Publishers “Hitel” have introduced their new selection of letters addressed to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in a new volume, introduced on Tuesday at a launch event in Budapest. The collection, supported by the Batthyány Lajos Foundation, features some of the most fascinating letters written by world leaders, but also by everyday citizens that gives a unique perspective on the Prime Minister’s decades-long journey.
In his afterword to the volume, editor Kristóf Heil summed up his work the following way:
“The volume comprises letters spanning five government terms and, in total, twenty-eight years (1998–2025). It is not only the duration that is extraordinary: Viktor Orbán’s premiership represents a continuity in Europe that is unparalleled in the 21st century. Alongside Angela Merkel’s sixteen-year chancellorship, he is the longest-serving head of government in the European Union, having shaped the fate of his country—and at times that of Europe—during two distinct periods: between 1998 and 2002, and continuously since 2010…”
The Hungarian Prime Minister’s international network of allies is truly unique. Here with leaders of the Patriots for Europe alliance at a recent rally in Budapest. Photo: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Kommunikációs Főosztály/Kaiser Ákos
“In the letters, the issue of sovereignty, the right to national self-determination, and resistance to “Brussels” control are becoming increasingly prominent. Viktor Orbán’s correspondence is not merely a collection of personal or official documents, but also a chronicle of an era.
The letters reveal how Hungarian political thought took shape amid the clash between global politics and Hungarian national interests, and how the image of a conservative, realist, and sovereign Hungary emerged on the international stage…”
“The collection of letters also includes messages from international leaders who—though they do not necessarily share the same political platform—express their respect for the Hungarian prime minister.”
Photo: Hungary Today
“The correspondence includes not only messages from the political elite but also letters from artists, athletes, scientists, and citizens. Archduke Otto von Habsburg offers a historical perspective, Pope John Paul II provides spiritual encouragement, Arnold Schwarzenegger writes about successful dreams, and the everyday questions and problems of Hungarian voters frequently come up as well. From decades of correspondence, I have included in this volume dozens of documents—those writings that are not only of historical interest but also carry a human message. These are letters that show: politics is not merely a power game, but also involves relationships, conflict, friendship, and respect between people. And history becomes what individual people shape it to be. This volume is not merely a record of Viktor Orbán’s political career, but also a political history of the Hungarian nation over the past three decades”, concluded his summary editor Kristóf Mihály Heil.
At the launch event, Gergely Deli, rector of the National University of Public Service, summed up the collection as consisting of five main subsections. The first takes us to the historic events of joining NATO (1999) and the EU (2004). The second cycle concerns Hungary’s adoption of its new Fundamental Law (2011) and the subsequent international reactions. The third describes the migration crisis in 2015, the fourth (2018-2022) the COVID pandemic, and last cycle mostly involves the war in Ukraine.
(L to R) Andor Nagy, János Nagy, Kristóf Heil. Photo: Hungary Today
The introduction of the collection of letters was followed by a panel discussion by two people, who know the Prime Minister’s journey intimately. One of them is Ambassador Andor Nagy, Viktor Orbán’s former Chief of Staff (1998-2002), currently President of the Friends of Hungary Foundation, and János Nagy, current Head of the Prime Minister’s Office. They shared their recollections from the periods described in the published letter through anecdotes and short stories. The discussion was moderated by Kristóf Heil, editor of the volume.
The book can be pre-ordered here.
Featured Image: Hungary Today
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