Editorial: Putin and Orbán

Photo: Alexei Druzhinin / AP

Yesterday saw Russia’s President Vladimir Putin pay a visit to the EU black sheep, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. As part of the unofficial reception, demonstrators were out carrying posters with «Nyet to Putin! Yes to Europe!» and «We’ll be no Russian colony!».

It’s in the interests of Kremlin to demonstrate that they have not played themselves into total isolation and that Mr Putin does have friends in the European Union. Secondly, it was to sow doubts and mistrust into relations between EU and NATO members. For the latter, Mr Orbán’s behaviour and especially his words are providing quite a boost.

The distrust is surely not in the interests of Europe, nor of Estonia. Therefore, it is important to note that the actual behaviour of Hungary in EU and NATO serves not to confirm the doubts of it being «Putin’s agent» in Western organisations. Hungary has not forcefully withstood sanctions, nor has it worked against strengthening collective defence in NATO.

Truly, the policy of Viktor Orbán may be characterised as swaying between West and East. As also seen in outer signs such as the symbolism of the timing of visits – just a few weeks before Mr Putin, Budapest was visited by German chancellor Angela Merkel.

Domestic-politically, the explanation is that Mr Orbán does elections campaign in the in-between-elections period as well, trying to nod and point finger in several directions. Broadly speaking, Hungarian voters and supporters of Mr Orbán’s Fidesz party are split in two – one half supporting the Westward orientation, the others preferring the East. In Hungary, the custom is to treat the Kremlin’s attack against Ukraine as part of the conflict between two superpowers – USA and Russia. With that in mind, majority of the people leans Westward and flirting with Mr Putin may eat at Mr Orbán’s popularity.

In foreign trade, like other countries such as Estonia, Hungary is trying to direct its import to the emerging markets in Asia. In the Hungarian economy, agriculture and food production carry an important role, like with most countries in Eastern Europe. None is happy about being unable to take its products to Russian market. The reaction, however, is shaped according to what is more important: values or comfy trade. A part of Mr Orbán’s political handwriting of late has been loudly accusing Brussels to earn domestic-political points. The issue being: are his words spoken last year – that, in severing trade relations with Moscow, the EU shot itself in the leg – mere domestic-political drumbeat, or will they bring foreign-political steps pleasing to Moscow.

Before the meeting, the talk has been about focussing on gas supplies and cooperation regarding building a nuclear power station in Hungary. Here, many are the loose ends. Such as: in the current circumstances, how much would Russia be able to invest after all?

Viktor Orbán’s words and steps questioning European unity in standing against an aggressor are deplorable. Meanwhile, not prudent to blow mistrust towards Hungary into something larger than life.