In his Friday morning radio interview about the Trump-Putin summit in Budapest, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that he had spoken to Trump on the phone last night regarding this matter, but the news had already leaked out. He said that they had also spoken to the Russians and that he would speak to Putin on the phone this morning. The Prime Minister added that he had also discussed this matter with Trump at the peace summit in Egypt, and that the final touches were currently being put in place.

Speaking about the reasons for the choice of location, the Prime Minister said that Trump is not the kind of person who usually justifies his decisions, but in fact there was no other option for where to hold the meeting. There is no other place in Europe where it could have been held, Viktor Orbán emphasized, adding: Budapest is the only place in Europe where it could be held, Hungary is the only peace-loving country.

"Let's not be unfair to the Vatican," he said. He regrets that Pope Francis,"who encouraged me to stand up for good causes," was not there. He added:"We are also on the right side in migration. We have always stood by our friends, we have never given up."

They were looking for a predictable environment, and Budapest seems to be the best place, he continued. He said that President Trump told him that a meeting between the two foreign ministers was on the agenda, that they would try to resolve the outstanding issues within a week, and then they could be here in Budapest for a week. The tasks were issued last night, and the work has begun, the Prime Minister added.

"Let's not get off track"

The prime minister also responded to comments, including the Telegraph's"A Painful Blow to the European Union." However, Viktor Orbán urged Hungarians not to lose their rhythm.

This negotiation will not be about us. Everyone in Hungary is excited, there has not been a similar diplomatic event for a long time. I ask everyone to exercise restraint, because this negotiation is not about us, but about peace

– he emphasized.

Many virtues are needed in politics, but the most important are perseverance and humility, the Prime Minister continued. He said that the cause must always be considered more important than ourselves. “God will make things right, and this is also the case with migration,” he added.

Speaking about the EU, Viktor Orbán explained that everyone is pro-war, except Hungary, which is why they were left out of this summit. “But we shouldn’t be left out of peace. We have to negotiate with the Russians,” he stressed. According to the Prime Minister, the European Union is trying to sway President Trump to the side of the pro-war movement.

Regarding why the summit will be held in Budapest, the Prime Minister said:"Because we were the only country that said that war is bad, but we left the diplomatic channels open." The Prime Minister emphasized that Europe should not be prepared for war, but for peace, and should have a security system with which it can protect itself.

"We burned 180 billion euros in this war so that Christian people could kill each other"

“The biggest problem in Europe is war,” said Viktor Orbán. He said that we have burned 180 billion euros in this war so that Christians can kill each other while the European economy is suffering. “This money should have stayed here so that the European Union’s economy can develop,” he stressed. According to the prime minister, the war is blocking Europe’s economic growth. If the war continues, it will consume even more money.

"We can't make as much money in anything as we can in peace. War brings the money. It is in the interest of every Hungarian family that the Trump-Putin meeting brings peace," emphasized Viktor Orbán, who said that strength must be shown, because peace requires strength, and a military-industrial development program is also needed. A peace plan must be made, the war plan must be thrown out.

"If this Middle East peace could happen, if the Trump-Putin meeting happens, why shouldn't we believe that Europeans can get on the right path," the Prime Minister said.

Classic left-right debate

Speaking about the national consultation on the tax system, Viktor Orbán said that a classic debate was taking place."The era of these debates ended in 2010, I would call it a classic left-right debate. They bankrupted Hungary, that's when we came," he reminded. The prime minister explained that since then they have gone through these 15 years without any challenge. Of course, there have been painful struggles, but this kind of debate has never appeared so clearly before."After 15 years, there is an intellectual debate," he said.

According to the right-wing approach, we leave the money with the people and businesses, Viktor Orbán explained. The Tisza Party and the DK are bringing the classic left-wing policy: tax increases. “A multi-rate tax increase, and the right is currently running the largest tax reduction program in Europe,” the prime minister emphasized. That is why the consultation is needed, he added.

According to the Prime Minister, a pension system is never perfect, the Hungarian one is based on two pillars. It is extremely risky to add a new element to it, he warned.  Viktor Orbán reminded that the 13th month pension has been discussed before, and the 14th month pension is not new either."We should always have the two and a half million Hungarian people in mind, not mathematical formulas," he emphasized.

The Prime Minister reminded us of the 3 percent loan and emphasized that Europe's largest tax cut is being created while the war is blocking the economy."The 14th month pension requires peace," he said."The 13th month pension is fair, it doesn't take anything away from anyone, the 14th month pension can be built on this," Viktor Orbán explained.

Hungarians living abroad

Speaking about yesterday's permanent meeting of Hungarians abroad, Viktor Orbán said that at the event he declared: forces that pursue policies against Hungarians abroad can no longer come to power in Hungary.

When asked what had to happen for the public mood to change so much, Viktor Orbán replied:"The referendum on dual citizenship didn't leave me with the feeling of failure."

There was not as much support for the yes vote as we would have liked. This surprised many, but perhaps not me. I come from deep Hungary, I know how big a camp such abstract issues – like dual citizenship – have, or don’t have

– the Prime Minister explained.

Viktor Orbán added that he still considered it a great success that the number of yes votes exceeded the no votes."And I said that this will have great significance later on," he said.

Renovation of the Gödöllő Castle

Speaking about the renovation of the Gödöllő Castle, Viktor Orbán said that the 40 billion will be spent over several years. “It is always painful when we see the state of these buildings, symbols of our former greatness,” he said.

I consider the state of the buildings to be a matter of national self-esteem – added the Prime Minister. In the past 15 years, large, strong companies, wealthy families and private individuals have been created who can donate their wealth to causes that the state cannot provide. “We gave the castle to the University of Gödöllő, and the students will also have a great experience when it is completed”.

"I encourage all major companies, families, and people to take responsibility and get involved, in addition to paying their taxes and creating jobs," the Prime Minister concluded the interview.