Orbán: We don't want the war to become our war
In an interview on Kossuth Rádió, Prime Minister Orbán emphasized the significance of this vote, calling it a 'huge success' and declaring that 'now begins the final push,' with eight days remaining for people to participate.
He reiterated that admitting Ukraine to the EU equates to importing war into the bloc, warning that Europe is already 'deeply involved' in the conflict. 'We don't want the Russian-Ukrainian war to become our war,' he said, underscoring Hungary's consistent position that the conflict should have been isolated from the beginning. Instead, Western leaders opted to confront Russia in Ukraine, which, he argued, allowed the war to expand and entrenched Ukraine in dependency on foreign aid.
The prime minister criticized the plan to finance Ukraine's EU integration through massive new loans, describing it as a path toward financial ruin at the EU level. He further noted that the Ukrainian president had attempted to intimidate Hungary. 'We acknowledge Ukraine's heroic resistance,' he said, 'but Hungary will not kneel. We are not impressed by President Zelensky's statements.'
Addressing internal political dynamics, Prime Minister Orbán remarked that opposition parties such as DK and Tisza have supported Ukraine's EU bid, but this does not justify Zelensky's tone. In contrast, the Voks 2025 consultation reflects a national-level decision-making process, not driven by party politics but by public will. 'There are forces supporting Ukraine, and others standing for Hungarian national interests — people should decide in this light,' he said.
Looking ahead, the prime minister warned of a critical two-week period of international negotiations. He identified a proposed EU embargo on Russian energy imports as a major threat, stating that it would multiply Hungary's energy costs. 'If they succeed, Hungary will have to pay two to three times more for energy,' he said, vowing to block the decision in order to preserve utility cost reductions.
In response to new country-specific recommendations from Brussels, the prime minister said Hungary would not implement measures that impose excessive burdens on citizens, such as abolishing housing subsidies or ending price controls. He accused Brussels of attempting to strip member states of their powers and described an ongoing struggle over national competencies. 'They want to tell us how to live in our own countries,' he stated.
Prime Minister Orbán also emphasized the importance of preserving Hungary's rural communities. Through the Hungarian Village Program, municipalities will now have tools to maintain the character of their towns. 'No part of the country should become depopulated,' he said.
Reflecting on the broader political landscape, he described the rise of the European Patriots movement as a positive development for reclaiming national authority. 'Political strength comes from convincing the people,' he noted. With growing support, he expressed confidence that more patriot-led governments will emerge across Europe in the coming years.
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Orbán: 'If the EU starts down a path, they will push through, and anyone who stands in the way gets thrown off the track'
Speaking on Kossuth Rádió, he described the issue as one of historic importance. He linked the timing of Ukraine's potential membership to the loss of vital EU agricultural subsidies and the arrival of mass Ukrainian labor, which he argued would overwhelm Hungarian farmers and depress local wages. 'If Ukraine is admitted into the EU, then the majority of land-based subsidies will be lost, or may not even exist anymore,' the prime minister said. 'Hungarian farmers will not be able to compete with Ukrainian grain,' he warned. According to Prime Minister Orbán, the accession would also result in a significant labor influx. 'Several hundred thousand people will arrive, and this will significantly depress wages in Hungary.' Beyond economics, the prime minister stressed the political and strategic implications. He urged citizens to participate in Voks 2025, the national consultation on EU issues, emphasizing that the results would define Hungary's mandate at the upcoming EU summit. 'When I speak on behalf of Hungary [in Brussels], it is not irrelevant whether I represent the government's or the people's position,' he said. 'That's why the result of Voks 2025 matters.' The prime minister drew a sharp contrast between Hungary's stance and that of most EU members. 'There are two kinds of political forces in Europe: national forces, and those who support migration and Ukraine's EU accession,' he said. 'Today, the majority supports transferring more powers to Brussels, supports migration, and supports Ukraine's accession,' he added, describing the pressure on Hungary as immense. Prime Minister Orbán also issued a warning about ongoing attempts to shift EU decision-making from unanimity to qualified majority voting. 'If the EU switches to qualified majority voting, Hungarian foreign policy will be decided by Brussels bureaucrats,' he said. 'This would mean the end of the thousand-year-old Hungarian state.' In response to EU criticism over Hungary's economic measures, Prime Minister Orbán defended the government's interventionist policies. 'If the interest rate cap were to be lifted, 300,000 families would be in a very difficult situation immediately,' he said. 'Of those, 28,000 families would be on the street.' He stressed that the cap would remain until the central bank could reduce interest rates. Regarding the retail margin cap, he argued that lifting it 'would increase prices by 20 percent.' He explained, 'When the world is this crazy, the Hungarian government must intervene—especially to protect families.' The prime minister also announced significant new support measures. 'From July, people will see progress,' he said, pointing to a 50 percent increase in the child tax allowance. 'In October, mothers with three children will begin to receive full income tax exemption,' and efforts are underway to boost wages for municipal workers in towns of up to 30,000 people. Despite geopolitical instability and EU tensions, Prime Minister Orbán ended with a resolute message: 'There may be a war, but I will fight tooth and nail to achieve these goals.' He described the 2026 budget as 'the budget of will,' asserting, 'There are goals that are important to Hungarian families and to the government. These goals must be achieved.'
Budapest Times
a day ago
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More Hungarians evacuated from the Middle East
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, confirmed that Hungary's government evacuated six Hungarian citizens from Iran on Thursday, adding that it has also suspended local operations of the Tehran embassy until the security situation improves. Minister Szijjártó said that evacuating Hungarians who had asked for help amid escalating fighting in the Middle East was a 'complex operation warranting thorough planning. Iran is subject to serious missile and bomb attacks, its airspace is closed … We organised the evacuation yesterday, after serious preparations, by cars towards Azerbaijan.' 'We managed to take six Hungarian citizens to Azerbaijan in the early hours [of Thursday], after a 12-hour wait at the border. They were expected by the staff of the embassy in Baku on the other side; by now, they have arrived in Baku and we are organising their transport home,' Minister Szijjártó said. 'Since we have managed to transport all Hungarians requesting help to Azerbaijan, I have instructed all diplomats working at the embassy in Tehran, and their families, to leave the country. The employees and their families, a total of 15 people including children, also crossed into Azerbaijan, and will temporarily complete the tasks of the Tehran embassy from there. I had to make that decision to protect the lives of the employees and their families…' Minister Szijjártó said. The foreign minister also confirmed that 13 more Hungarian citizens have been evacuated from Jordan, noting that the government, together with Slovakia, has helped a total of 26 Hungarians reach safety. Minister Szijjártó said the fighting in the Middle East remains intense, and the conflict zone around the war between Iran and Israel continues to widen. He said he had reviewed the current situation and the status of the war in a phone call with Gideon Saar, his Israeli counterpart. 'I told him the Hungarian position, namely that our interest lies in the people of the Middle East returning to their calm, safe and peaceful lives,' Minister Szijjártó said. 'We want the people of the Middle East — regardless of where they may live, their background and citizenship — to be able to live outside the shadow of the threat of terrorist attacks.' He said the evacuation of Hungarians still in the area was underway.
Budapest Times
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FM: Hungary is being ‘gravely threatened' from Brussels and Kyiv
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