Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been embroiled in a domestic political scandal after one of his closest advisers faced criticism from the Opposition in Hungary for suggesting that Budapest would not have fought to repel a Russian invasion, as Ukraine is doing.
Orban told The Mandier website on September 26 that Ukraine’s decision to resist the full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched by Moscow was “irresponsible” and drew parallels with the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956 that was met with popular armed resistance, which was suppressed.
“Given the events of 1956, we probably wouldn’t do what [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenksy did two and a half years ago, because it’s irresponsible, because we can see that he led his country into a defensive war, many lives were lost and territories were lost,” said Balazs Orban, who is also a member of the Hungarian Parliament.
“Again, it is their right, it is their sovereign decision, they have the right to do so. But if we were asked, we would not have advised that based on what happened in 1956,” he added.
Between 2,500 and 3,000 Hungarians, mostly armed civilians, were killed in fighting between October 23 and November 4, 1956, against Soviet troops who had intervened to overthrow the reformist government of Imre Nagy.
In a video posted on Facebook, Orban said his words were” deliberately misinterpreted “and that”the heroes of 1956 are our national heroes”.
However, this explanation is not supported by the opposition.
Peter Magyar, leader of the centre-right opposition Tisza party, called for the immediate resignation of Balaz Orban, who has no family ties to the Hungarian Prime Minister.
Hungary’s prime minister, who has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He has also refused to join Western sanctions imposed on Russia./ REL
