Germany’s every chancellor „must give their seal of approval” for Hungarian-German cooperation, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told public radio ahead of talks with Olaf Scholz on Friday, adding that the primary goal was to ensure Hungary had a role in German economic progress. He said the Chancellor was an ally of Hungary in that both countries had an interest in an open economy and in pushing back against „forces in Europe that want the opposite”. In view of Hungary’s upcoming EU presidency, Orbán said he and Scholz would discuss „great European issues too”, and „the issues Hungary wants to table and how far it wants to take them”. Those issues included Serbia’s EU integration, tax cuts, family subsidies, and improving European competitiveness, he said.