Eurasian cooperation

The Russian-based Eurasian "Geopolitics" web page made an extensive interview with Gábor Vona, the president of Jobbik. 

- Mr. Vona, what is main idea of your political party and why is it important for Hungary to make revision of the relations with EU?

- Jobbik is a national conservative party which does not refrain from using radical means. So when they label us as radicals, they are wrong.  Radicalism is not a principle, it is a method. The reason why we are radicals is because the situation is radical as well. At the moment, we Hungarians are sick passengers on a sinking European ship that has lost its values. This is unbearable. First we must get off the ship, then cure our diseases. Hungary was not admitted to the EU so that we could develop. The goal was to colonize us, to exploit our cheap labour and acquire our markets. Western companies and banks now try to maintain their systems by using the profit they pump out of our country in the East. And this is just the economic side of the problem. The EU did not bring any good in terms of the spiritual, mental side, either. After the anti-value approach of Communism, we are now living in the valuelessness of capitalism. I personally follow traditionalist principles, in other words, I believe that Europe should get back to its own roots and rearrange its relationship with other traditional cultures that only exist in the East now.

- Jobbik has image of ultra right political party in Hungary and in Europe too. Do you agree with this label or have other outlook that can not be dealing with classical terms of "right", "left" and so on?

- If modernity, which stretches from the Renaissance through the Age of Enlightenment to global capitalism, is identified with the political left, then we definitely belong to the right. I and my party, however, cannot be located by using the left and right coordinates of current politology. The best way is to say that Jobbik is a national radical party, which is not chauvinistic, which defies global capitalism and three of its key representatives, the USA, the EU and Israel, from the platform of universal human values.

- Euroscepticism is very different in EU. Please can you to describe some particular issues ofHungary and neighbour countries related with this topic? What is role of euroatlanticism strategy in this process?

- The disapproval rate of the EU has just exceeded its approval rate in Hungary for the first time. There was an incredible brainwashing going on in the 1990s, so most people believed it was going to be good to join the EU, and that there was no other option. By now more and more people have realized that the whole thing was a setup. The Union needs markets, cheap labour and a garbage dump. How naive we were when we thought that the West was going to provide a historic compensation for the East to counterbalance  their exploiting and abandoning us quite a few times in history! The same applies to the neighbouring countries as well but Hungary is in the worst situation. The previous government signed every paper Brussels laid down in front of them, the current one is only interested in its own power, and antagonizes the whole EU for it. The common ground of the two governments is that neither has any concept whatsoever. So far I am the only politician in Hungary to declare that Euro-Atlantism must be replaced by Eurasianism.

- Did financial crisis had influence on protectionism moods or general aspects is civilizational and values factors? How much involved NGO's and external powers in desintegration of hole hungarian system (territory-language-culture-etc.)?

- The economic crisis indeed has a great influence on scepticism. The situation has revealed that the EU does not represent the interests of the whole community but the major Western member states - France, England, Germany. The influence of various external powers and organizations is becoming more and more obvious in people's eyes. I can go as far as to say that there is a revolution of consciousness going on in Hungary. This is of course painful, because people must give up many illusions, but it is inevitable because the future must be built on truth and reality. Consequently, what now seems to be a confusion in Hungarian society will clear  up, I hope, and give way to a society that is much more self-aware and has much clearer thinking.

 - If we'll look inside of hungarian identity we'll find eurasian roots of this nation. How much this line presented in your politics?

- Completely.  The Hungarian nation has Turkic origin, and was formed by the Russian steppes into what it is now, then wandered to the West to establish a state in the Carpathian basin. Our Western integration has been going on for centuries, but we have never forgotten our Eastern origin and they could never uproot this concept from our minds. This duality has often had its drawbacks for us, but I believe it could be beneficial this time.

 - By the way what about connection with Russia in geopolitcal sense of nowadays?

- Jobbik is an anti-Communist party, yet we were the first in Hungary to seriously propose to settle our relations with the Russians. Not only in diplomatic speeches, but in reality as well. At the time of the Georgian conflict, when the whole Hungarian political elite was voicing their agreement with the American interests, we declared that this issue was about something completely different. When Viktor Orbán was sending sulky messages to Russia from opposition back in 2009, we already declared that he was making a huge mistake. Personally, I have good relations with several Russian diplomats in Budapest, and I am very happy that the Russian Embassy is always represented at our year-opening conferences. In my foreign policy plans, Russia - in addition to Germany and Turkey - is a key political and economic ally, partner for Hungary. 

- If we'll speak about global processes what is your position and prognosis for forthcoming events? How long U.S. will be superpower yet? What is E.U. future and how Eurasian integration will happens?

- Difficult question. The agony has definitely started and a new world order will have to be established. The alliance of the BRICS countries clearly shows that the time of the USA and EU has passed. The most fortunate turn of events would be if they themselves realized it, because that could prevent major conflicts and give way to a peaceful transformation. With regard to the framework of Eurasian cooperation, I don't see the actual opportunities yet, because first we must define the basic values and the consequent strategy that could attract the widest possible circles. This is the challenge now, and Jobbik is the only Hungarian political entity willing to meet it. The others are all Atlanticists, and they will remain so until history passes them.

- Thank you Mr. Vona for interview. Do you want to add something for our readers?

- Thank you for the opportunity.

Original article in Russian language:
http://www.geopolitica.ru/article/gabor-vona-evroatlantizm-dolzhen-byt-zamenen-na-evraziystvo#.UZtcIKA4iN-