President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) is due to visit Hungary for a meeting with the country’s ultranationalist leader, Viktor Orbán. The Brazilian’s visit to Budapest is being organized to take place after an appointment in Moscow, in mid-February.
Orbán, with a history of acting against the opposition and the local press, is a reference for allies of the Brazilian president, including federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PSL-SP). He is considered today one of the main leaders of the far right in the international arena, alongside Bolsonaro himself.
The Hungarian leader came to power in 2010 and promotes the defense of what he calls conservative Christian values. It also has a strong anti-immigration agenda and has acted to limit gay rights. Orbán’s offensive against LGBTQIA+ rights has also put him on a collision course with European Union bodies.
In addition to the meeting of two politically aligned leaders, the expectation of Brazilian diplomacy is to try to use the trip to expand exports in the area of defense to the European country. Hungary was one of the countries that signed contracts for the purchase of Embraer’s KC-390 military aircraft.
Within the European Union, Hungarians also support Brazilian claims, such as the ratification of the trade agreement signed by the bloc with Mercosur, and endorse the Brazilian request to join the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), a kind of club of rich countries.
In an interview at Palácio do Planalto this Wednesday (19), Bolsonaro said he could also make an agenda in Poland on this tour. Interlocutors consulted by the leaf, however, highlighted that the passage through this country is not yet closed.
Polish President Andrzej Duda is also identified with his Brazilian counterpart.
Bolsonaro also denied that his trip to Moscow could create any kind of unease with NATO countries, the western military alliance, since Russia is accused by the United States of planning an invasion of Ukraine.
“Itamaraty sees this issue there. We are not leaving Brazil to create problems, animosity. We know about the problems of some countries with Russia, we know that there”, said Bolsonaro.
“Russia is a partner of ours. We buy fertilizers there, including potash and other things. So it is a trip that interests us and them. The invitation came from them, and if we accept it is because we are interested. It’s because they’re interested too.”
.
