Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has defended his administration’s conservative policies on migration and family support, emphasizing Hungary’s stance as a “conservative island” in a “liberal European ocean.”
In an interview with Austrian ServusTV, the Hungarian leader claimed his administration’s priority of family-friendly policies over immigration is the right solution to declining birth rates as he strives to protect “the Hungarian way of life.”
“Unlike many other EU member states, we did not allow people belonging to foreign cultures to enter,” Orbán said, contrasting Hungary’s stance with countries like Germany and France where immigration is relied upon to address demographic challenges. “We support families, not migration,” he added.
The Hungarian prime minister took a firm stance particularly against illegal immigration, emphasizing Hungary’s resistance to the influx of people from “foreign cultures — predominantly Islam.” He claimed that Hungary’s strict migration policies help maintain lower crime rates and prevent social unrest.
“We Hungarians think that the situation will not get better with illegal migration, but only worse. Nobody in Hungary wants illegal migrants to come in; we are on a different path,” he told the Austrian broadcaster.
Addressing Europe’s economic issues, Orbán described the EU’s economy as “suffering from pneumonia,” attributing the economic decline to policies decided upon in Brussels which he claimed have led European businesses to face significantly higher energy costs than their American counterparts.
“European companies are forced to pay two to three times the price of electricity and three to four times the price of gas,” he said, calling for Europe to adopt a “new energy policy, otherwise companies will be ruined.”
Orbán accused the EU leadership of building a culture that marginalizes conservative values, claiming it had instilled a misguided philosophy in which “anyone who is not a liberal cannot be democratic.” His criticism reinforced his remarks in the wake of this week’s Georgian election lost by the pro-EU opposition parties.
“If the liberals had won here in Georgia, it would be the news everywhere in Western Europe today that your democracy is in top shape. But in the same election, the conservatives won, so debates are expected in the international press,” Orbán said in support of the incumbent Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidzeon.
He called for a shift toward a “family-friendly, anti-migration, pro-peace” leadership in Europe, expressing confidence that “this new center” would soon gain prominence within the bloc.
“We need prime ministers who are on the side of the people, representing the interests of the European people,” he said, claiming that European liberals have had “their place under the sun” and “must be defeated in as many elections as possible.”
On the issue of the conflict in Ukraine, Orbán reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire and called for European leaders to stop fanning the flames of war. “This is a ‘fraternal war’ — one we have nothing to do with,” he said.
One significant development he hopes will affect the West’s short-term foreign policy is the outcome of next week’s U.S. presidential election.
“We know that Donald Trump did not start a war anywhere as president, and wherever he was, he ended it as soon as possible,” Orbán remarked. “If there is a person in the world who can succeed in achieving a ceasefire, it is Donald Trump.”
