After days of silence, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has now commented on the accusations of racism he has faced since his scandalous speech in Romania. In a letter to Zsuzsa Hegedüs, a consultant who resigned on Tuesday and with whom Orban has been friends for decades, the right-wing conservative politician states that he is not a racist.
In the letter to the sociologist, who had worked in the cabinet as a government representative for social contacts, the head of government referred to his Christian beliefs as proof that he could not be a racist: “We know each other forever and you know my opinion, to whom God every man created in his own image,” Orban wrote. Therefore, racism in his case is excluded from the start. His government has a “zero tolerance policy towards anti-Semitism and racism”. He regretted the resignation of Hegedüs.
Speaking to supporters in Baile Tusnad (Hungarian: Tusnadfürdö) on Saturday, Orban said: “There is a world where the peoples of Europe mix with those who come from outside Europe. It is a world of mixed race.” On the other hand, there is the Carpathian Basin, where European peoples such as Hungarians, Romanians, Slovaks and others mixed in. “We are ready to interact with each other, but we do not want to become multiracial,” Orban told members of the Hungarian minority in Romania.
SPÖ demands response from chancellor
The statements of the head of government were heavily criticized by many at home and abroad, including by the International Auschwitz Committee. The commission’s vice-chairman, Christoph Heubner, urged Chancellor Karl Nehammer before his Hungarian counterpart’s visit to Vienna on Thursday that he Orban communicate “how his racist forays into Europe’s past and future are assessed within the European Union”.
SPÖ deputy club boss Jörg Leichtfried asked Nehammer on Wednesday to break his silence. “Orban is not allowed to have a hug visit in Vienna. The Hungarian Prime Minister has been an obstacle in the European Union for years and this weekend showed once again what kind of spirit he is.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
