Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine "solely had losers to this point", Hungary's prime minister mentioned on Wednesday, stating that "either side and the European financial system" have all taken successful from Moscow's aggression and utilizing the chance to blast Brussels for the sanctions as soon as once more.
The almost three-hour information convention, held yearly, is sort of the one event of the yr when Victor Orban fields questions from the worldwide media or vital Hungarian shops.
The intolerant right-wing chief, who received a fourth straight time period in workplace in April, has engaged in frequent battles with the EU, which accuses him of violating democratic norms and overseeing large-scale official corruption.
However on Wednesday, Orban blasted the European Parliament for latest revelations of a cash-for-favours corruption scandal that allegedly includes Qatar and borrowed a phrase from former US President Donald Trump, saying it was time to "drain the swamp" in Brussels.
The scandal, Orban mentioned, had drawn into query the credibility of the establishment and that he helps abolishing the physique because it at present exists.
Orban additionally known as for the European Parliament members to be delegated by nationwide parliaments as a substitute of being elected.
"The Hungarians would love for the European Parliament to be dissolved in its present type," Orban mentioned.
"The diploma to which the fame of the European Parliament in Hungary has been broken is simple to reply: in no way, as a result of it could not have been any decrease."
Considerations over intolerant backsliding or 'Hungarophobia'?
Wednesday's information convention got here because the EU has frozen greater than €12 billion in funding to Hungary over considerations that Orban's authorities has cracked down on judicial independence, overseen official corruption and abridged minority rights.
In September, the European Parliament declared that Hungary might now not be thought of a democracy and would grow to be "a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy" underneath Orban's management — a cost his authorities has rejected.
Throughout the press convention, Orban blamed the keyed-up relations on "Hungarophobia" inside the bloc as a substitute.
Nevertheless, the tensions between Budapest and Brussels have been made more and more worse by the Hungarian authorities's lobbying in opposition to sanctions on Moscow for its conflict in Ukraine.
Orban — who is taken into account certainly one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest EU allies — claims sanctions have been ineffective in pressuring the Kremlin to finish the conflict and that they've inflicted extra harm on European economies than on Moscow.
The brand new yr will pose "a problem for nearly all European nations to keep away from an financial downturn or recession ensuing straight from conflict and European participation within the conflict, known as sanctions," Orban added.
"If it have been as much as us, there wouldn't be a sanctions coverage," Orban mentioned Wednesday, including that he wouldn't help any extra sanctions packages in opposition to Russia sooner or later however wouldn't stand in the way in which of the EU passing them.
"It isn't in our curiosity to completely divide the European and Russian economies into two, so we are attempting to avoid wasting what might be saved from our financial cooperation with the Russians," he mentioned.
Orban has made numerous concessions with the intention to safe supply of badly wanted EU funds, however the European Fee — the bloc's government arm — has insisted on additional reforms if Budapest is to achieve entry to the cash.
Hungary is scuffling with among the many highest inflation charges in Europe and a floundering forex which has brought about skyrocketing costs.
In November, the inflation fee was over 22%, and the forint forex was down almost 10% in opposition to the euro because the starting of the yr.
Orban mentioned the federal government had plans to scale back inflation to single digits by subsequent December and would quickly unveil a program which might eradicate earnings taxes till the age of 30 for girls who've youngsters.
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