On Monday evening, February 24, one of the lecture halls at the Faculty of Law of the Hungarian Eötvös Lóránd University was packed with students from all around Budapest. They came to witness the debate between Péter Szijjártó, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, and Péter Balázs, who was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary in 2009-2010 and who is now a professor in the Department of International Relations and European Studies at CEU.
After a slightly awkward start—Szijjártó arrived a few minutes late and interrupted the opening speech of the representative of the event organizers—both speakers were asked to provide their views on the current standing of Hungarian foreign affairs. They agreed that this policy area has moved to the center of public debate, and Szijjártó even asserted that it has become part of domestic politics. They also jointly highlighted the need for more flexible and faster reactions by the executive when facing international crises.
But the two disagreed over the Hungarian approach today. Understandably, Szijjártó defended the current government and Prime Minister. When asked how he saw the current situation, Szijjártó responded with the claim it is ‘obviously, extremely positive’. Then he switched to a more administrative style by outlining five priorities of the Hungarian government in foreign policy. From these five priorities, the one that triggered most disagreement was definitely the suggestion of the need for a ‘pragmatic relationship with Russia.’ Although both speakers agreed that interests are the first to consider in foreign politics, Balázs warned against taking any steps that would run contrary to a country’s values. Particularly, he stressed that when Minister Szijjártó spoke about Hungary’s official standing behind the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, this differed from Orbán’s passivity at the recent press conference with Putin during in Budapest in mid-February. While in Budapest, Putin sent messages suggesting that the Ukrainian army should surrender to the rebels, allegedly in the name of a ceasefire, without Orbán saying a word in defense of Ukrainian ’sovereignty and territorial integrity.’
The event, though being cut short because Minister Szijjártó had to leave early, generally unfolded in a cordial manner—Péter Balázs even called the Minister by his first name—with a few sarcastic remarks, as can be expected from diplomats and professional in rhetoric. However, especially when evaluating the Minister’s arguments, it is more than reasonable to look at what is actually happening and compare the often nicely sounding words with reality. Only then we can get a better understanding of the status quo in Hungarian foreign affairs today.
For anyone interested in seeing the debate, who could not attend, it can be viewed (in Hungarian) at: http://bit.ly/1Am3Y4g.
Photo credits: http://on.fb.me/1aASMMq.
But the two disagreed over the Hungarian approach today. Understandably, Szijjártó defended the current government and Prime Minister. When asked how he saw the current situation, Szijjártó responded with the claim it is ‘obviously, extremely positive’. Then he switched to a more administrative style by outlining five priorities of the Hungarian government in foreign policy. From these five priorities, the one that triggered most disagreement was definitely the suggestion of the need for a ‘pragmatic relationship with Russia.’ Although both speakers agreed that interests are the first to consider in foreign politics, Balázs warned against taking any steps that would run contrary to a country’s values. Particularly, he stressed that when Minister Szijjártó spoke about Hungary’s official standing behind the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, this differed from Orbán’s passivity at the recent press conference with Putin during in Budapest in mid-February. While in Budapest, Putin sent messages suggesting that the Ukrainian army should surrender to the rebels, allegedly in the name of a ceasefire, without Orbán saying a word in defense of Ukrainian ’sovereignty and territorial integrity.’
The event, though being cut short because Minister Szijjártó had to leave early, generally unfolded in a cordial manner—Péter Balázs even called the Minister by his first name—with a few sarcastic remarks, as can be expected from diplomats and professional in rhetoric. However, especially when evaluating the Minister’s arguments, it is more than reasonable to look at what is actually happening and compare the often nicely sounding words with reality. Only then we can get a better understanding of the status quo in Hungarian foreign affairs today. For anyone interested in seeing the debate, who could not attend, it can be viewed (in Hungarian) at: http://bit.ly/1Am3Y4g.
Photo credits: http://on.fb.me/1aASMMq.
Max Steuer
International Relations and European Studies
Slovakia
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