Orbán in the EU Parliament:

“We will open champagne if Trump wins”

Will Prime Minister Viktor Orbán be able to celebrate Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election in November? It remains to be seen, the race is extremely close.

(Bild: APA/AFP/FREDERICK FLORIN)

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has scheduled an informal EU summit for November 7, two days after the US election. There, the right-wing nationalist prime minister hopes to be able to discuss Donald Trump's victory with his colleagues. When asked by a journalist at a press conference in the EU Parliament on Tuesday, Orbán said that he knows "exactly what we will do if Trump wins".

"We will open several bottles of champagne. That would be a fantastic day for Hungary," said the head of government. A Republican victory would "open a new chapter". Regarding the informal meeting of heads of government two days after the US presidential election, Orbán said that it would then be determined how each individual country and the community would react to the result.

Orbán is pleased about the success of right-wing populists in Europe
Orbán also welcomed the electoral successes of right-wing populists in eastern Germany and Austria. There has been a "great shift" away from the "mainstream elite" of left-wing, liberal and centrist politicians. Europe needs "strong leaders", he demanded - including in Germany, France and Spain.

"Trump will not wait until the inauguration"
Orbán reiterated his stance on the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. He sees no possibility for Ukraine to win against Russia on the battlefield. What is needed is direct and indirect communication between the warring parties. A ceasefire is necessary to save lives. In this context, the Hungarian head of government noted that Trump would certainly not "wait two months until his official inauguration", but would deal with the war in Ukraine immediately. As reported, the ex-president has announced that he wants to resolve the war within a day.

At the press conference, a protester was able to get within a meter and a half of the Hungarian head of government. He threw paper banknotes into the air and shouted: "For how much money have you betrayed your homeland, Mr. Prime Minister?" Security forces then escorted the troublemaker out of the room (see video below). He was Marton Gyekiczki, an official of the left-liberal opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) of former Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány, as confirmed by the Group of Democrats and Socialists (S&D).

Greens put up "Stop the Steal" posters
Gyekiczki explained that he had come to Strasbourg to tell Orbán to his face that he was a traitor. He had betrayed common European values and therefore could not represent Europe. Earlier, some Greens had already held up posters reading "Stop the Steal" near Orbán's venue. The Hungarian government is repeatedly accused of misusing EU funds. "Stop the Steal" was also the slogan of Trump and his Republicans, who were convinced that Joe Biden's victory in 2020 was based on electoral fraud despite dismissed lawsuits and no evidence.