Posted20 avril 2022, 10:33
The nationalist Prime Minister has chosen the Vatican for his first trip abroad since his victory in the legislative elections.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban pauses during a press conference following parliamentary elections in Budapest, Hungary, April 6, 2022.
REUTERS
Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban will travel to the Vatican on Thursday for a meeting with Pope Francis, his first trip abroad since his landslide victory in the legislative elections in early April. “My first official visit following the election takes me to the Vatican tomorrow to see the pope,” the leader wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday.
opposition of faith
The two men have a conception of religion at the antipodes: Mr. Orban, from a Calvinist background, brandishes his attachment to a “Christian Europe” to justify his anti-immigrant policy, while the sovereign pontiff makes a welcome benevolent a duty of a believer. François’ commitment to refugees has often led to him being called a “cretin” or “a fool” by media close to the government.
Coming to Budapest in September 2021 to preside over the closing mass of the International Eucharistic Congress, the spiritual leader of the 1.3 billion Catholics had on this occasion met the Prime Minister and called on Hungarians to be “open” to all.
Loyal to Putin
Accused by Brussels of multiple attacks on the rule of law, Viktor Orban has just won a fourth consecutive term, securing a comfortable majority in Parliament. He has in the past reserved his first visit to his Polish ally. But the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has highlighted the differences between the two countries, while the leader, who since 2010 has approached Russian President Vladimir Putin, is anxious to stay out of the conflict.
(AFP)