In his video message, the Prime Minister, who is currently in Brussels, said the last round of negotiations had been completed in the Hungarian delegation’s rooms. The prime ministers who made the final decision gathered together.
“We have completed the final round,” he said, adding that an agreement has been reached.
The video posted on Facebook features footage of Viktor Orbán, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and President of the European Council Charles Michel holding a consultation.
Mr Orbán said “everyone has played their last card, all bets are off, a verdict has been reached”. He said in summary “I have to say, even in the most restrained tone possible, that common sense has prevailed”.
“We have won because in difficult times such as the pandemic and the economic crisis there is no time to engage in ideological, political debates which hinder us in taking action,” he stated, adding that “common sense has prevailed,” because with this decision we have, at the end of the day, succeeded in preserving Europe’s unity.
At the same time, he highlighted, everyone is aware that now only a phase has come to an end. There are proposals on the table which many players, including the Hungarians, will not like, the Prime Minister said, mentioning as examples migration and the anti-family measures planned to be implemented by Brussels.
“There will be plenty of trouble, but today we have achieved three things at any rate,” he stressed.
“We have defended the European constitution, we have not allowed it to be circumvented. We have warded off the threat of the use of budgetary means to force on Hungarians decisions that we don’t want to adopt and we don’t want to accept. And finally, we have defended the Hungarian people’s money which will come in handy in the economic growth of the years ahead,” Mr Orbán said.
“We had a nice evening,” the Prime Minister said, observing that it is time to put the champagne on ice.