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Mr Orbán told the public service media that the meeting had had two topics: European affairs and German-Hungarian bilateral relations.
Last year, trade between the two countries reached a record of above EUR 70 billion; one quarter of Hungarian exports is bound for Germany, he recalled.
He added that German companies provided jobs for 250,000 to 300,000 people in Hungary, primarily in the automotive industry.
By his account, he also agreed with Mr Scholz in that there is a generational shift in the automotive industry. It is very important that Hungary, too, will remain a part of this German technological shift, he highlighted.
He also drew attention to the fact that Hungary is one of the world’s three countries where all three large German car manufacturers are present.
Hungary plays a prominent role in the functioning of German industry, while for our part we hope to generate economic growth and tax revenues, “this constitutes the backbone of German-Hungarian relations,” he observed.
He also stressed that the EU’s competitiveness within the world economy must be enhanced. Hungary is ready to table overarching plans that are capable of enhancing European competitiveness; negotiations about these plans are already under way with the other Member States as well, he indicated.
The goal is for Europe not to isolate itself, not to respond to changes in the world according to the logic of fear, but to extend its economic relations, to strengthen its network of relations throughout the globe, and rather than locking itself in, Europe should be ready for competition, he explained.
Mr Orbán said he and the German Chancellor clarified that the conflicts between Hungary and EPP President Manfred Weber are not German-Hungarian conflicts, they have no negative impact on German-Hungarian cooperation; these are conflicts between Brussels and Hungary.
The Prime Minister said Manfred Weber “is Hungarophobic, he hates the Hungarian people,” he blames the Hungarians for not having become president of the European Commission, “he is one of our oldest opponents, enemies in European politics.”
Regarding the priority goals of the Hungarian EU presidency, he said they include the improvement of the demographic situation in Europe. Mr Orbán spoke about the fact that he would like governments to find ways to provide even more help for families.
Naturally, migration was also on the agenda; they will do everything they can so that Europe should continue to belong to the European people, he stated.
In answer to the question of whether Hungary will be able to take steps regarding the gender issue, Mr Orbán said “this whole gender absurdity that upsets” the traditional European order of educating children and living together is not directly covered by the Hungarian presidency programme.
“We don’t want to deal with this, we don’t even fully understand what this is; we have a life, and we’d like to live it the way we have done to date,” the Prime Minister said.
