The Hungarian government and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán personally have gained a serious ally in the European Union... This is largely how the Hungarian media assess yesterday's negotiations of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Budapest. Public RTVS correspondent Gregor Martin Papucsek informed that Orban stated that interests of both Hungary and Slovakia are 99% aligned as the countries value sovereignty the most, don’t agree with Brussel’s plans for a super-state and are not in favour of efforts to legitimise illegal migration.
“That is why relations between our two countries have never been better,” said Hungarian Prime Minister in Budapest on Tuesday.
Economic cooperation should be increased. According to Viktor Orban, a preparatory commission will be formed to develop further cross-border projects beneficial to both countries. Robert Fico added: “We are working on another list of activities which we are eager to enter and that will be financially covered.” As RTVS correspondent Gregor Martin Papucsek explained, these activities include more bridges and roads across common borders. Prime Minister Fico again: “I have informed Mr Premier that, in a short time, we want to organise the government’s meetings in regions inhabited both by ethnic Hungarians as well as Slovaks.”
Regarding the Visegrad Four, consisting of Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, Robert Fico said that the cooperation within it has been intentionally disabled and that he would pressure the Czech V4 Presidency to convene a meeting of the V4 prime ministers to address joint issues.
Fico rejected proposals to strip Hungary of its voting right in the Council of the EU. He opposes the view that any EU member country should be punished for fighting for its sovereignty and national interests. He stressed that a unanimous decision would be required for such a step to be taken in the EU, however, he as Robert Fico, the Slovak premier, says he will never support such an attack on Hungary.
The Slovak and Hungarian governments share the same views on many issues, including Ukraine and the rejection of the EU migration pact, said the Slovak premier. According to him, Slovakia and Hungary also have the same opinion on the future of the European Union in relation to the right of veto. "If EU member states are deprived of the right of veto and decisions on fundamental political and security issues will be made by any majority, that is the beginning of the end of the EU," said Fico. In such a case, there would be a "dictation of the big in relation to the small ones" and it would be impossible to talk about sovereignty and the protection of state interests, he added.
The two premiers also discussed the structure of business in Hungary and in Slovakia and the need for nuclear energy in order to achieve energy self-sufficiency. "Without having nuclear power stations, we will hardly be able to guarantee a sufficient and affordable volume of electricity to the citizens of one or the other country," added Fico.
RTVS, TASR
