Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said very difficult years are coming for the European economy and the Hungarian government will prepare the country to weather the storm.
The Prime Minister made the remarks during his speech at the Tusnádfürdő/Băile Tușnad summer camp in Transylvania on Saturday.
"Difficult times are coming, and the question is not whether these are indeed coming, but exactly how difficult they will be. My personal opinion is that these will be very difficult times," PM Orbán said, adding that if the Hungarian government's predictions are accurate, in addition to the economy-boosting program adopted this spring, two more will have to be implemented next spring and next autumn.
PM Orbán also spoke about the new leadership of the European Union, saying that its composition was also the result of Hungarian diplomacy.
"We managed to prevent having 'ideological guerillas' in key leadership positions of the European Union," PM Orbán said, adding that "the European Commission is not a political body, its role is not to set a political agenda," a task that must be left to the European Council, the body consisting of the heads of state and government of the member nations.
The Prime Minister also said that Europe must continue to defend itself from migration but this task - as opposed to the economic problems ahead - was a relatively simple one and the solution was the establishment of a council of the member states' ministers of interior, which must be given full authority in all migration-related issues.
PM Orbán also said that Hungary will have "very difficult battles with regard to the rule of law" with the European Union, adding that it was quite ironic that Hungary will have to fight against a Finland (the current holder of the rotating presidency of the EU), which itself has no constitutional court and its judges are appointed by the president based on the justice minister's proposals.
PM Orbán went on to explain in detail the concept of illiberal democracy, which he introduced at this same venue back in 2014. He said that in contrast to liberal democracies, which are just a collection of individuals who only form a political nation, in the illiberal or national view, a nation is historically and culturally defined and individual performances must primarily be judged by their contribution to the common good.
"The goal of illiberal politics is Christian liberty," PM Orbán said. His entire 50-minute speech was in Hungarian, but he also repeated "Christian liberty" in English.
Photo credit: Transylvania Now