Mr Orbán stressed that their opponents had “introduced an element of secrecy into this political season.” “Those walk stealthily in the shadows and in the dark who have bad intentions,” he added. We have always done what we said we would, and have delivered on the promises we made, he stated. He said this is exactly what happened when they “sent packing” the International Monetary Fund, when they created a million new jobs, when they kept the country migrant-free, when we stayed out of the war as well as regarding child protection, family grants, tax reductions and the re-introduction of the thirteenth monthly pension.
Mr Orbán highlighted that they had won consecutive elections due to the trust they had so earned. “We did what we said we would. This is what then builds the essence of politics, and the most important thing in politics is trust, he said. Regarding his political opponents, he observed that “Gyurcsány and his people were cleverer as they only stated after the elections that they had deceived the people. Tisza, on the other hand, stated already before the elections that they would deceive the people. I could even say that they’re offering us their own heads on a silver platter, and if they do so – this is a civic community – we should accept them,” he said to the amusement of his audience. Mr Orbán stressed that a loss of trust has consequences in politics, not only as regards the final outcome, but also as regards the process of politics because those who have lost trust are left with nothing but troublemaking, provocation, “this is how parties having lost trust create a policy of trouble.”
He said this is the reason why the Tisza Party held a rally in Kötcse of all places, the place where this meeting has been held for many long years. “They come here because no one believes what they have to say anymore. But if they come here, there is tension, there are conflicts, there will be trouble. This is what’s left for them, this is what we must prepare for, this is what their politics will consist of in the next seven months,” Mr Orbán said, describing this modus operandi as “the politics of the little strutting cock.” “The essence of the politics of the little strutting cock is that there is strutting and there is fighting. There is chest bulging, and crowing. Another important element of the politics of the little strutting cock is that the little strutting cock is always at the centre of the universe, and thinks that if he doesn’t crow, then the Sun will not rise. But what’s most beautiful about the little strutting cock is its third attribute, namely that a little strutting cock will never become a big strutting cock,” the Prime Minister stated.
Mr Orbán spoke about the fact that today the United States is dismantling the global economy we have lived our lives in so far, and regional economic areas are coming into being world-wide. He added that the essence of the new American strategy emerging with Donald Trump’s presidency was that the exportation of democracy had come to an end, meaning that “they don’t want to lecture anyone anymore, they don’t want to tell anyone what the right political system is, everyone has their own specific culture, they should operate one they like.”
He indicated that the Americans were returning to the politics of great powers, their behaviour was no longer influenced by international rules. Instead, they envisage the world as a place where there are players, powers, forces, influences, the ability to project power as a great power, and that power must be used. This is what we call great power politics, this is what the world has returned to, he said.
He added that with Donald Trump’s presidency a completely new American policy had emerged, the essence of which lay in that instead of the kind of dreaming about global world peace, world democracy and the exportation of democracy that was characteristic of the Democrats, the Americans were finally facing the facts. One such fact is that the Americans have realised that China has an unbeatable demographic advantage. “China has an increasing technological advantage, China has an increasing capital advantage, China has a decreasing military disadvantage, without Chinese suppliers, the economy of the United States can’t work, and with the passage of time, the Chinese are finding themselves increasingly in a lender position against the countries of the western world.” They have also faced the fact, he said, that Russia has won the war, and without the deployment of ground troops in the hundreds of thousands, the Russian victory is irreversible. The American strategy has further realised that it is possible to do business with Russia, but in the coming decades, it will not be possible to detach the Russians from China, while they now also see it as a fact that the United States is losing positions in the Pacific region, while the European Union is weak and remains weak, he explained.
He took the view that the European economy was hardly likely to stand back on its feet, in Germany the new chancellor declared the end of the welfare state only the other day, while in France there are continual government crises. In the meantime, he said in continuation, in Poland “liberal oppression” is nearing its end, “Babis ante portas,” while the Russian president remains in his position.
Regarding the war in Ukraine, he recalled that under President Biden, the Americans had openly declared that they wanted to install a different political regime in Russia. This has now turned into a financing race between the EU and Russia which the Russians are winning at this point in time. “This situation is weakening them, while it’s destroying us,” he said in summary, adding that Ukraine is currently being partitioned. Before the war, Ukraine existed as a buffer state in which the Russians and the West each had 50 per cent influence. However, this situation was upset with the war, he recalled.
Today, the Europeans are “elegantly” talking about security guarantees, but in actual fact, this means the partition of Ukraine, he indicated, adding that a Russian zone has already been formed in 20 per cent of Ukraine’s territory. The debate now is about the distance from the border of the Russian zone in which to create a demilitarised zone, and with this, Ukraine will become a territory consisting of three zones, he pointed out.
Regarding the European Union, he recalled that in 2008 the United States had accounted for 23 per cent of the world’s economic output, while the EU for 25 per cent. Today, while the Americans account for 27 per cent, the EU’s share has fallen to just 17.8 per cent. “That we’re not on a par with the Americans is solely attributable to the fact that the Europeans have been led badly,” he observed.
Mr Orbán stressed that at this point in time, the EU has entered a phase of disintegration. “And if things continue like this, and there is a higher chance of this happening than not, then the history of the European Union will go down in world history as a depressing outcome of a noble experiment,” he warned. By his account, the purpose of the establishment of the European Union was for it to become a world political and world economic factor. However, they failed to create a single free trade zone extending from Lisbon to Vladivostok, the United Kingdom quit, “the Russians left or we pushed them into the arms of the Chinese,” he recalled.
He said the reason for the failure of the European plan is that instead of a common market, they wanted to create an economic and political union, and the euro should have been the chief instrument of this. “The stunt failed” because while there is a common monetary policy, there is no common fiscal policy, he pointed out. “It’s only a question of time – says everyone dealing with this issue – before this whole thing falls apart at the seams, breaks, it can’t survive in the long run,” he said. He added that even if they managed to create an EU budget for the period between 2028-2035, it might be the last one if everything continued without change. It follows from this that the Eurozone will disintegrate. This will be a chaotic and costly process, Mr Orbán pointed out.
The Prime Minister proposed the transformation of the European Union into a circular organisation. He said “in order for the Union not to fall apart and for this budget not to be its last one, the European Union must be reorganised in its very foundations because today, the forces that are making it fall apart are increasing, while the forces that are keeping it together are diminishing.” He added that with a reorganisation, this process could be reversed, the majority of Member States could be induced to have a continued vested interest in staying in the EU, and it would be possible to reduce the number of those who would have a vested interest, in the next ten years, in the disintegration of the Union.
The Prime Minister said a thorough reorganisation will have to be implemented, the EU should be transformed into a circular organisation which is not the same as the concept of a multi-speed Europe. He said those countries would be situated on the periphery of a circular Europe which only want to cooperate on two issues, in the areas of military security and energy security. These countries could include Turkey, the United Kingdom and, horribile dictu, Ukraine, he observed. Mr Orbán said the common market would constitute a narrower second circle, while the third circle would include the countries which also want a single currency; this is the Eurozone, and these countries would also have a common budget. In continuation, he said the fourth circle would include the countries which also wish to coordinate their principles politically and want a political union. Gender, migration, the concept of the rule of law, a number of issues, he mentioned these as examples, proposing that these principles could also be enforced by courts of law.
Mr Orbán said if the EU is able to switch to such a system, then the great ideal of European cooperation, the EU could survive the next ten years, but if this endeavour fails, then the EU will disintegrate. He said Ukraine’s European Union membership will – whether directly or indirectly – necessarily result in us being dragged into the war. He highlighted: it is impossible for the other Member States not to rush to the aid of an attacked fellow member or a fellow member engaged in a border conflict, “and whether Ukraine is under military attack or is engaged in a conflict with Russia will never be decided by Ukraine, it will always be decided by Russia.”
The Prime Minister stressed that the EU – rather than making itself concentric – was today trying to salvage its present form, “we’re observing one last desperate attempt, it’s called ‘collective debt.’” He highlighted that “collective debt creates a quality of statehood,” this is how the United States of America itself came into being. Additionally, they believe that Ukraine is the best means for incurring a collective debt. We should consider not only the war, not only geopolitics, but also the future of the EU, Mr Orbán said, adding that the European Union’s chiefs believe that the most readily acceptable goal for collective debt that can be sold to everyone, or at least, to everyone in Western Europe, a goal for which it is acceptable to assume an enormous debt, is security.
In his projection for the coming years, Mr Orbán pointed out that the EU would remain a bit part player in world politics, while its most important state, Germany was in the process of putting an end to the welfare state. This would, however, also put the system of political rotation into jeopardy as in multiple Member States, the leaders of rival political forces are subjected to court proceedings. He stressed that due to this, this was not only about the end of the welfare state, but also about a democracy problem.
The Prime Minister added that in the meantime, the development of mixed societies was at an advanced stage which would bring single legal systems to an end, introducing the Islamic legal system in addition to the Christian one. “We are used to one country, one legal system; in Western Europe, this will come to an end within days,” he stated. “What comes with parallel societies? Parallel legal systems,” Mr Orbán said, projecting the future disintegration of public order.
Regarding the war in Ukraine, he said the Russian goal is to prevent the West from advancing further. The Chinese goal is to transform the world order dominated by the United States into a multipolar world order and to have privileged access to Russia’s economic system. The Ukrainian goal is to ensure that financial support keeps coming to Ukraine, and to prevent an economic meltdown. The European goal is to maintain Ukraine’s war capabilities, and to keep the United States in the conflict. At the same time, Donald Trump’s goal is to come to an agreement with the Russians on economic issues, and to subordinate the European Union to the United States economically.
He stressed that as long as the war in Ukraine lasted, the European Union would remain a lame duck. It is unable to move because from a defence point of view, it is at the mercy of the United States. He added that without the United States, not only would the EU not be able to take care of Ukraine, but neither was it able to maintain its own security. Additionally, due to its security vulnerability, it is unable to pursue an autonomous trade policy; this was clearly manifested in the tariff negotiations.
He took the view that rather than lobbying in Washington, Europe should go to Moscow and should conclude a European Union-Russia security agreement which would lay down that Ukraine will not become a member of either NATO or the European Union, but that at the same time, there could be a strategic cooperation agreement between Ukraine and the European Union which Hungary itself would support. He stressed that Hungary did not want to „push the Ukrainians into nothingness,” “we’re not anti-Ukrainian,” we want to offer Ukraine a future and prospects because a collapsing Ukraine in our immediate eastern neighbourhood is an enormous threat.
He said the continuation of the war is a losing European strategy. The president of the United States has a single task, to order a coffee and to hear the European subordinates’ reports. “This is what is happening. And unless we change things, the situation will stay that way,” he stated.
He said the Hungarian economy has not gone to rack and ruin – while the European has – because it detached itself from the European economic model in good time, in 2010. Mr Orbán said the European economic model which calls itself the ‘welfare state’ is, in actual fact, a benefit-based economy. Hungary detached itself from this model, and changed to a different model, the model of the workfare economy and the workfare state, he stressed, adding that there are fundamental differences between the two economic models. He mentioned as an example that the Hungarian taxation system was radically different, being a flat-rate tax system, while the family support system, too, was drastically different as most of the benefits were tied to work, rather than automatic eligibility for all individuals.
Mr Orbán said while attempts are currently also being made in Bulgaria, Hungary alone has an energy system based on the reduction of household utility bills which focuses on the considerations and needs of households, rather than on profits and returns. There is almost no other country in Europe which offers its businesses money in order for them to invest in regions which are otherwise important for the given country, the Prime Minister said, mentioning another difference, stressing in the context of housing support that while in the West the goal is to provide access to affordable rental properties, “Hungarians feel safe if they have a roof above their heads which they own.”
He also mentioned the introduction of income tax exemption for mothers with multiple children as another element entirely detaching Hungary from the Western European economy; this is a unique feature, offering the kind of security that does not exist anywhere in Western Europe.
These differences are not superficial differences; these are substantial, deep, structural differences, Mr Orbán stated.
He said Hungary has two options. The first one is to attach Hungary’s carriage to the engine of the European Union; this is what [Democratic Coalition] DK has been proposing for a very long time, and this is what Tisza, too, is proposing. The other option is that Hungary perseveres with the model which the incumbent government parties built, he indicated. “If we attach our carriage to the train of the European Union which I believe is fast heading for an abyss, it will mean – Tisza and DK themselves say so – that the benefit-based economy will be restored, we’ll have to accept Brussels’ economic demands, we’ll have to join the euro, Hungarian state sovereignty will be over and done with, we’ll have to surrender the reduction of household utility bills, we’ll have the retailor the thirteenth monthly pension, and we’ll have to introduce progressive taxation, we’ll have to detach ourselves from Russian energy, the reduction of household utility bills will have to be terminated, and we’ll have to change family support,” he listed.
He added that in this case we would also have to accept Brussels’ war demands, would have to give Ukraine money, would have to send soldiers to Ukraine, and would have to admit Ukraine to the European Union. We should accept Brussels’ green policy, the migration pact and the EU’s economic policy, too. This would mean a collective war, a collective debt, a common economic policy and a common currency, he said in summary.
Mr Orbán also drew attention to how the issue of immunity stood in Brussels today. “Today, the hands of the political leader supporting Brussels are being controlled with his immunity. It’s unprecedented that they refuse to lift the immunity of a person who is suspected in Hungary of having committed common crimes,” he warned. In continued reference to the Tisza Party, he added that they now had a new “economic jack of all trades” who was on the payroll of a foreign bank.
The Prime Minister also outlined the other option: persevering with our own Hungarian programme and mission. This is what Fidesz and the Christian Democratic People’s Party are proposing: a workfare state, a common market, but a national economic policy, staying out of the war and a collective debt, no to Ukraine’s EU membership, only strategic partnership, a national energy policy, no to migration, there is no mixed society, but there is child protection, we will reorganise the V4 and will foster special relations with the United States, China and Russia, he listed. Peace, a common market, a sovereign economic policy, a currency of our own, independence, he stated in summary, adding that this was the political structure of the 2026 elections.
He also spoke about the fact that the starting point of the present situation was that the government parties were the favourites of the next elections. Their own surveys show that if the elections were held today, they would win 80 of the 106 constituencies, and this would result in stable governance, he observed.
“We have our candidates. We have a robust organisation with actually existing, rather than digital, community. We have strengthening digital capabilities, by October we’ll be leading in that department, too, but we’re not there yet, and we also have targeted economic programmes”, he said, demonstrating that the government parties are ready. He recalled, however, that due to the sanctions and the war, all of the government’s targeted programmes had to be delayed by six months. He mentioned as part of the economic programme that from 1 July they made the infant and child care benefits tax-free and increased the tax benefit available in relation to children, while on 1 September they launched a comprehensive 3 per cent housing credit programme. They are already mailing shopping vouchers to pensioners due to the high VAT, in October, mothers with three children will be granted tax exemption for life, they will pay pension supplements in November, while in January, members of the armed forces will receive an extra six-month benefit, he listed. He added that from 1 January, they would again increase the tax benefit available in relation to children, and mothers with minimum two children under the age of 40 would be granted personal income tax exemption for life. They will protect the planned minimum wage increase in the social and cultural sectors, while the thirteenth monthly pension will be paid at the beginning of February, he said, outlining the government’s economic plan.
They will realise all their plans, even if at a delay of six months, he pointed out. Mr Orbán took the view that the incumbent government parties had delivered on all their promises, and while they were not governing “shabbily,” this was not enough. “Being the favourite doesn’t do the job on its own,” he said.
As part of the victory plan, he mentioned that the digital building work would have to be accelerated. “If we don’t go where the opponent goes, we won’t be able to win,” he argued. “Peace march, in fact, multiple peace marches, with the widest possible consensus, political debates, we must prove our ability to govern, and must win the race for the ability to govern. Mobilisation in the coming seven months,” he listed the further elements of the victory plan, adding that shortly a national consultation about Tisza’s leaked tax increase plans will also be launched.
“If Hungary has an inane government, it will be ruined,” the Prime Minister stated. Mr Orbán said in the next seven months, we should bear a single important thought in mind: “Hungary is a country of ten million. Our country is a country which doesn’t have natural treasures. Our country is situated in the middle of an unstable region. Our country is a country which needs special leadership skills.”
He stressed that from now on, everything must be subordinated to the common victory, and asked everyone from now on to do everything they could. “You know me, I’m not the sort of person who delivers threats or says brutal things, but believe me, nothing will be forgotten. Everything will be recorded and all accounts will be settled,” he said.
In continuation, the President of Fidesz said after the victory, they will bulk up the V4, will double the Patriots in Brussels, will occupy Brussels and in the autumn of 2026, he will deliver an exciting speech about this.
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