BRUSSELS - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that the offensive remarks addressed to him by U.S. Senator John McCain is an attack on Hungary's sovereignty, the Hungarian state radio said on Friday.
“This is an attack on Hungary’s independence,” said Orban, calling the senator’s remarks “extremely provocative.”
He said that many people started to dislike Hungary’s energy, financial and trade independence since he headed up the country’s government in 2010.
It was reported that while speaking in the U.S. Senate last Tuesday McCain called the Hungarian head of government “a neo-fascist dictator.”
Later the Hungarian Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S. charge d’affaires to express its protest over the senator’s offensive remarks.
“The Hungarian authorities consider these words unacceptable and resolutely dismiss Senator John McCain’s statement about the Hungarian prime minister and Hungary’s relations with Russia,” the Hungarian Foreign Ministry said.
Orban said in early November that the U.S. authorities were putting pressure on Hungary over its energy cooperation with Russia.
“The United States is putting great pressure on Hungary,” he said during his speech at the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Munich.
Orban said previously that the anti-Russian sanctions were counterproductive, thereby drawing repeated criticisms on the part of the European Union and U.S.
