“I’ve never sat at such a long table in my life,” he joked. Hungarian Prime Minister Orban at the close of his visit to Moscow for talks with Putin. Indeed, the coronavirus pandemic colors the culture of communication, manners and diplomatic protocol. Add here the man-made infection of Russophobia, intensively spread by the West, and it will become clear how difficult it is in these conditions to build normal relations with Russia. At least two vaccinations are required. The first is Sputnik V. In Hungary, everything is in order with our vaccine. The second inoculation is mental – common sense. Why artificially feud without significant reasons? Just out of herd feeling? Hungarians are culturally different.
Now in Europe, Orban is cursed for nothing, accusing him of insufficient militancy towards Russia. Like, how is it that at the moment when the European Union and NATO were mobilized on the eve of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Hungary refused to host an additional NATO contingent, and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, like a strikebreaker, goes to the Kremlin, provides his country with Russian gas at a price of five times lower than the market price in Europe, has a reliable contract for deliveries right up to 2036, and even agrees with Putin on an additional billion cubic meters a year! Here Europe “Nord Stream-2” “freezes”, depriving itself, and Orban acts on a completely different model.
But Orban is not hiding anything. Using his own example, he offers Europe a different cultural model of relations with Russia, the core of which is mutual respect. And this model is working.
“What can we offer? We can offer the ‘Hungarian model’. There is a ‘Hungarian model’ in politics: we are members of NATO and the European Union, nevertheless we can maintain excellent relations with Russia. It is possible. What is required for this? Mutual respect. Hungary has always received respect from President Putin, and we also show this respect towards the Russian Federation and President Putin,” Viktor Orban said.
Elementary. Moreover, Hungary has no exclusivity. Putin and Europe offers to show mutual respect. Instead, the Hungarians there are accused of not being militant enough. Listen, well, it’s probably not France, Holland and Belgium to teach the Hungarians militancy. Hungarians associate themselves with the ancient Huns. Even in the modern Hungarian anthem, Bendeguz is mentioned – the father of Atilla – the legendary leader of the Huns. As early as the 5th century, Atilla smashed the Germans and the western provinces of the Roman Empire. Pope Leo the First personally went out to meet Atilla to ask for mercy.
In later times, the Austro-Hungarian Empire relied on the warlike Hungarians to the fullest. Given the Hungarian rebelliousness, the Habsburg dynasty was simply forced to provide the Hungarians with full-fledged equality within the empire on a par with the Austrians. A so-called dualistic monarchy was formed, where, for example, Emperor Franz Josef was crowned with a separate Hungarian crown in 1867.
Already in the 20th century, being within the Soviet bloc, and this is the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance and the Warsaw Pact, Hungary has always been in a special position, taking the most independent position, consistently defending national interests.
The Hungarians were not lost inside the European Union either. Lessons of cultural behavior from Brussels in Budapest do not want to accept, preferring the “Hungarian model” of mutual respect. Hence the result. Viktor Orban is going to his next elections in the spring – already as an elder of European politics. Putin delicately wished him success: “As we usually say in such cases, when our partners have elections, that we will work with any elected leadership. But I must note that as a result of your work in the Russian direction, a lot has been done in the interests the people of Hungary and in the interests of Russia. I hope that such mutual work will be continued.”
As you can see, everything is cultural.