Time.news – Viktor Orban is relaxed, sitting at a table in a restaurant in the historic center of Brussels. He is a regular, when he is in the Belgian capital, he never fails. He white shirt, no tie, dark suit. He sits in the center of the table and even while he is dining in the position of whoever gives orders and does not take them.
Around him, eight men, two in ties, the others casual like the boss. Orban has his arms crossed. The waiter always turns to him first, but when it comes to ordering the Hungarian premier gives way to the others and jokes “I’m too old”. When his turn comes, he asks for oysters, “the best”, the champagne perlage is already in the glasses.
At the table we talk, a few laughs, but the tension on the NATO summit and the European Council is clear, there are not only verbal exchanges, glances, at a certain point in Orban’s hands some papers pop out, it is probably the draft of his speech for the summit of the heads of state and government.
It’s time to talk to us, even at the cost of being bounced by the bodyguards who are 50 centimeters from our table (they are, from the sleeve of one of the agents a microphone comes out, it’s not really James Bond), but we have to try. Because Hungary is an important country in the context of the war scenarioOrban is a solid leader, he has no consensus problems, as do others struggling with electoral rounds, see Macron and Biden.
He can give us the answer that reveals the problem, paints it, clarifies it, complicates it. We approach, Orban gets up from the table, it’s the right time, quick presentation, handshake, first dry question: “Prime Minister, do you agree with Joe Biden’s line on sanctions?”. He rolls his eyes, sighs, shakes his head and says: “It is a difficult road to take“.
It is, especially because in Europe we need the unanimity that is not there until tonight and Hungary has already made it known that there is no talk of energy on energy (“European consensus will certainly not be possible”, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto anticipated in recent days). Orban sees it this way: “Europe depends on Russian gas”.
Assist for the second question: would you pay the gas in rubles? Here Orban spreads a smile on the floor and makes a joke: “We are full of rubles.” The reality, he remembers, is that “we signed a contract with Russia last October for 15 years of supplieswe are calm “.
Third assist, perfect for making a stop in Berlin: are the problems perhaps of Germany? Orban is not out of balance here, but lets go of a “probable”. Sanctions on Russian gas removed from the table tonight, what do you expect from tomorrow’s top management? The premier breathes a long sigh, Orban’s gaze seeks a horizon: “We hope not to create other problems”. It is a mild night in Brussels, a few kilometers from here, the cannons are thundering.