarian president resigned a year ago. week.
The nationalist is under intense pressure from multiple angles as his obstructionist conduct on the international stage has sparked growing frustration among his European Union and NATO allies.
Meanwhile, general indignation among Hungarian public opinion over the pardon granted by the president to a convict in a child sexual abuse case.
In his speech, which marked the 25th anniversary of his first address to the nation during his first term as prime minister in 1999, Viktor Orbán immediately referred to last week’s resignation of President Katalin Novák. He declared that 2024 “couldn’t have started worse” and that his resignation was a “nightmare” for the country.
International news agencies, including the Associated Press, and independent Hungarian media were not allowed to attend the speech.
Viktor Orbán sought to dampen protests over the scandal that has rocked his nationalist Fidesz party in recent weeks, saying Katalin Novák had made the responsible decision to resign.
The resignation was “fair, but it’s a big loss for Hungary”did he declare. “What happened is what needed to happen in this situation. Good people also make bad decisions.”
The revelations led to three resignations within the Hungarian prime minister’s inner circle – including former Justice Minister Judit Varga, who countersigned the pardon – and sparked public outrage that culminated in the gathering of dozens thousands of demonstrators in Budapest on Friday to demand change.
Outside of Hungary, Viktor Orbán has faced isolation due to his obstruction of key decisions by his international allies. The longtime leader has posed obstacles to EU funding for cash-strapped Ukraine, and Hungary remains the only holdout among NATO’s 31 members that has still not approved entry of Sweden in the Alliance.
A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers is expected to travel to Budapest on Sunday for a “mission focused on strategic issues facing NATO and Hungary”highlighting the growing impatience among Hungary’s allies.
But on Saturday, Viktor Orbán indicated that a vote on the issue could take place during the next meeting of the Hungarian Legislative Assembly on February 26.
“It is good news that our dispute with Sweden is coming to an end”did he declare. “We are moving towards the ratification of Sweden’s membership in NATO at the start of the spring session of Parliament.”
Ahead of European Parliament elections this summer, the nationalist has sought to unify the continent’s right-wing forces who reject liberal democracy, immigration and LGBTQ+ rights.
“Never before has there been such a gap between Brussels policy and the interests and will of the European people. There must be a change in Brussels”did he declare. “This change does not happen alone, it must be forced. Europe must take back Brussels.”
Viktor Orbán, supporter of what he calls a “illiberal democracy”openly supported Donald Trump in his likely run for the White House in November, and suggested that Russia’s war in Ukraine would not have started with Trump as president.
“We can’t get involved in another country’s elections, but we would really like President Donald Trump to return to the presidency and make peace here in the eastern half of Europe”he said on Saturday.
