“We do not want to disintegrate in any empire”, the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban told Hungary’s public radio in his regular Friday morning interview. Orban said what we are witnessing today is a battle between nation states and empires, adding that those who attack Hungary do not care about the will of the people, the V4 news agency reported, in response to the unprecedented attacks aimed at Hungary over its measures to control the coronavirus epidemic.

We are aware of the reality, but our European accusers are not”, Viktor Orban told the Hungarian public radio’s morning programme regarding the attacks by the EU levelled against Hungary. He emphasized that a fierce battle is under way in Europe and the conflicts could be understood through that struggle. Currently, the conflict between Hungary and Brussels is one between empire-builders and nation states.

Hungarians, however, believe that Hungary is the most beautiful country in the world, and they do not want to disintegrate in an empire, Viktor Orban added. According to the prime minister, those who want to build an empire in Europe want to coarce nation states into an imperial order, which they conveniently call the United States of Europe, and they grab every opportunity to weaken the Hungarian government.

Orban said those who attack Hungary are not interested in democracy, as they regularly criticise measures that enjoy up to 80 per cent public support across the country. He also pointed out that the attacks against Hungary can be treated with irony only to a certain extent, but when tens of thousands are in danger and someone backstabs the government, one must say “enough is enough”, because “no one can mess with Hungarians without consequences”.

Regarding the coronavirus epidemic, PM Orban said the Hungarian state must prove that it is loyal to its citizens, and he warned listeners to be careful. He stressed that he would only be happy once a vaccine is invented, but until then, everyone must remain cautious. He added that conventional school education was unlikely to resume before the summer, noting that the government would provide billions to save companies and jobs. “We’re building a work-based economy,” he said, adding that the mindset which “pulled us out of trouble in 2010 will also help us now.”