France, too, supports programme of Hungarian EU presidency 

France, too, supports the programme of the Hungarian EU presidency which will focus on the reinforcement of the European economy, the Hungarian Prime Minister stated on Wednesday in Paris after he had talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.

In an interview given to the public service media after the meeting, Mr Orbán recalled that he had arrived in Paris as the third station of his series of European talks, after Berlin and Rome. Hungary will take over the rotating EU presidency shortly, and so they touched upon two topics: French-Hungarian bilateral relations and the next six months of the EU, he said. 

“After Berlin and Rome, we also obtained Paris’s support; here, too, we concluded a deal, we received a seal of approval regarding the fact that in Europe the next six months during the Hungarian presidency should focus on the improvement of the European economy’s competitiveness,” he announced.

By his account, they also spoke about the Western Balkans enlargement. Countries in the Western Balkans have been waiting for fifteen years to finally enter the EU; “this is wrong, bad, and perhaps also humiliating,” he concluded.

Countries which would like to see the countries of the Western Balkans, including Serbia, within the European Union within the shortest possible time are in an overwhelming majority, and Hungary will be working towards this goal during the period ahead, he said.

Mr Orbán further highlighted that he and French President Emmanuel Macron had been pleased to acknowledge the development of French-Hungarian relations, and had agreed to further strengthen them.

At present, some 45,000 to 50,000 Hungarian families earn a living at French-owned companies operating in Hungary, while trade between the two countries has doubled in ten years, he pointed out, adding that also in the re-acquisition of the Budapest airport, one of the largest French companies is the professional and business partner of the Hungarian state.

Mr Orbán informed the press that he had had talks with executives of the company yesterday, while today he and President Macron had confirmed that this was not just a project, but an overarching development programme which was equally important for France and Hungary.

The Prime Minister said at the meeting they also spoke about European affairs.

He recalled that the French led the European Nuclear Alliance; a group of countries which believe that without nuclear energy it is impossible to arrive at the goal of clean energy and a clean economy. Hungary has been a member of this alliance from the start, and so they clarified steps of cooperation, he indicated, also highlighting that French companies, too, are actively involved in the construction of the Paks nuclear plant. 

Mr Orbán and Mr Macron agreed on the broadening of defence industry cooperation as well. Also today, there is already a French defence industry project under way in Hungary, but they are seeking new opportunities of cooperation, the Prime Minister stated.

He further said during the meeting the issue of the war also came up, but regarding this their opinions widely differ. “I made it clear to the President that Hungary concerns itself neither with Ukraine, nor with Russia; Hungary concerns itself with peace,” he said.

Mr Orbán stressed that Hungary was not against one country or the other, but was against the war. Hungary wants to stop the war, and so for us the most important goal is to have a ceasefire within the shortest possible time and to stop the killing of more people, he pointed out.

In answer to a question, the Prime Minister said Chinese-Hungarian relations were not on the agenda in Paris. Everyone knows that historically Hungary has had balanced and good relations with China for a long time, and China, too, has raised Hungary to a very high level of cooperation, he observed.

He added that people in the EU are aware that China is taking part in the modernisation of the Hungarian economy and has offered Hungary the possibility in turn to take part in the modernisation of the Chinese economy. “This means increasing economic cooperation which the Europeans don’t have any objection to; indeed, they can’t,” he pointed out. 

Regarding the distribution of senior positions in the EU, Mr Orbán said this has already happened. He stressed at the same time that, perhaps due to its size and also its traditions, Hungary has always stood for the idea that everyone must be involved in the making of European decisions. 

It is not good when the most important positions for the next five years, including the programme that goes with them, are distributed on a party basis by those who appointed themselves for the purpose; neither is it a good idea when in the European Union there is a governing party and there is an opposition, if there is a majority and there is a minority, he warned. 

Everyone should be involved. However, this step has become more of a coalition of the parties in the European Union that support the war and migration, and it is the duty of Hungary to oppose this, Mr Orbán stated.