German Chancellor Angela Merkel has visited the Hungarian capital Budapest to receive an honorary doctorate from the city’s German-language university.<br /><br /> But it was also to make a point two weeks ahead of a much-criticised visit by Russia’s Vladimir Putin. <br /><br /> “We think that not every democracy is necessarily liberal, and if someone says that democracy has to be liberal, that means for us that one ideology is being favoured above all – a privilege, we can’t accord,” said Prime Minister Viktor Orban.<br /><br /> Orban has said Russia, China and Singapore are “non-liberal democratic models” he would like Hungary to emulate.<br /><br /> “Our party, the party where I come from, the Christian-Democratic Union has three roots: Christian-social, Liberal and Conservative. That’s why we are the people’s party. So, for me the word “illiberal” has nothing to do with democracy,” countered Merkel.<br /><br /> EU members are being dissuaded from bilateral events with Putin, but Orban is determined to steer his own course, despite
