In Tusnádfürdő/Băile Tușnad on Saturday, in answer to questions from the audience, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that Fidesz has no intention of leaving the European People’s Party (EPP), and the only way it could leave would be if it was ejected.
Mr. Orbán said that he is in favour of staying in the EPP, loyalty is important, and that Fidesz wants to launch itself into next year's European parliamentary elections as part of the grouping.
This is the plan, he said. He observed, however, that within the People’s Party there are parties which are very different in their thinking; while these differences will be extremely difficult to bridge, Fidesz wants to do just that.
He pointed out that Fidesz sees itself as the CSU (Germany’s Christian Social Union) of the People’s Party, that it represents the Christian democratic platform, and that the party grouping will be strong if its members can combine their strengths – even if that means making internal compromises.
Regarding Serbia, Mr. Orbán stressed that it does not belong to the Balkans region, but to Central Europe – and the same is true of Montenegro.
He stressed that he is convinced that Hungary must do everything it can to help these two countries become members of the EU.
The Hungarian prime minister said that Hungary has a historical interest in being part of the same political community as Serbia, and he believes that the Serbs share this view.
Asked whether the government parties have already reached the upper limit of their electoral support, he said that his calculations suggest that to date some 63 to 65 per cent of voters in Hungary have participated in a minimum of one campaign organised by the Government, and would be willing to at least consider voting for it.
Regarding the case of Zoltán Szőcs and István Beke, he said that the Hungarian prime minister of the day must be cautious on legal issues, and should think twice before commenting on specific Romanian court rulings.
He said that he stands by those who suffer any injustice, and, regardless of national affiliation, in his view it is wrong to condemn people for something they have not done.
At this point in time there is a strong suspicion that this may be the case, he said, adding that, regardless of the national dimension, Hungary must always stand up for people punished unjustly – but especially in cases involving its compatriots.
This is a question of universal justice, Mr. Orbán stated.
With reference to the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), he reiterated that its influence within the Hungarian community is not determined by its relationship with the Hungarian government, but by how many Hungarians living in Transylvania vote for it.
He said that it is the duty of the Hungarian prime minister to accept the decision of the people living there – or to at least show respect by not ignoring it.
He described the RMDSZ as a natural partner for the Hungarian government of the day.
This does not mean that one can forget about smaller parties, Mr. Orbán added. He observed that Hungary must think with two heads, and when Hungary speaks about nation building, it must equally bear in mind both the building of the motherland and the building of the entire nation.
This is why economic development programmes have been launched, he said, and this is why those programmes will continue. He described the Marosvásárhely (Târgu Mureș) University of Medicine and Pharmacology (MOGYE) as a national cause, which the Hungarian national community in Transylvania has no reason to abandon. If local people do not give up on this nation policy objective, he stated, the Hungarian government’s sole duty is to support it.
He also said that it is in Hungary’s interest for Romania to be a strong and stable country.
The migration pressure from the South and East will be prolonged, he said, but the question is whether the current orthodoxy will persist, and whether it will be able to intellectually and physically block Muslim immigration. The Prime Minister described this as a shared security interest for Romanians, Hungarians, Austrians and Germans – although the latter are not aware of this.
In answer to a question, László Tőkés said that his position on the Szőcs-Beke case is clear. He said that the RMDSZ has the greatest room for manoeuvre and responsibility, as “it is in a situation which is close to government”, and is also represented in the Romanian parliament.
He stated that radical measures are required in Bucharest.
He also spoke about the case of MOGYE, saying that the RMDSZ should review its attitude and take a more courageous political stance.