President Macron pushing his plans for an ambitious French turn in the rotating six-month presidency of the European Council – he is facing an uncertain presidential elections in April, and needs to be seen as the major player on the EU stage now that Angela Merkel has left the building. He is seeking Hungarian support for French goals for EU defence, nuclear power and agriculture.
“Hungary’s relation towards President Macron is that of respect,” Orban said. Referring to Macron’s definition of himself as an adversary, he added: “France is the home of encyclopaedists. They are the best when it comes to definitions, so we accept their definitions: what we heard lately from Mr President is that we are political opponents and at the same time European partners.”
Macron said: “We have political disagreements, which are well known, but we have the willingness to work together for Europe and to be loyal partners.”
Orban has in recent weeks been courting Macron’s far-right election opponent Marine Le Pen and the man regarded by many as a “fake opponent,” positioned to take votes away from Le Pen, Éric Zemmour – likewise his meeting with Orban, who is popular with the French far-right who admire Orban’s tough nationalist, anti-immigrant line. Politics makes strange bed-fellows indeed.
Macron has painted Orban as the ringleader of Europe’s populist nationalists, rejecting claims by anti-vaccination protesters that he was behaving like a dictator. “We are not an authoritarian state. We are not Hungary, Turkey or some-such,” he said.
Macron seeks to use the council presidency to promote his vision of Europe as a sovereign economic and military power “free in its choices and in charge of its own destiny”. It was also designed to appeal to far-right voters in France
“We will agree for sure on three things. Firstly that we both love our countries, secondly that we are both working to make Europe stronger, and also agree that Europe needs strategic autonomy,” Orban said.
“Strategic autonomy,” is Brussels-speak for military, economic and technological independence from the United States.
In 1998 then French President Jacques Chirac and British prime minister Tony Blair declared that the EU “must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces.” Despite several false starts, the concept has languished due to lack of political will, lack of contemporary military experience, and under-spending on defence, notably by Germany.
Follow EU Today on Social media:
