In the interview, carried on Monday by the BBC, Orban said that nothing posed such a threat to Hungary as the European integration of Romania which had completed the accession talks, while the talks with Croatia had not even started.
The European Council last Friday decided that Croatia would start accession talks with the EU on March 17, 2005 provided that it cooperated with the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
It is a fact that talks with Croatia have not even begun, and European prime ministers are arguing over the question of whether they should open the talks or not, which shows that with regard to morality, Europe is not flawless either, Orban said.
Asked what kind of threat Romania's admission to the EU (next April) posed to Hungary, Orban commended Romanian diplomats for having managed to get a number of concessions from the EU, particularly with regard to environmental protection.
"They do not have to enforce laws on environmental protection which we have to apply..." he said.
Orban, who is now a member of the opposition, mentioned the disputed case of a gold mine in western Romania which both Hungary and the Hungarian community in Romania oppose for environmental reasons. Several years ago, another gold mine in western Romania caused environmental pollution and destroyed life in a river.
Orban believes that Romania having obtained the concessions is his government's failure.