dpa
Bucharest
Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán has slammed the West for deserting his country in the fight against Stalinism during the 20th century, speaking in front of a select audience in the city of Zalaegerszeg in western Hungary on Sunday.
Speaking on a national holiday marking the beginning of the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 against the policies imposed by the Soviet Union, Orbán said Hungary had learned from the past that it would always have to defend itself.
The revolution was violently suppressed by Moscow within days.
"We hold out when necessary and fight back when possible,” the Hungarian premier, who heads a conservative nationalist government said. "We draw the sword when we have a chance and resist when long years of oppression come,” Orbán continued.
"Let’s not worry about those who shoot at Hungary from the shadows or from the heights of Brussels,” he said.
The right-wing leader of the EU country has long been at loggerheads with the European Commission, which has repeatedly accused Orbán of dismantling democracy, and is currently mulling whether to withhold billions in funds because of allegations of corruption and rule of law violations.
Different from past occasions, Orbán didn’t give his speech marking the 1956 Uprising in Budapest this year. Instead, only select guests were invited to a heavily secured location in Zalaegerszeg, home to a memorial house for Hungarian Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty (1892-1975), one of the leading figures in the resistance against the Stalinists.
According to observers, Orbán opted for a different location due to the anti-government protests planned in Budapest on Sunday.