Brussels and Tisza Party are combining forces to make Hungary a failed country 

The other day, a new era began in Hungarian politics as Brussels and the Tisza Party openly admitted that their goal was to worsen the Hungarian people’s living standards, they were combining forces in order to make Hungary a failed country, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated on Tuesday at the inauguration of the new section of the M44 express road between the  M5 motorway and Szentkirály. 

In his speech, he described the incumbent cabinet as a government of road construction. The Prime Minister highlighted that the positions were now clear; Brussels and the Tisza Party stand for Ukraine’s EU membership, while “we national forces” are against it. Brussels wants a pro-Ukraine government in Hungary which meets all its demands. This is what the Brussels-Tisza pact is about. Brussels helps to thwart the economic development of the Hungarian people, thereby helping Tisza into power. In return, Tisza supports Ukraine’s EU membership as well as economic and military assistance for Ukraine. 

They are combining forces in order to make Hungary a failed country. They are working hard to prevent the refurbishment of 50 hospitals, and to prevent the development of public services as well as the construction of roads and railways, he pointed out. 

The worse it is for the country, the better it is for them, they are capable of anything for power and money, he said, adding that the government will not allow this to happen. “We will make Hungary successful, they are trying to trip us up in vain,” he said. He added that “it’s going to be a fierce battle; in fact, it’s not going to be, it is already a fierce battle. We must stop them, too, along with Ukraine. It’s a formidable task, but it doesn’t intimidate us, we will not back down, we will win.” 

He said on Monday in Brussels a package was submitted with a view to accelerating Ukraine’s EU accession, and if this were to be realised, “all the money of the Hungarian people” would have to be spent on Ukraine. 

He said in the next few years, Ukraine’s accession to the European Union will be the most important issue in Hungarian politics, and the Hungarian cost of this would exceed 20,000 billion forints. 

“Not only would we not receive the EU funds we are entitled to, but Hungarian fiscal funds, too, would land in Kiev, and then no road of any kind would be built on Hungarian soil for quite some time,” he said, adding that this is why it is important that everyone should take part in the Voks2025 vote on Ukraine’s EU membership. 

The Prime Minister also spoke about the repayment of a long overdue debt to the residents of Bács-Kiskun and Békés Counties with the inauguration of the new section of the M44 express road. 

Mr Orbán said this was a neglected part of Hungary for many long decades; there was neither the will, nor the money to connect it to the country’s transport and economic blood circulation, despite the fact that there are settlements here that played a crucial role in overthrowing communism and helping Hungary to regain its independence. 

He recalled the 1985 national meeting of colleges of advanced studies in Szarvas, describing it as an important station of the path leading to the establishment of Fidesz. He added that Lakitelek, the centre of Hungarian national renewal, too, was situated next to the 44 express road. “What Szarvas is for us young people who sought to bring the regime down, Lakitelek is for members of the national intelligentsia seeking to bring the regime down, for the generation of Member of Parliament Lezsák,” he explained. 

He said the government has been working on this route continuously since 2016; the section of the M44 between Tiszakürt and Kondoros was inaugurated in 2019, in 2020 they “pulled the road out all the way” to Békéscsaba, in 2021 they connected it to Lakitelek, last year to Szentkirály, and now it was Kecskemét’s turn. 

He said they have not yet finished the job because there is a direct connection from Békéscsaba to Budapest, but not the other way around; that will perhaps be completed next year. 

He added that they had built more than 125 kilometres of express road, and had thereby significantly improved the quality of life for those living here who very much deserved this as this region was inhabited by diligent people who wanted to prosper, loved their country and were passionate about their nation. They say that urban air makes you free. This place and those who live here are proof of the fact that in turn “country air makes you Hungarian,” he said. 

He stressed that the Kunság region was the heart of the country, but today this region was no longer just responsible for agricultural products and the beauty of the Great Plain, it had also become an industrial power centre. He mentioned as examples the Kecskemét Mercedes plant and the automotive industry suppliers operating in its vicinity; Univer which he described as one of the flagships of the Hungarian food industry; the Airbus project in Gyula; the Szarvas-based company making coffee makers; and also the asphalt company Duna Aszfalt without which, he added, there would be no road to inaugurate today. 

He stressed that while in Europe today factories were being closed down one after the other, in Hungary new factories were being opened and old ones were being enlarged. In his view, the new road, too, can contribute to this as it could help industry and trade grow, and it will also be easier to build new plants and to increase the capacity of old ones. 

He said with the M44 more opportunities, more jobs and more resources will be forthcoming; the country’s last significant work force reserve is in Békés County, and they want to create opportunities for them, too. 

“Over the years, we have become a government of road construction: since 2010, the length of express roads has increased one and a half-fold, and in 15 years we have doubled state assets. Hungary has every reason to be proud of this feat,” he said. 

He stressed that the government had resolved to make all county-ranked cities accessible via express roads. In the past few years, they have connected Eger, Szolnok, Salgótarján, Sopron and Kaposvár to the network of express roads. He added that with the inauguration of the M44, Békéscsaba, too “can join this club.” 

He also indicated that they would not stop here; in the next few years, they will widen the M1, M3 and M7 motorways to three lanes in each direction, will build the M8 motorway, and it will be possible to travel between the West and East of Hungary without the need to drive through Budapest. 

There are more than 120 settlements with a population of less than five thousand in the catchment area of the M44, the residents of which will be able to reach their destinations more swiftly from today. Villages, too, are among the winners of the development of the network of express roads, he said.