He met Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Friday and said it would be nice if America could borrow. What was he thinking?

I meant that it would be good if we had a political leader like Viktor Orbán. Regardless of party, it is true that the political class in America today is quite weak. During our first meeting a few years ago, and still today, I was impressed by how clearly the Hungarian Prime Minister thinks, how he sees things in a historical perspective, and analyzes in the light of this, and clearly understands the place of his country, as well as that of Europe, as well as its relationship with the United States, Russia, and China. Unlike many other politicians, he doesn't just read texts written by speechwriters, but puts his own thoughts into words. It would be nice if there was a politician in the USA who understands history, political conditions and other things like Orbán.

He participated in the presentation of János Csák's book, The American Genius. How did you like the book?

It's a shame that our conversation had to end after an hour. The volume examining American political, economic, and cultural traditions is short but meaningful. János Csák is an educated person, moreover, he is not pedantic, so he is very likable. He has the kind of knowledge that academics should have. Americans should also read his book on the United States; like Tocqueville, he can teach them something about their own tradition. In addition, he can write in a catchy and enjoyable way. He not only reads, but also digests what he reads. Academics often do not digest what they read, and common authors often do not read enough. János Csák does not make any mistakes. The entire Hungarian political class, at least the members I have met so far, made a deep impression on me. I follow the President of the Republic Katalin Novák on Twitter, she is also very sympathetic.

Isn't Florida Governor Ron DeSantis one of the talented, quality politicians?

I think DeSantis is smart, has great political sense, and has a good staff. I still don't see what you mean exactly. Republican politicians have so far shied away from confronting big business. However, today these are typically identified with left-wing causes, such as the progressive gender position. Until now, Republican politicians have been cowards and perhaps even felt they were on the wrong side of history. Since the end of World War II, Republicans have been allies of business interests, failing to realize that the world is no longer on their political side. Ron DeSantis, on the other hand, took away Disney's privileges in Florida for publicly opposing a parental rights law passed earlier this year that prohibited discussing gender ideology with junior high students at school. In my home state of Indiana in 2014, Governor Mike Pence backed away from a similar confrontation because he feared the economic consequences. But now here is the example of Ron DeSantis: a governor goes up against a big corporation and wins! The case boosted DeSantis' popularity in conservative circles. He understands the signs of the times better than any politician, and he is downright brave. It should be expected that Hungary will be put under aggressive pressure"

Florida's parental rights law is similar to the Hungarian child protection law adopted half a year earlier .

I also mentioned to János Csák that a fruitful relationship is beginning to develop between Hungarian and American conservatives, as a result of which both sides can learn from the other.

Has the focus of the American right changed recently? Did they shift the focus from economy to culture?

There is a battle going on within the American right. The stake is how populist the Republican Party will be in the next election. Donald Trump has shown that huge populist energies lie dormant in the voter base, which until now the parties have not noticed, because they were too focused on Washington. And not only the left wants to push back this populism, but also a part of the right. The fight is on to decide who will be the next presidential candidate, which will determine the Republican program and its emphasis.

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Author: Gergely Szilvay

Picture: Márton Ficsor