The straight-talking Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had high praise for President Trump as a kindred spirit who says exactly what he means and therefore makes for an excellent dialogue partner.
Trump is “an American through and through, who doesn’t come from the elite European school which follows in the cultural tradition of royal courts, but from the harsh, cold and turbulent world of business,” Orbán said in a recent lengthy radio interview.
The Prime Minister said that the U.S. President gave European leaders at a recent NATO summit something refreshing and unusual. “He speaks simply and plainly, doesn’t allow himself to be distracted, and uses in turn the considerations and arguments of reasoning and physical or military strength,” he said, which we aren’t “used to.”
In all of this there is an “inherent opportunity,” Orbán said.
“Finally, we have someone who speaks in an open and straightforward manner. We agree with him on some things, such as the fight against terrorism or the question of national self-defence, while on other issues, such as the climate situation, we don’t.”
“But one can talk to people like this, one can come to an agreement,” he said.
Orbán also demanded of his interviewer, Éva Kocsis, that she be respectful when speaking of Donald Trump, for the simple reason that “we’re talking about the freely elected President of the United States” who “deserves respect as the leader of the American people.”
When the interviewer mentioned recent comments by German leaders Angela Merkel and Martin Schulz, suggesting that they do not “see the United States as a reliable ally,” Orbán took them to task.
“Well, I’d suggest that the Germans act with more modesty before making statements like that,” he said.
Euro-American cooperation is “highly important,” he added. “The truth is that over the past hundred years this continent has only ever found the path serving the best interests of its citizens when the United States and Europe have cooperated.”
The Hungarian Prime Minister also underscored the common vision between his country and the United States regarding national sovereignty and border control.
Unlike debates within the European Union, he said, debates in NATO have the important addition of the America and “the United States is on our side.”
“It may sound self-important to put it like this, so let’s put it more modestly: the United States, Hungary and the Central Europeans are on the same side. There our positions are stronger than at an EU summit,” he said.
“As far as immigration and the legislative and physical border barrier are concerned, everyone has the right – indeed the duty – to protect their own borders,” he added.
“So in this debate, the United States and Hungary share the same position,” he said.
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