BUDAPEST / BELGRADE – At an international press conference held on 13 April, the winner of the Hungarian election, Péter Magyar, commented to Serbian N1 television on the discovery of an explosive device near the Serbian–Hungarian pipeline during the final week of the election campaign. Magyar reiterated that his government would investigate what had happened and added that he knew who the “godfather” behind the relationship between Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was.
Asked about the comments by the Serbian public broadcaster later on Monday, Vučić reacted negatively, saying that the common godfather between Orbán, Fico and him was freedom. He, however, said that he was ready to cooperate with Magyar, which echoed similar comments from the incoming Prime Minister of Hungary.
Responding to the question by N1, Péter Magyar said that the operation carried out on 5 April “was done quite clumsily, and it was clear that the organizers backed away from it and didn’t go all the way as much as their superiors from Russia and Viktor Orbán had expected”.
“I think they acted wisely, because Tisza’s government will investigate what exactly happened and whether there was a real danger – because it’s possible that there was. But if there was a real danger, then the Prime Minister should be governing the country, not playing a role in a performance like Viktor Orbán on Easter Sunday, who flew by helicopter and gathered the entire Hungarian propaganda machine in work helmets and uniforms to ‘be afraid’ together,” he said.
He added that he would be very willing to meet with the Serbian leadership.
“I know exactly what is happening in Serbia, and I know what kinds of ties have existed, still exist, and may continue to exist between Orbán’s government and Serbia led by (Aleksandar) Vučić, just as I know what kind of relations exist between Robert Fico’s Slovakia and Viktor Orbán. I also have a general idea of who stands behind those relationships – who the ‘godfather’ of those great friendships is,” he added.
Nevertheless, regardless of that, because of the Hungarians living in Serbia, it is very important for Budapest that relations between Serbia and Hungary – currently considered good – remain that way and do not depend on individuals, Magyar stated.
He noted that, as he put it, “similar to Hungary, independent media in Serbia are also in a very difficult situation.”
“What I can say to the Serbian people, without interfering in their internal affairs, is to draw strength from yesterday’s elections in Hungary. I say this to many other countries where people are in a difficult situation, where there is a so-called hybrid regime, meaning where there is no full rule of law: it is possible – truly possible – if people unite. We Hungarians have experienced this many times throughout history. If we come together, we can move forward even in the most difficult circumstances and achieve success.
Yesterday, he added, was exactly such a day.
“We showed that despite all the obstacles and the international support Viktor Orbán had, practically from the entire global political leadership – the Russian president, the American president, the Chinese president, the Turkish president, the Israeli prime minister, as well as many other leaders such as Vučić and Robert Fico – the Hungarian people said that Hungary’s history is written by Hungarians in Hungary, and the Hungarian people won”, Magyar said.
Despite all this, he says he is still willing to meet, talk, be present, and cooperate.
“And I will do so with the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians as well, despite the fact that they fully supported Viktor Orbán’s campaign, contrary to the views of many Hungarians in Vojvodina who said they wanted to decide for themselves whom to vote for. We thank all Vojvodina Hungarians who voted for us, but I can tell all Hungarians, including those outside the country, that they can count on a Tisza government,” he told the diaspora.
Vučić: Serbia will conclude investigations in a professional manner
In his appearance yesterday on Radio-Television of Serbia, President Aleksandar Vučić, stated that he had worked extensively with Viktor Orbán on strengthening relations between Belgrade and Budapest, which led to genuine and sincere mutual understanding, and that he believes these ties are not easy to break.
Vučić said that he will extend a hand to the new Hungarian government.
“I believe that the projects launched by Hungary and Serbia, such as the construction of an oil pipeline, will continue,” Vučić said.
He added that, for this reason, he will speak respectfully about Péter Magyar.
Regarding the case of the explosive, Vučić said that Serbia will continue and complete the investigation in a highly professional and objective manner.
“This is not his country, and he has no authority whatsoever here to conduct investigations. We carry out investigations in a very, very professional and objective way. I remained silent even when they were claiming that it had been staged and that it was some kind of false flag operation, because I did not want to interfere in the elections,” Vučić said.
He added that the investigation so far has established many things, but that they did not want to speak about it publicly because, as he stated, there were numerous “hooks and bait.”
“Because someone wanted us to say that a certain embassy here had been contacted from a phone number from Pristina, so that stories could then be spun about it and one side could be accused of something. And that is precisely why we deliberately chose not to inform the public about it,” Vučić added.
“We will inform him, as good neighbors – and, we believe, good friends – about what our investigation has found, and point out to him that he was mistaken when he believed the ramblings of tabloids and others claiming that something had been staged somewhere,” Vučić said.
When asked about Magyar’s statement that he can assume who is the “godfather” behind his close friendship with Orbán, as well as the friendship of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Vučić responded that they do have a common “godfather,” but that it is not Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Our common godfather is freedom – the freedom of thought, of action, and the freedom to love our country more than anyone else in the world,” Vučić said.
Speaking about Hungary, Vučić stated that he knows who his friend is and that he does not abandon his friends “in good times or in bad.”
“Orbán is a gentleman. He lost and immediately came out, extended his hand, and congratulated. The great democrats here never congratulate,” Vučić said.
