- Title: 'Partners': Macron, Orban put differences aside to strike EU deals
- Date: 13th December 2021
- Summary: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (DECEMBER 13, 2021) (AGENCY POOL) (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER, VIKTOR ORBAN, SAYING: "First, we both love our countries. Second, we both work for strengthening Europe, and finally we will, I think, agree on the fact that Europe needs strategic autonomy. There are three notions we see fitting under 'strategic autonomy', I will share this with President. We believe that there is no autonomy without a European defence industry, we believe that there is no autonomy without our own nuclear energy capacities and there is no autonomy without self-sufficiency in agriculture. Therefore, we support the policy of common European defence capabilities, nuclear energy and a strong European farming sector."
- Embargoed: 27th December 2021 14:21
- Keywords: Budapest EU European Union France Hungary Visegrad migration nuclear sovereignty strategic autonomy
- Location: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
- City: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
- Country: Hungary
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Europe,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA005F7VF70N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Viktor Orban dropped their usual combative rhetoric and called each other "partners" at a summit in Budapest on Monday (December 13), treading a fine line between advancing priorities and political posturing.
Macron, an ardent EU supporter who cast himself as the leader of a "progressive" camp, has pointed to a "cultural battle" over immigration, the rule of law or minority rights with Orban, a nationalist champion of "illiberal democracy".
But the French leader, who is taking over the rotating presidency of the EU on Jan. 1, also has to find allies in the bloc to advance domestic priorities such as getting the EU to label nuclear energy as sustainable and therefore subsidisable.
"Hungary's relation towards President Macron is that of respect," Orban said in a joint statement to the press ahead of a Visegrad summit of eastern countries.
"France is the home of encyclopedists, 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," he quipped.
Macron responded in kind.
"We have political disagreements which are well known, but we have the willingness to work together for Europe and to be loyal partners," he said.
Orban said he supported Macron's move to make the EU more self-sufficient in the fields of defence, nuclear energy and farming.
The conciliatory tone of the two leaders' public statements stood in stark contrast with the venom with which they harangued each other in the past, but Macron nonetheless used the trip to Budapest to send subtle messages of support to Orban opponents.
He kicked off his trip to Budapest by laying a wreath at the tomb of a philosopher who opposed Orban, and will later in the day meet leaders of the opposition alliance that is set to challenge Orban in an election next year.
Orban has in the past two months received far-right leaders Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour, who are candidates in France's presidential election next year in which Macron is expected to seek a second term.
Both praised Orban's opposition to immigration, and Zemmour hailed his defence of "his country's identity, sovereignty and borders."
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