President: ‘Absolutely essential’ war in Ukraine does not escalate, ends swiftly

It is “absolutely essential” that the war in Ukraine ends as soon as possible, and the conflict must be prevented from escalating, President Katalin Novák told public television late on Thursday.

Ending the war in Ukraine and Transcarpathian Hungarians

Referring to ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine, Novák said Transcarpathian Hungarians “should not only exist in their homeland in a hundred years’ time but Hungarian life there should thrive.” Those who have been forced to leave should be helped return and allowed to use their mother tongue, she said.

Concerning the war itself, Novák said it was “shocking” to see its “daily terrors”, but on the other hand it was also possible to witness “selfless help and acceptance even in this trying situation”.

Meanwhile, she said:

“Russia has not defined its goals, and President Putin does not even call his operations a war … so it is hard to foresee how things will develop.”

Dialogue with the opposition

Answering a question about whether she planned to restore the presidential tradition of holding regular consultations with the opposition parties, Novák said she considered it her duty to

“find a voice with everybody who seeks dialogue”.

Novák said efforts to build national unity could not be narrowed to political parties because “they are groups with different views and sharply conflicting positions”. She said it was her task to “learn about those positions and understand them as far as possible”. A presidential position, however, provides an opportunity to keep a distance from daily politics, she said.

• Read also: Putin’s popularity has fallen dramatically in Hungary

Signing laws

The president suggested she would follow the practice of János Áder, her predecessor, and “sign a hundred laws if they are good and reject a hundred others if they are bad”.

“I will decide based on my best conscience,” she said, adding that the goal was not to “survive a five-year mandate without conflicts with anybody”.

Democracy

On another subject, Novák said democracy was a way for people to promote their will and “if people express their will in a democratic way and they make a decision that must then be taken as directions”.