Hungary’s outgoing Justice Minister has taken her charm offensive Stateside in the name of building conservative alliances.
“Hello, Texas! We came to build new alliances!”, Hungarian Minister of Justice Judit Varga Tweeted on 17 July after arriving in the Lone Star State.
Hello, Texas! We came to build new alliances! pic.twitter.com/M5Iphd0iE7
— Judit Varga (@JuditVarga_EU) July 17, 2023
A small piece of #Hungary in Texas! It was a privilege to be the guest of the Hungarian Club. Thank you for the invitation! ???? pic.twitter.com/BHKDYgLRuK
— Judit Varga (@JuditVarga_EU) July 17, 2023
Following a meeting with the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a leading conservative thinktank, Varga said that “to fight the liberal mainstream, we need friends both in [and] outside Europe” to enable a “stronger voice” for the “conservative approach”.
Meeting w/ the leaders of Texas’ leading conservative foundation @TPPF. To fight the liberal mainstream, we need friends both in- & outside Europe. The more we are, the stronger our voice will be, as #conservative approach can give a real chance for citizens! Just see Hungary ? pic.twitter.com/Ntjav3sZb1
— Judit Varga (@JuditVarga_EU) July 19, 2023
In an “exclusive” interview with the Dallas Express she said that her trip was driven by a desire “to enhance synergies between conservative politics all over the continents”.
“We believe in family, we believe in national sovereignty, we don’t think that mass illegal immigration is a good thing for our future,” Varga told the newspaper, highlighting the similarities she saw between Hungary and Texas politics.
This included drawing parallels between Hungary clashing with European Union institutions and Texas butting heads with Washington over issues such as immigration, “territorial sovereignty” and securing borders.
During the visit she also made comparisons at the national levels, saying that “regardless of the distance, Hungary [and] USA face the same challenges”, including migration, gender identity theories and “the constant attack on Christian values”.
Regardless of the distance, Hungary & USA face the same challenges: #migration, gender & the constant attack on #Christian values. We, Hungarians have however best practices that I was happy to share to @DallasExpress. pic.twitter.com/N86Ae6ZnQJ
— Judit Varga (@JuditVarga_EU) July 18, 2023
In 2020 Varga was voted one of the 20 most influential women in politics by the Dutch political weekly Elsevier Weekblad.
The photogenic minister has been labelled the “charm canon” for Viktor Orban’s government and a “fiery defender” of its policies that so often draw the ire of the Brussels establishment.
Hungary’s government has increasingly sought to position itself in the EU as a bastion of conservative values standing up to the progressive polices of the EU’s more liberal leaders.
Varga recently announced that she would be resigning from her cabinet post at the end of July in order to focus on the European Elections in 2024.
“The stakes are very high for the 2024 EP elections: a conservative turn in the European institutions is needed, and I want to take an active role in this,” Varga told Hungarian media Magyar Nemzet at the end of June following the announcement.
She is viewed as a strong contender to become the lead candidate for Fidesz, Hungary’s ruling party, in the 2024 EP elections.
Texas mood! ?? pic.twitter.com/KOhIppfA5e
— Judit Varga (@JuditVarga_EU) July 20, 2023
