Orbán: We must take Brussels while the emperor wages war
PM Orbán used the gathering to deliver a comprehensive and critical assessment of Brussels' current political and military posture, especially concerning the war in Ukraine and its implications for Hungarian sovereignty and the wider region.
'A real hussar's trick is needed,' declared the prime minister. 'While the emperor wages war, we must take Brussels; while Brussels prepares for war, we must strengthen Europe's anti-war initiatives.' He argued that the EU, once legitimized by its promise of peace and prosperity, has now lost its way. 'This is no longer the European Union we joined,' he said. 'The legendary quality of life in the West is gone.'
Central to PM Orbán's critique was what he called Brussels' 'war policy,' which he claims has inflated energy prices, drained investment funds, and pushed the continent towards militarization. 'War has made everything more expensive,' he said, 'and now they want to solve economic problems through increased arms spending.' He described the EU's economic cycle as 'Brussels gives weapons to Ukraine, Ukraine buys them with EU loans, and Brussels buys Ukrainian goods,' asserting that this is not genuine economic growth but a 'war-based economic cycle.'
He was especially candid about Ukraine's EU integration. 'Integrating Ukraine would break the Hungarian economy,' he warned. 'Full integration would cost €2.5 trillion over several years — 12 times the EU's current annual budget.' Beyond that, he noted, 'running Ukraine already costs €100 billion annually. For Hungary, this would be a burden of HUF 20 trillion.'
On European centralization, PM Orbán said that Brussels is using the war as a pretext to grab more power. 'This is a coup,' he said. 'They want to eliminate national sovereignty and establish the United States of Europe.' He said that EU institutions are 'interfering in elections, monitoring sovereigntist parties, shutting down right-wing events, and financing federalist and pro-war fake civil society and media across Europe.'
He further warned against new fiscal mechanisms proposed by Brussels: 'They want direct EU taxation, taking €37 billion a year from member states. They'd take money meant for our farmers and regional development and funnel it into the war effort.'
Addressing Hungary's geopolitical role, PM Orbán emphasized regional cooperation. 'We must not join the Franco-German axis—we must strengthen the Visegrád cooperation,' he said, highlighting Poland's recent presidential election as 'particularly encouraging.' He envisioned a robust Central Europe that can 'block Brussels' federalist and pro-war agenda.'
Finally, he reiterated his opposition to Hungary becoming a 'migrant country' and stressed the strategic importance of maintaining the Hungarian language and identity in the Carpathian Basin. 'The task is to teach 1 million people Hungarian over the next decade,' he said, adding that peaceful coexistence with neighbors is essential but must not come 'at the cost of national interest.'
'Our mission is clear,' concluded PM Orbán. 'Brussels must not sit on our necks. We stayed, they fell. But the wounds suffered by the Hungarian nation from the (last) empire have not yet healed. Let's not ask for a repeat—especially not in a Brussels uniform.'
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