Hungary Sailing its Own Course on Austria
Winds May Get Rough should Orban Look Further Right

The recent Budapest visit by Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, at the invitation of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, sent a clear political signal to the European Union that Hungary will sail its own political course despite current EU policy to isolate Austria from certain diplomatic channels.

"We continue to view Austro-Hungarian relations as a strategic question…” said Prime Minister Viktor Orban at a joint press briefing during the Schuessel visit, “In terms of our relations with Austria essentially there are no problems that would disturb bilateral relations.”

In the eyes of the Hungarian government the economic and political consequences of isolating Austria, among its most important trading partners, just seem too high. Some believe however, that the Hungarian government has a more potent agenda as it may be well on its way to embracing the far right on its own turf.

"I am afraid that the Prime Minister would like to prepare the Western political world to his cooperation with the HLJP, which is more to the right of Haiders Freedom Party,” said Matyas Orsi, Member of the Foreign Relations Committee for the Alliance of Free Democrats, referring to the Schuessel visit, “The HJLP is openly Anti-Semitic, very Anti- Western, objecting both to Hungary’s NATO and EU membership,” he continued.

The EU slapped diplomatic sanctions on Austria in February as a response to the inclusion of Jeorg Haider’s far-right Freedom Party in Austria’s coalition government. Hungary became only the second European nation after Switzerland, not an EU member, to welcome members of Austria’s political leadership for an official visit after EU sanctions were placed.

With the lead of the Hungarian Socialist Party in opinion poles, the Orban government may, however, have little choice but to look further to the right of the political spectrum, namely towards HJLP, if it wants to garner enough support to realize hopes of maintaining a stronghold on power for the next elections.

After praising the recent economic performance of Austria, Orban went so far as to personally congratulate the Chancellor on the course and decisions taken by the young Austrian government to date and affirmed that Hungary will view these decisions independently of the current “political storms.”

In edging closer to the Austrian government, Orban is involved in a balancing act that weighs EU pressure on the one hand, and Hungary’s economic self-interest on the other. After all, for the moment Hungary is in a position to gain from Austria’s recent troubles as corporations consider moving offices to Budapest with its cheaper labour markets, developing infrastructures and by virtue of it being a leading EU accession candidate.

While cracks in the EU on Austrian sanctions have already come from some members including leading politicians in Germany and Finland, the political opposition at home has continued to criticize the government’s Austria policy citing Hungary’s continued desire to gain membership in the European Union and the necessity to seriously consider the EU position.

“The invitation of Chancellor Schuessel was a kind of demonstration against the countries of the EU, which is certainly unwise,” said Laszlo Kovacs, leader of the opposition Hungarian Socialist Party (HSP), “if the government believes that they have to offer gestures to the Austrian government to slow the EU accession of Hungary, then it is a miscalculation or simply poor judgment.” He added, “It is certainly not Austria, but the other fourteen countries that share European values and thus chose to implement a kind of isolation of Austria.”

With the EU continuing to fudge on a precise date for Hungary’s accession, the nation may well be looking for alternative allies to the Union itself. This past year a great deal of the government’s political energies has been devoted to maintaining diplomatic ties with countries in Central Europe, Eastern Europe and the Balkans with the goal of Hungary becoming a regional hub.

While backing the Austrian government could well result in Hungary joining Austria as the European family’s black sheep, the ultimate danger lies in the slow pace of accession talks on behalf of the Union itself. As the nations looking towards EU accession grow frustrated over the silence of a precise date, the danger of the far right and nationalist parties gaining power will become more and more real.

“Orban will have little choice but cooperate with us,” confirmed Emil Bogdan, member of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee for the HJLP, “and we are now working with the government and will in the future for those things that are in the interest of Hungary.”

Hungary is not a member of the European Union, and yet its economy is growing at a healthy pace. If the Hungarian government should grow tired of a continuously slipping accession date one can only imagine the frustration of surrounding countries in Eastern Europe and some Balkan nations where it may take decades before accession talks are completed. The natural result of these frustrations will be the formation of a stronger regional economic zone consisting of the countries of Central, Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

The creation of stronger regional cooperation would be a positive development, and would be a sign to the European Union that the nations in this region are able to cooperate and determine their own destiny. On the other hand, if the destiny of the region will be determined by rabid nationalism, anti-immigrant policies and far right rhetoric- the winds may yet get rough once again.

05.09
Andrew Princz