“We have a saying in Hungary: once a friend, always a friend. Sometimes you’re in trouble, sometimes we are. We must always be loyal to each other. I would say this is one of the most important characteristics of Hungarians – we are loyal,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said during his interview on wPolsce24 TV, as cited by the Do Rzezcy news portal. 

His words were referring to questions surrounding the Hungarian government’s granting international protection to former Deputy Minister of Justice Marcin Romanowski.

Noting the “historic friendship” between the two countries, Orbán said: “Poland is bigger than Hungary. Its political strength during the rule of President Jarosław Kaczyński’s party and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki’s government helped, for a time, reduce the pressure from Brussels on Hungary. I remember that very well,” Orbán said. 

Touching upon the new Polish government under Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Hungarian leader did not hold back. “What is happening in Poland is completely unacceptable, contrary to law, morality, and democracy,” he said, then laying blame at Brussels’ feet as well. 

“It is shameful that the European Union authorities, who govern the community to which we all belong, not only remain silent but even support the repressive policies pursued by the Polish prime minister. From the perspective of European values, this is completely unacceptable.”

“I’m not a man of revenge, because revenge is useless. When you focus on it, you can’t focus on the future. (…) But we have to pay Brussels back. What they did to Poland and Hungary cannot be accepted. They must pay for it. I’m sorry to say it so openly. I’m a Christian, but moral equilibrium is the most important thing in international politics, especially in communities like the European Union,” said the Hungarian prime minister.

Noting that Hungary knows very well the communist tools used to “fight democracy,” he compared present-day Poland to that time and admonished the Tusk government for caving to such tactics. 

“It means that political competition is over, that the authorities use state instruments against competing political parties. This is unacceptable to us. It is a disgrace. Whoever uses and implements the concept of ‘fighting democracy’ brings disgrace to the European Union,” Orbán said.

Nevertheless, the Hungarian leader said that relations between Poland and Hungary are not completely lost. “We know that official relations between Poles and Hungarians are much weaker today than in the recent past. But our patriotic elites remain in close contact,” he assured.

Orbán also spoke about his reaction to Karol Nawrocki’s victory in the Polish presidential election, emphasizing the crucial role of a reinvigorated V4. “It’s a historic victory. From our perspective, this election opens up an opportunity to renew Central European cooperation. We call it the Visegrád Group, but we can call it whatever we want. The key is cooperation, which has been a great success (…). It worked very well. France and Germany had to reach an agreement with us on key issues. Without the Visegrád Group, without cooperation in the region, this is impossible,” he announced.

He also touched on talk that some in the EU would rather see the demise of the V4. “I am absolutely convinced that serious interests lie behind the destruction of the Visegrád Group. On the German side, obviously, and on the Brussels side as well,” he noted.

“President Nawrocki’s election also reminds us that if you cross the boundaries of fair political competition, you will have to face the consequences. And the current Polish government did just that. The presidential election was the first chance for true democracy to strike back, and it did. A very important message was sent to all those who wanted to implement ‘fighting democracy’ anywhere. It took less than two years, and it’s over,” he noted.

Turning to his fellow prime minister in Poland, Donald Tusk, Orbán was blunt.

“I think Tusk hates me. When you commit a sin, you hate those who don’t want to commit it with you. And Tusk has shifted from a nationalist and patriotic position to a pro-Brussels, pro-German, pro-federalist one,” he said.

“Tusk betrayed his patriotic positions, I never betrayed them. I’m still standing here, so he hates me because he knows I know and remember his mistakes, his sins. I’m trying to be as polite as possible here, but that’s how I see it,” he added.