Hungary had the “best-ever political relationship” with the United States during the administration of former President Donald Trump, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told Fox News Digital in an interview in New York on Friday.
“Definitely, we work together with those who are elected here in the US,” Szijjártó said. “Well, but we have to be honest: If you look at the relationship, the political relationship under conservative or Republican administration and under Democratic administration, there’s a big change,” he said.
Szijjártó said the two countries had enjoyed “the best-ever political relationship” under the Trump administration, adding he was “pretty sure” the same “best” relationship between the US and Hungarian governments would resume if the former US president runs and wins in 2024. Szijjártó deflected claims by western nations that after winning his fourth term as Hungary’s prime minister in the spring, Viktor Orbán is eroding democracy. The European Union only defines democracy as “in case the liberals are governing,” the minister said. “Since this is not the case in Hungary, because we are a patriotic centre-right, Christian democratic government, definitely against the liberal mainstream, they hate us and you know, since we are successful, we are a kind of proof that it’s not only the liberal mainstream which can be progressive and successful. A conservative political strategy can be successful as well. And they hate this fact,” Szijjártó said. The minister referred to “revolutionary changes” to the automotive industry such as establishing electric battery manufacturing in Hungary – one of the “five biggest investments in Europe” over the past decade – as well as being the first EU country to approve the Paris Climate Agreement. Szijjártó expressed agreement with other leaders who addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) this week that it is “not a question” that climate crisis is “among top priorities”. He noted that Hungary reduced its emissions in a bid to go carbon-neutral by 2050 while expanding its GDP. “It’s a very important issue for us, though we approach this matter on a pragmatic basis,” Szijjártó said. “So, for us, economy, competitiveness and environmental protection must go hand in hand. If this balance between the two is broken, then it endangers the credibility of the efforts.