Romanian politicians have piled in behind the international press to heavily criticize Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for a speech he made on Saturday during which he talked down the European Union’s global influence and claimed Hungarians did not want to be a “mixed-race” nation.
Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu led the charge on Monday, claiming during an interview on commercial news channel Digi24 that Orbán’s remarks were “provocative” and shouldn’t have been made in Romania.
“It is unfortunate that such views are being spread from the territory of Romania in the midst of the current global situation affecting all of us, especially since these views do not coincide with our official position, so it is clear that we cannot agree with them,” Aurescu told the channel.
“Not to mention the statements about species, because they are unacceptable,” he added.
In a wide-ranging speech delivered at the Tusványos Summer Open University, Orbán said the European Union squandered its chance to influence the war in Ukraine when it failed to enforce the 2014 Kyiv agreement.
According to Aurescu, it is clear that Ukraine is a victim of aggression and “must be supported to resist and win.” According to him, the sanctions introduced by the U.S., the EU, and other international allies against Russia are useful; they are supported by Romania, and their impact can already be felt. As an EU member, a NATO ally, and a strategic partner of the USA, Romania is a consistent and active supporter of democratic values, the rule of law and international law, he said.
Several other Romanian political parties have also criticized Orbán’s speech, including the members of the governing coalition, the Social Democrats and the National Liberals, while MEP Alin Mituță, a member of the Renew Europe faction, wrote on social media that Orbán’s statement regarding mixed races was unacceptable and referred to the Hungarian leader as “purely delusional and dangerous.”
