Asked about whether he sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin or with US President Donald Trump, Orbán said it was best if foreign policy was not tailored to particular individuals.

Foreign relations should be shaped so that partners “are interested in Hungary’s success”. Russia, the United States, as well as China, Israel and Turkey are all such countries, he added.

“For seven years we have been working to build a foreign policy based on our own national interests rather than being tied up in alliances,” he said. “Only one piece of the puzzle is not in place: Brussels.” This “problem” may be solved after next year’s election, he added. “It is not impossible; we see an opportunity.”

Answering a question on autonomy for ethnic Hungarians, Orbán said his government supported such initiatives “as there is no better option, period”.

Regarding Brexit, Orbán said he did not share the “Brussels attitude of seeing the United Kingdom as an enemy”. The idea that a country is necessarily worse off outside the EU is mistaken, and each nation should decide where their own interests lie, inside or outside. “We’ll remain friends even if the UK is not an EU member.”

Asked whether his government’s measures may cover ethnic Hungarian communities in the future, he said “it’s only a matter of time”. “The ice was broken” when one type of Hungarian family subsidy was extended to Hungarian households in neighbouring countries.

Asked about Poland’s judiciary, Orbán said Poland “has not at all acted against EU principles or ideals”. Brussels’ treatment of Poland is “unfair, unjust, indecent: a typical example of double standards,” he said, adding that Hungary was loyal to Warsaw.

Asked why the Hungarian government did not adopt “a tougher approach to representatives of the Soros empire”, Orbán said “it may yet happen”, but his government would not go beyond certain European limits.

Orbán said Soros had interfered in Hungary’s national security and “crossed a line by using his money, people, and institutions to forward migrants to Europe”.

“This is against the security of the Hungarian people and against Hungary’s interests ... this is inexcusable,” he said.

“This is not about George Soros but about a life without terrorism, retaining our identity, and the security of the Hungarian people,” he added.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

Photo: Gergely Botár/kormany.hu