Speculation about a Merkel-Orbán pact
March 21st, 2012Rumours about an abandoned Western plan to topple Hungary’s prime minister are interpreted by a leading right-wing commentator as proof that what liberals and left-wingers have always dismissed as radical, paranoid conspiracy theories, were actually true.In an interview in 168 óra, a prestigious Oxford university professor and former leading internationalbanker says he knows from an authentic source that Western leaders, led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, had a plan to remove PM Viktor Orbán early this year. Speculation about such a scheme flourished in the Hungarian press late last year (See BudaPost, December 22, 2011), but this is the first time a public personality has claimed that the rumours had a solid footing. Mr Péter Róna, a former CEO of J. Henry Schroders, an international fund management company, who is now a visiting professor at Blackfriars College, Oxford, tells 168 óra, that the plan to topple Viktor Orbán was abandoned as a result of the surprisingly large demonstration in support of the Prime Minister under the slogan “we won’t be a colony” (See BudaPost, January 24). As a result, Mr Róna continues, Foreign Minister János Martonyi brokered a deal with Germany, whereby Mr Orbán would keep his seat but should abandon his attempts at seeking new strategic partners east of Europe.
In a passionate column in Magyar Hírlap, Zsolt Bayer concludes from Professor Róna’s comments that he and other organisers of the pro-government “peace march” were right to protest against what they regard as the colonisation of Hungary. He also deduces from the interview that left-wing pundits and politicians have actually been seeking foreign assistance in order to remove the present government. In conclusion, he asks how long they will continue to hypocritically deny this, and to accuse the right-wing of concocting conspiracy theories.