Western European elite to take over Hungary in April?

The prime minister’s chief of staff has flagged the possibility of interference from abroad in Hungary’s upcoming general election. Gergely Gulyás added, however, that such an intervention would not change the outcome.

In the interview in the weekly Demokrata, Gulyás noted the Hungarian government’s “opposition to the European mainstream” on key issues, and he warned of “an attack” from abroad rather than “recognition” of the government’s policies. Referring to

“the western European elite”, he insisted it wanted to take over “the helm of Hungary’s ship”.

The minister said this elite was “pro-immigration, pro-LGBTQ, and internationalist”. “We, a sovereign country, reject any foreign intervention.” On the topic of Hungary’s referendum on child protection which will be held in parallel with the April 3 general election, Gulyás said Hungary itself, not “LGBTQ propagandists”, would be in charge of legislation on raising children.

Gulyás said the ruling parties’ campaign would make clear how much was at stake in the election, with the successes of the past decade pitted against the failures of the decade before that.

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He spoke of plunging unemployment, massive wage rises, and the highest family benefits in Europe in proportion to budget spending. Meanwhile, the government cut taxes on labour, restored the 13-month pension and handed 1.1 million Hungarians from near abroad citizenship, he added.

On the subject of the united opposition, Gulyás said

the left wing had set itself the aims of expunging the former Socialist prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsány from their orbit and isolating the one-time radical nationalist Jobbik party. Now, the left wing, he said, was under the leadership of Gyurcsány, who had Jobbik “in a brotherly embrace”.