We shall not sacrifice young Hungarians so that the war speculators can make a financial killing. We reject the war plan that has been devised for money, for the acquisition of assets in Ukraine, and for the interests of great powers. It is an old plan and we know it well.”
~ Viktor Orbán, June 1, 2024
This week, as events spiral downward in the Middle East, we salute four European leaders who have not been afraid to stand up for peace and sovereignty: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, former British MP Andrew Bridgen, and thwarted Romanian presidential front-runner Calin Georgescu. The first three have all previously been Solari Hero of the Week.
To the consternation of Europe’s warmongers, Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the EU on July 1. (Soon thereafter, the London-based think tank Chatham House lamented Orbán’s willingness to “shake things up” and the fact that he is “no longer as isolated within Europe and beyond as he once was.”) Orbán characterized subsequent trips to Ukraine, Russia, China, and Washington, DC as being in the service of peace, and at a November meeting of EU heads of state and government, he reiterated Hungary’s position on the war in Ukraine as “pro-peace and pro-Hungarian,” stating that Hungary would not become involved in a military conflict.
Fellow lawyer and Orbán ally Robert Fico, who survived an assassination attempt last May, has criticized the EU for acting as a “war cabinet” and working against peace in Ukraine. In a November interview, he stated, “I have repeatedly stressed that there is no military solution to a war, and Western powers should stop supporting Ukraine militarily and return to the negotiating table to discuss peace options, however complex and difficult that may be.”
British politician Andrew Bridgen served as Member of Parliament for North West Leicestershire from 2010 until 2024. In a debate on Ukraine in May, Bridgen asked, “Can [the Deputy Foreign Secretary] explain how Ukraine, with a starting population of 41 million, which has now probably halved through emigration and people being killed in the war, will possibly succeed in a long-term war of attrition against Russia, which has a population of 144 million, without NATO boots on the ground? Is that the end game of this situation?”
“Outsider” presidential candidate Calin Georgescu, a soil scientist by training, took the EU by surprise on November 24 when he came out on top in the first round of the Romanian presidential elections. The centerpieces of his candidacy—maintaining Romania as “a sovereign and self-sufficient power” and adopting a “strategy of peace”—apparently were too threatening to EU power brokers, because in short order, Romania’s top court annulled the first-round results and cancelled the December 8 runoff. Both Georgescu and his political challenger condemned the ruling, with Georgescu describing it as “a formalised coup d’état.”
Not coincidentally, Fico, Bridgen, and Georgescu were critics of the Covid operation. Before taking up office as Slovak Prime Minister in October 2023, Fico (according to a hostile Western press) was the “most prominent voice” in Slovakia to speak out against masks, lockdowns, and the injections, while Georgescu opposed vaccine mandates. Bridgen, for his part, likely sacrificed his political career for speaking out about the dangers of the Covid shots and other related topics.
Assassination attempts, smears, cancelled elections—these are measures that suggest that the four leaders are “over the target.” Whether in office or out of office, we anticipate that all four will continue to lead. We are grateful for that leadership, and we encourage your support and prayers.
Related:
Speech by Prime Minister Victor Orbán at the “Peace March”
Slovak Fico Slams EU “War Cabinet,” Claims West Sabotaged Ukraine Peace Efforts
“As the deputy Foreign Secretary waxed lyrical this evening about ‘multi year military support for as long as it is needed’ in Ukraine….” (Andrew Bridgen on X)
Georgescu Slams Romania’s Top Court after Annulment of Presidential Election Result
Related at the Solari Report:
Hero of the Week: June 3, 2024: Viktor Orbán, Hungarian Prime Minister
Hero of the Week: May 20, 2024: Robert Fico, Slovakian Prime Minister