"Relations between Hungary and Ukraine are a bit problematic for us"

In Hungary, the ruling coalition of Fidesz and the Christian Democratic People's Party (KNDP) won the parliamentary elections on Sunday. In his speech announcing the win, Prime Minister Viktor Orban mentioned Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as one of his "opponents". Orban has opposed, among other things, imposing energy sanctions on Russia after this country's attack on Ukraine.

Asked by reporters to comment on Orban's words, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm and chief of PiS parliamentary club, Ryszard Terlecki, said that "it was an evening speech of sorts, a night speech after a win". "Ukraine's president was mentioned among other obstacles Hungary had been struggling with. Indeed the relations between Hungary and Ukraine are a bit problematic for us," he admitted.

He added, however, that "Orban's success proves that the European left is on the way out and other countries will most likely follow in Hungary's footsteps".

A member of the Accord party (which used to be part of the ruling coalition until mid-2021), Jan Strzeżek, said that "it's a simple matter and the government should decide which side it is on". "Whether it wants to take Ukraine's side, or the side of Putin's buddies. At the moment, Orban is Putin's buddy. There's no middle ground here, it's either good or evil. Ukrainian side is good, while the evil side is Putin and Orban's side right now," he said.

"Speaker Terlecki has never minced his words. Now, when he has a real chance as a historian to criticise what Orban and his allies have been doing recently, he keeps silent. It only shows these supposedly brave PiS politicians are only brave in their own backyard. And when it comes to important international affairs, they are afraid to attack Orban, because the alliance is sacred. Even though it's an alliance with Putin's buddies," Strzeżek said.