In a recent interview on the X platform, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sat down with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson to discuss a range of pressing issues, offering a unique perspective on the Ukraine conflict and U.S. politics. Orbán’s remarks shed light on his views, which stand in stark contrast to the Biden administration’s approach to governance.
During the interview, Carlson took a bold swipe at the Biden administration’s actions against former President Donald Trump, who faces legal challenges aimed at keeping him out of the 2024 election race.
Carlson expressed curiosity and inquired of Orbán regarding his recent election, wondering if he had ever contemplated pursuing legal action against his political opponent, a tactic somewhat reminiscent of what the Biden administration has employed against Trump.
Orbán’s response carried a powerful message, emphasizing that such tactics, involving the use of the justice system against political opponents, are unthinkable in Hungary and reminiscent of communist regimes.
“To do what’s going on now in your country, you know, to use the justice system against the political opponents, in Hungary, I think, it’s impossible to imagine. That was done by the communists,” Orbán stated, making a clear distinction.
The conversation also explored the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with Orbán proposing that the sole solution to the crisis would be the re-election of Donald Trump as U.S. president. Orbán praised Trump’s foreign policy successes while expressing dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden’s handling of the war.
“His foreign policy was the best one for the world in the last several decades I have seen. And if he would have been the president at the moment the Russian invasion started, it would not have been possible for the Russians to act,” Orbán asserted, expressing his belief in Trump’s ability to save the Western world.
“So Trump is the man who can save the Western world and probably the human beings in the globe as well. That’s, that’s my personal conviction,” he added.
Orbán’s candid remarks continued as he addressed the treatment of Hungary by the Biden administration and the U.S. liberal media, emphasizing his commitment to values like family, nation, and freedom. He lamented the mischaracterization of liberalism in Europe, where it has come to represent opposition to freedom, and expressed his belief in the importance of strong alliances.
Despite Trump facing criminal charges related to the 2020 election, Orbán argued that his return to office was the only viable solution to the Ukraine conflict, dismissing the notion that Ukraine could defeat Russia. He pointed out the vast difference in military strength between the two nations, reinforcing his call to “call back Trump.”
Orbán’s perspective on the war in Ukraine diverges from that of U.S. and Ukrainian officials who have characterized the situation differently. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has emphasized continued support for Ukraine’s territorial efforts.
The interview, filmed on the opulent terrace of Orbán’s office overlooking Budapest, marked the second meeting between Orbán and Carlson in two years. During Carlson’s previous visit to Hungary, he praised Orbán’s unique “illiberal democracy,” which prioritizes conservative Christian values over traditional liberal principles, as a potential model for the United States.
Orbán said: “So when the Liberals say that this is the interpretation of society, it means that this is the only way to interpret a society. If you do differently, you cannot be a good man. So we have another interpretation. We have a Christian and national, more traditional interpretation of human being and society. But they can’t accept it because it’s different. So we are plural, they are hegemonistic. That’s the problem.”
Orbán, who has been in office since 2010, has faced criticism for his leadership, with allegations of an increasingly autocratic political system. Critics, including the European Union, the U.S. State Department, and international observers, have accused him of undermining minority rights, controlling the judiciary and media, and manipulating elections to maintain power.
Orbán also criticized the multiple indictments against Trump, decrying them as an abuse of government power, something he views as unthinkable in Hungary. He also questioned the efforts of the Biden administration’s State Department to improve Hungary’s rule-of-law and human rights record, highlighting perceived disparities in treatment.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Orbán’s government has maintained close ties with Moscow and threatened to block EU sanctions against Russia. Known as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in the EU, Orbán has rejected the transfer of Western weapons across Hungary’s border with Ukraine and called for an immediate cease-fire and peace talks without outlining a clear vision for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
The Daily Netizen 