Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban | Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images Jean-Claude Juncker: Viktor Orbán ‘has always been a hero’ Commission president defends Brussels’ policies on Central Europe amid rule-of-law proceedings against Hungary and Poland.

Viktor Orbán “has always been a hero,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Sunday, stating that he holds the Hungarian prime minister in the “highest regard.”

In an interview with Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, Juncker described his respect for the Hungarian leader, whom he previously famously once greeted with the words “Hello, dictator.”

“I have known him since the latter half of the '90s, when he first became prime minister. Previously, I admired him for the courage he showed when the Soviet army was still stationed in Hungary,” Juncker said.

“For me, he has always been a hero. I also have a good personal relationship with him. And I am sure he would say the same of me,” Juncker said. He added: “For years I called Orbán, privately, a dictator and he would laugh about it.”

The remarks follow a critical campaign by Orbán's government targeting Juncker and Brussels, which ultimately led to the ruling Fidesz party being suspended from the European People's Party, of which Juncker is also a member.

During an interview with media from the four Visegrad group countries to mark the 15-year anniversary of the 2004 enlargement of the EU, Juncker defended Brussels’ policies on Central Europe that have been in sharp focus as the EU pursues rule-of-law infringement proceedings against Hungary and Poland.

“Rule of law is the cornerstone of the EU,” he said. “From time to time, certain countries allow themselves a degree of insubordination, depending on who happens to be in power and the stage of the political cycle they are in.

“But I’m confident that in few years’ time, these issues won’t be troubling us anymore,” he said, adding that countries previously under the Soviet regime “need time to internalize the fact that the rule of law is one of the fundamental building blocks” of the EU.

Juncker denied claims he has ignored the interests of Central European countries while in office. “How can you allege that I am against Central Europe? I did everything I could to make it possible for these countries to join the euro area on the basis of their achievements,” he said.

“But it’s true that during my term I’ve visited Poland only once. This is not enough.”

He said he has not met with Poland’s éminence grise Jarosław Kaczyński, the Law and Justice party (PiS) leader, since the NATO summit in Helsinki in 2005 — and that’s because Kaczyński “never answered my request for a meeting.”

“No further opportunities to talk to Jarosław Kaczyński have presented themselves, despite my requests,” Juncker said.

He said that even if PiS wins the parliamentary elections in November, Poland will not leave the EU, citing the billions the country has received in funding from the Commission as well as the country’s positive economic development within the EU.

“Poles do not want to be separated from all these things,” he said. “Poland is with us, because we share common values.”

Amid predictions of an increase in Euroskeptic politicians in Brussels following the upcoming European Parliament election, Juncker said: “It will certainly be different. However, I also believe that in these elections, those who promote foolish nationalism will pay the price for it.”

He issued a veiled threat on behalf of his successor at the Commission for any country thinking to send a Euroskeptic commissioner to Brussels to tie up the work of the Commission.

“Nobody knows this, but last time I rejected the candidacies of six of the commissioners presented to me by national governments,” Juncker said. “Do remember that governments merely propose commissioners. It is the president of the Commission who accepts them and allocates their responsibilities.”