PM Orbán’s 20 August address

Prime Minister Orbán calls on Central European countries to create a strong alliance grounded in Christian values and help return Europe to its traditional norms.

At the inauguration ceremony of the Monument of National Cohesion commemorating the 1920 Trianon Peace Treaty Prime Minister Orbán said that the main lesson of the past century is that nations need to fight and show their strength to maintain their sovereignty and freedom. Prime Minister Orbán noted that Western Europe, weakened by embracing the ideas of “a Godless cosmos, rainbow families, migration and open societies” is losing its leading position in the world and is becoming less and less attractive for Central Europeans. He called on Central European countries that want to maintain their Christian heritage to create a strong coalition that can help reorganise Europe.

Magyar Hírlap’s Mariann Őry agrees with Prime Minister Orbán that Europe’s geopolitical influence is declining. The pro-government columnist also thinks that Europe has been weakened by the values of an open society that replaced traditional Christian norms. Őry hopes that the Central European region can maintain its traditions and defend its sovereignty.

In Népszava, Róbert Friss wonders if Central Europeans really share Prime Minister Orbán’s vision. The left-wing pundit suggests that most Central Europeans have not lost hope in Europe and are less optimistic about the performance of their own corner of the continent than the Hungarian leader. Friss finds Mr Orban’s promotion of what he calls his ‘authoritarian’ vision pathetic, and accuses the Prime Minister of nurturing the hope that Central Europeans will turn their backs on ‘Western democracy’.

Tags: Central Europe, Christianity, Europe, Orbán