“War in Ukraine, crisis in Venezuela, tensions over Greenland, Taiwan and Iran; this is how 2026 began. A global transformation is upon us,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a post on Facebook on Wednesday.
Orbán said the most important topic at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting will be keeping Hungary on a “path of peaceful and stable development in an unprecedentedly dangerous time”.
The aim, he said, was to keep Hungary on a path on which pensioners can get a 14th month pension, family support and tax breaks are expanding and young people get the support they need to buy their first home. “This is our path. The path of peace, with actions rather than words,” the prime minister said.
By contrast, Orbán said, “the path of Brussels” involved war plans, “EU funds given to and methodically stolen in Ukraine” as well as the migration pact. “And, of course, there’s the new Hungarian satellite party” which he said voted “according to the wishes” of European People’s Party leader Manfred Weber. “This is the path of war and losers. Let’s stay off it.”
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No word regarding “Sovereignty!” of countries and peoples, etc.
No word re saber-rattling, military options on the table regarding Greenland, threats to other countries …
Just that gentle sucking sound of our Leader pleasuring whomever he deems appropriate (@Moutons “Realpolitik” …). Telling.
It is, My dear Norbert -‘Realpolitik’, and it is the virtuosically skillful use of this that has Hungary, a nation without any army or assets other than the good qualities of it’s people, playing a leading role in both the politics of Europe and Eurasia.
In my lifetime the most gifted politicians I have seen and heard are John, F. Kennedy, Helmut Schmidt, George Wallace, Ronald Reagan, Fidel Castro, Margaret Thatcher, Barack Obama, Alice Weidel, Georgia Meloni, Robert Fico, and Vladimir Putin.
The top of that list, however, are Bill Clinton and Orbán Viktor, both of whom not only understood people well, they had remarkable abilities to speak – both in speeches, debates, or in taking questions, off the cuff.
What? You are angry, that Hungary isn’t excersising her leverage to threathen the USA to back down from the Greenland invasion?
So you in fact think Hungary is more influencial then Britain, Germany and France combined, right?
That’s a good question, Márk.
Who is more ‘influential’?
The first thought I have is that they all have some influence, but, in each case, there are some limits.
As to a prospective ‘invasion of Greenland’ : I think it much more likely that the small population of that country will accept Trump’s buyout offer at $100,000USD per head.
In any case, why would Hungary care about this?’
Even if they said something what would it achieve?
Trump has decided to do this and I doubt even Melania could persuade him otherwise.
Mr. Orbán’s Realpolitik relies on vetoes, brinkmanship, and what many EU and NATO Members see as extortion and mob‑like tactics to extract concessions. However – this is slowly but surely eroding trust with NATO and EU Members as well as countries outide those blocks. It seriously risks leaving Hungary isolated and sidelined within both the EU and NATO.
Again. I attending meetings all over Europe. The feeling we are unreliable is growing, not just for our Politicians but for Hungary, Hungarians and Hungarian businesses as a whole. And I am sorry – we are not going to make up our economic activities and growth with all the far-and-away “friends”. Lastly, to your point, it is all transactional, right – so God knows where it ends up, anyway.
“Mr. Orbán’s Realpolitik relies on vetoes, brinkmanship, and what many EU and NATO Members see as extortion and mob‑like tactics to extract concessions. However – this is slowly but surely eroding trust with NATO and EU Members as well as countries outside those blocks…”
If you mean by, ‘eroding trust among NATO & EU members, you mean their leaders, I would say you are generally correct, Dear Norbert.
It’s an important distinction because, with the actual people of EU /NATO member states, your prime minister is a very very popular person, and Hungary is respected and envied.
That said, I think what is ‘eroding trust with NATO & EU members’, is starting a war with Russia under the premise of defending The Ukraine and then breaking the budget of all member states by financing it , and continuing to attempt to finance it by illegally seizing Russian assets or borrowing money outright, and leaving the taxpayers of the EU holding the bag.
Further ‘eroding trust with the people of NATO & EU members states is importing millions and millions of fighting age males from non-European countries – not to mention de-industrializing Germany in the name of a worldwide environmental calamity that exists only in studies that have been purchased by those corporations planning to profit by ‘fixing it.’
No, when the brief experiment that was the EU is studied by future European university students, it will be studied from the perspective of marveling at how blind, deaf, arrogant, dishonest, and just plainüass dumb the EU’s last leadership was.
Those are the policies and actions that have undermined NATO = the EU, NOT Orbán Viktor.’
Calli b*llshit, @Mouton. Again. Fact and data. Eurobarometer and national polls consistently show far higher trust in the EU and NATO than admiration for our Politicians. My experience in meetings throughout Europe appear to echo this – however maybe I just hang out with “Western Elites!”. Throughout Europe, modern day Hungary is generally seen as a warning re rule of law, media freedom, and (shocker) corruption.
More facts and data – Russia launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 after already attacking in 2014. Supporting Ukraine is about deterring aggression and keeping a brutal, revisionist power from redrawing borders by force.
Your usual migrant rhetoric ignores that EU Members have legal obligations toward refugees, and most have aging populations, short of workers. Reliant on controlled migration to sustain growth and pensions. If you have other solutions – please do list.
Lastly – climate policy is based decades of peer reviewed science. Facts and data (I know – it is terrible). Germany’s current industrial challenges are nuanced – Russian energy dependence, slow innovation – climate policy alone does not drive this. Debating effectiveness of specific EU decisions is healthy, however blaming “Brussels Elites!” and absolving our Politicians of any responsibility is just … Propaganda.