'Make Europe Great Again'

Hungarian leader pushes peace in Ukraine, patriotic coalition

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The Prime Minister of Hungary has been making major moves this week, vowing to "Make Europe Great Again."

Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the European Council on July 1. As head of the Central European nation, Viktor Orbán made his first order of business a visit to Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, recommending an immediate ceasefire in its war with Russia.

"The issue of peace is not only important for Ukraine, it is important for the whole of Europe," Orbán told Zelenskyy. "This war, which you are now suffering, has a profound effect on European security."

The war is "the most important issue for Europe," he said.

Maligned by EU globalists for his support of President Trump, Orbán said after the meeting, "If [Trump] wins, then at least there will be a ceasefire; whether this will lead to a lasting peace is the music of the future, but it will not be like it is now, that's for sure." 

Following a meeting with Trump in March, the pro-peace prime minister lamented the strain the Biden administration's stance on the war was placing on Hungarian–American relations.

"Donald Trump is the president of peace," Orbán emphasized. "I see no other man as determined and strong as Donald Trump who can [end the conflict]."

MEETING IN MOSCOW

Orbán is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday, in an attempt to broker a ceasefire. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, a diplomat known for being both eloquent and effective in thinking on his feet, will accompany the prime minister.

These two meetings alone counter claims by pro-war contingents that Hungary's six-month stint as European Council president will be cosmetic, rather than substantive in nature.

In addition, under the slogan "Make Europe Great Again" – which is prompting EU elites to roll their eyes in disdain — Orbán seeks to:

• Increase EU competitiveness and defense production capabilities.

• Address the issues of demography and migration to the EU.

• Consult with member states on reforming cohesion and common agricultural policies.

• Promote EU accession for Balkan countries that remain outside the block, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

THE MEAT GRINDER

But it is the war in Ukraine – often described as a "meat grinder" to capture the everyday horror combatants face – that dominates the prime minister's attention.

Accurate figures on the number of soldiers killed or wounded are hard to come by.

The Russian government does not release official statistics on military casualties.

Late last month, however, independent Russian outlet Important Stories reported that more than 71,000 Russian troops have died in the war. On Monday, the Kyiv Independent reported that 540,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian casualty numbers are even murkier, as it is illegal to report such figures inside the country.

The censorship of war statistics by Russia and Ukraine reveal both parties' desire to control the war narrative and sway public opinion. 

Late in 2023, the New York Times, citing unnamed US officials, put the total number of combatants killed or wounded at almost half a million. It estimated that Russian casualties were approaching 300,000, with as many as 120,000 dead and 170,000-180,000 injured. The Times calculated that Ukrainian deaths were close to 70,000, with another 100,000-120,000 wounded.

The carnage has not been limited to the battlefield.

Attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure have killed many civilians, and made it increasingly difficult for them to access basic needs like water, electricity, heating and healthcare. The suffering is compounded in the winter.

The war has disrupted schooling for children and caused mental and spiritual turmoil for much of the population.

Many civilians who choose to remain in the country, or are stuck there, live in decimated, boarded-up towns and villages abandoned by those who managed to emigrate.

Churches have been bombed, leaving their flocks in disarray.

Amnesty International reports widespread human rights violations inside Ukraine, including torture, sexual violence, unlawful killings, and attacks on members of minority groups. 

HUNGARIAN MINORITY IN UKRAINE

As both a Hungarian and a European, Orbán has literal skin in the game.

According the the last Ukrainian census (2001), roughly 150,000 Hungarians live inside the country – the result of border changes after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the close of World War I.

Over the past two-and-a-half years, many Ukrainians of Hungarian heritage have fled the country, either to escape the war or — for men of fighting age — the draft.

Hungarian native Imre Téglásy, a pro-life, anti-war activist who has produced videos on the plight of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, confirmed to Souls and Liberty that military-aged men of Hungarian descent were among the first to be conscripted into the Ukrainian army, and the first to be sent to the front lines.

Thousands of Hungarian-Ukrainian soldiers are estimated to have perished in the conflict, but since Ukraine does not allow the number of war dead to be made public, it's impossible to determine the exact number. However, Téglásy said it's common knowledge that the chances of survival are slim, with many frontline conscripts reportedly dying in their first few hours of combat.

Téglásy shared a letter, dated July 2, by Marta Palojtay, one of the leaders of the Hungarians still living in Ukraine.

A Christian, Palojtay urged readers to persist in their prayer life, writing:

"How much does today's scripture passage speak to us: 'Be cheerful in hope, patient in tribulation, steadfast in prayer.' Paul was not in a much better position than us when he wrote this."

Palojtay said as she looked for hope in the midst of "the war, misery, fear and hopelessness," she found it in the number of multi-day retreats, prayer groups and gatherings, and religious education camps in which the people of her community have participated during the past year.

"I feel like we are fretting and fretting, but the Lord is working!" she testified.

Palojtay commented on the conscription policy:

"Recruitment has finally been speeded up. Everyday we hear from more and more acquaintances that their brother, husband, and son have been taken away. And there are a lot of funerals.

The application deadline of July 18 (by which all men aged 18-60 must report to the military headquarters) is dangerously close. Meanwhile the military is blocking – and changing – numerous points along the roads. Many people no longer even leave home. ... they are becoming increasingly nervous about the constant danger to their lives."

"Compared to this, it is a minor difficulty that there is no electricity for 11-13 hours a day," she said.

'PATRIOTS FOR EUROPE'

Orbán also recently launched a new EU political group called Patriots for Europe.

On June 30, he convened with Herbert Kickl, President of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), and former Czech Prime Minister and ANO party President Andrej Babiš, in Vienna to kickstart the alliance.

One commentator quipped the group is reminiscent of the "good old times of the Catholic Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy led by the Habsburg royal house."

The Hungarian-Austrian-Czech trio issued a manifesto reading in part:

We, the European patriotic forces, promise to return the future of our continent to the European people: we will take back our institutions and steer European politics in a direction that serves our nations and peoples. We prioritize sovereignty over federalism, freedom over dictates, and peace.

Conservatives from other nations are expected to hop on board – including representatives of France, Italy, Slovakia, Spain, Netherlands and Poland. The gathering rightwing bloc, already eliciting groans from globalists, is expected to pose a serious challenge to the power base of unelected EU bureaucrats and strengthen the conservative wave sweeping across large swaths of Europe.

PRAYER ABOVE ALL

In her letter, Palojtay begged people around the world to pray that Christians in Ukraine persist in their faith.

"Please pray that in this terribly oppressed and helpless state, in which almost everyone is now without exception, people still have the strength to get up and [pray with each other]," she added, "because this is where they get new strength and peace."

"Prayer makes all the difference," Téglásy reminded Souls and Liberty. "It is what makes us truly great."

HOLY MASS FOR EUROPE

In Brussels, Hungary's presidency of the European Council was celebrated with a Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Michael and St. Gudula.

In his homily, Msgr. Gábor Mohos, auxiliary bishop of Esztergom-Budapest, emphasized the importance of Europe maintaining its Christian heritage, invoking the intercession of Saint Benedict.

He expressed hope that believers could renew European society with the gifts of the Holy Spirit – wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.

Lastly the prelate highlighted the need to pray for peace.

Dr. Barbara Toth has a doctorate in rhetoric and composition from Bowling Green State University. She has taught at universities in the US, China and Saudi Arabia. Her work in setting up a writing center at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahmen University, an all-women's university in Riyadh, has been cited in American journals. Toth has published academic and non-academic articles and poems internationally.

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