Orbán: Hungary must remain a member of the European Union

Hungary must remain a member of the European Union (EU) in order to have access to its single market, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday. He added that the country would be among the last to leave the Union if it ever fell apart. Hungary and Poland are in dispute with Brussels, with more issues, from LGBT rights to freedom of the press. In July, the European Commission launched proceedings against both countries for discrimination against homosexuals. Conservative nationalist Orbán said that for Hungary, which is a net recipient of money from the EU, the main reason for staying in the Union is not money from Brussels, but the EU's single market. "If you look at the whole year, we get more money from Brussels than we pay. However, if you subtract the amount of money that Western companies repatriate from the country every year, this balance is negative," Orbán said on state radio. "The EU is important to us because it opens the market to Hungary," Orbán said. "We must stand up for the EU and remain part of it. That is why I say that no matter how gritty and crushing it is, we will be among the few countries that will still be part of the Union if it ever ends." The Hungarian debt management agency AKK received € 4.4 billion from the sale of bonds this week, which was significantly more than expected to cover the delay in the release of money from the EU recovery fund. According to Orbán, successful bond auctions prove the solid financial situation of Hungary.