Hungary has been attacked, an “oil blockade” has been imposed on Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated on Friday on Kossuth Radio’s programme ‘Good morning Hungary.’
Mr Orbán said during the course of the day, he will consult with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in order to coordinate further joint measures because they must achieve under any circumstances that “Zelenskyy reopen” the Druzhba crude oil pipeline and resume oil shipments.
The Prime Minister said the country has been attacked; not the country, not the people or cities, but the Hungarian economy was the target of the attack as if there is no oil via the Druzhba pipeline, that will “lead to economic chaos.” He said first the price of petrol will go up, it will be around a thousand forints according to Mol’s experts, and this will then result in price rises in the economy which will utterly disrupt normal operations. It is no exaggeration to say that chaos could evolve, he pointed out.
Mr Orbán added that as the country was under attack, protective measures had to be taken. This is why they stopped diesel shipments to Ukraine, this is why they refuse to support the EU loan of EUR 90 billion and sanctions package number twenty, and as long as there is no oil coming, they will not support a single measure in Brussels which is important for Ukraine. There are quite a few of these, and several of them require Hungary’s consent, he stated.
He observed that Hungary could have also stopped supplying Ukraine with electricity, but as Hungarians lived on the other side of the border as well, they had decided that this measure should only be a last resort.
He also spoke about the fact that there had been no reply to his letter addressed to Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The chargé d’affaires of the Hungarian embassy in Kiev was summoned, and “there, they said all sorts of things,” the Prime Minister said, adding that this cannot be regarded as a serious reply.
Mr Orbán said the Western Europeans do not know the Ukrainians and are not familiar with the way things work in Central Europe, they believe what Ukrainian President Zelenskyy says – which is evidently a lie – that there are technical reasons why oil shipments cannot be resumed. For the time being, the Ukrainians are not prepared to receive a fact-finding mission, “so, I think the Western Europeans have begun to sober up,” he added.
The Prime Minister observed that the Ukrainians were capable of anything: they blew up the Nord Stream pipeline outside the territory of Ukraine which is effectively in German ownership, and thereby caused disruption in the German economy. “So, Ukraine is a country which is quite willing to blow up a fundamental piece of infrastructure in Germany’s energy supply and economic operation in the open sea,” the Prime Minister said, adding that this is state terrorism.
Regarding the Hungarian counter-measures adopted in connection with the suspension of oil deliveries, Mr Orbán said he has learnt in the past four years that “the Ukrainians are people that you can only talk to like this.”
In response to the show host’s comment that the opposition regards the reinforcement of the protection of critical energy infrastructure in Hungary as scaremongering and that President of the Tisza Party Péter Magyar suggested that the government might be preparing for a false flag operation, the Prime Minister said “what the opposition says is nothing but tales. Whatever Tisza says and Péter Magyar says, they only say it because they’re paid by the Ukrainians.” “The Ukrainians have infiltrated Hungarian politics, we have certain knowledge that they’re financing the Tisza Party,” he stated. He added that the visit of the president of the Tisza Party to Ukraine had been organised by a “well-known” spy working for the Ukrainian authorities and state, a spy identified by the Hungarian services, meaning that “the Ukrainians are in the Tisza Party up to their necks.”
Mr Orbán said the Ukrainians are working in order for Hungary to have a government which detaches Hungary from Russian oil, which gives Ukraine money, or at least does not obstruct the flow of money from Brussels to Ukraine, and eventually joins the ranks of pro-war countries. The threat of war has never been so close to Hungary as it has recently been, but “we will not allow them to drag us in, to involve us, we will not give weapons, and we will most certainly not give them soldiers,” the Prime Minister stated.
Mr Orbán pointed out: “In the whole of Europe, everyone other than us and the Slovaks – and now there is a change of tone in the Czech Republic as well – talks about the war as ‘our’ war, as if this was the war of the Western Europeans, and in their heads it is, but not in ours.” “We sympathise with the Ukrainians, we understand what’s happening, but we have nothing to do with this war, we won’t take part in it,” he stressed.
We expect the Croatians to fulfil their contractual obligations: when Mol’s tanker arrives at the Croatian port, the oil has to be pumped out of the tanker and channelled to Hungary via the pipeline, the Prime Minister said. He stressed that this was not an option, but an obligation for Croatia. They cannot not convey this oil to Hungary, he laid down.
The Prime Minister highlighted that “the Croatians are our friends, we may have disputes, and we do, but Croatia and the Croatian people are our friends, this has been so for eight hundred years.” He pointed out that both the Croatians and the Hungarians had a vested interest in there being friendship between the two countries; not only because many Hungarians go there on holiday, but because this is a historical tradition, and there is a sizeable Croatian minority living in Hungary.
Regarding the Hungarian oil supply system, Mr Orbán explained that there was a main pipeline, the Druzhba pipeline, that conveyed Russian oil from the direction of Ukraine, and there was a supplementary pipeline in the South which was in Croatian hands. This second pipeline is able to supply us with supplementary sea shipments. He observed: the Croatians suggested that they make this the main pipeline because also now they could supply a far larger quantity, and while Hungary does not rule this out, this requires developments and tests.
According to the Prime Minister, we need two pipelines, “a main one and a supplementary one because if there is a problem with one of them, the other should operate.” He observed: he regards the programme announced by “the Tisza energy politician parachuted down here from Shell” as dangerous – according to which Hungary must be detached from Russian oil – because “then we will be dependent on a single pipeline, and we will be at the mercy of those who control that pipeline.” “So, I don’t even understand why Tisza’s energy man who came from Shell talks such gibberish, unless for the reason that the moment oil stops coming via the Druzhba oil pipeline and the Croatians refuse to convey Russian oil, we’ll have to buy some other kind of oil, say, from Shell,” Mr Orbán said, adding that life is this simple.
The Prime Minister also spoke about the fact that at present, Russian oil was USD 13 cheaper per barrel than western oil, while transport costs included, the price difference could go up to twenty dollars. He mentioned that there was a company of note in Hungary which is “an unquestionable authority on the issue of energy,” Mol, and according to their statements, it is perfectly evident that “if there is no Russian oil, then there is an enormous price increase, a petrol price of one thousand forints and economic chaos.”
The patriotic government equals security; the patriotic government equals no war, Mr Orbán stated. He said as long as he is prime minister, everyone can have a good night’s sleep because Hungary cannot be forced into the war. The Prime Minister stressed: since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, we have never been so close to the war as we are now, and the threat is increasing daily. The reason being that the Americans quit military operations and supporting the Ukrainians. While for the time being they are making continued peace efforts, if there is no solution within a short time, they will withdraw also from the diplomacy aimed at the restoration of peace.
At the same time, European leaders want war, he added. The Prime Minister said European leaders want to go to Ukraine. A few days ago, the European Parliament adopted a resolution which urged the deployment of a multinational force to Ukraine. The large western states of the EU decided that they wanted to win this war on the frontline. They want not peace, but the freezing of the current frontline, they want to defeat the Russians.
Mr Orbán pointed out that in addition to the flawed strategic plan of the western states of the EU, another reason for the intensification of the threat of war was that Ukraine wanted to become an EU member. At the same time, the EU Treaties clearly lay down that if an EU Member State is attacked, the others must rush to its aid, and this would create a legal basis for involvement.
He said the next two to three years make even the most dangerous scenarios probable for Hungary. All of us, including the prospective government must focus all our strength on keeping Hungary out of the war, the Prime Minister stated, adding that this requires routine and experience.
Mr Orbán pointed out that it was very important for the country as a whole to stand behind the government and the Prime Minister in the effort to keep ourselves out of this war under any circumstances. The Hungarian government is the only one which says that we will not give the Hungarians’ money to the Ukrainians, the Prime Minister stated.
Mr Orbán recalled that the Tisza Party had held a vote on whether they supported Ukraine’s EU membership, and they had. The government had to launch the national petition because the Hungarian government is the only one that says that we will not give the Hungarian people’s money to the Ukrainians, he stressed.
The prime Minister said the Tisza Party and Democratic Coalition continually urge us to join the countries that support Ukraine. “How could they possibly want to say no if they urge that we join the other side?” Mr Orbán asked, adding that the petition is necessary to bring this matter to a conclusion in Hungary.
“How could you possibly say no to the Ukrainians if they finance you?” Mr Orbán observed. According to the Prime Minister’s information, the Ukrainians are providing extremely high-value IT services for Tisza free of charge and are organising their campaign. This is an open collusion, the Ukrainians openly say that they are working in order for Hungary not to have a patriotic government, the Prime Minister laid down.
Mr Orbán also spoke about the fact that in Europe there were lay-offs. In Hungary in the past few years, we have got used to having full employment, and there is a shortage of workforce, rather than an excess of workforce. Therefore, it is very difficult to imagine with this Hungarian mindset that all of a sudden, there should be mass unemployment in Hungary; however, Europe is heading that way, he explained.
He said in the past year, more than two hundred thousand jobs have been cut in Poland, 161,000 in the Czech Republic, 144,000 in Romania and 129,000 in Germany, entire sectors are going under. The European aluminium industry has been effectively brought to its knees. The European chemical industry “is on its last legs,” the Prime Minister listed.
In Europe, there is a threat of mass unemployment and the cessation of entire sectors, the Prime Minister stated.
Mr Orbán stressed that the reason for this was that, due to the war and the sanctions, the price of energy was three to four times higher in Europe than in the United States or China. And it follows from this that the cost level of everything made in the United States and China – be that aluminium, chemical industry products or vehicles – is much lower, they can produce at lower prices. They produce cheaper, sell cheaper, and these products force European products off the market, the Prime Minister explained.
Mr Orbán described it as an enormous feat and performance on the part of the actors of the Hungarian economy – and for this he is grateful to both the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and trade unions – that they managed to come to agreements which allow for continued full employment in Hungary and stop industries from going under. In Hungary, the vehicle industry – which is in danger in Europe today – is continuously developing and growing, he pointed out. He said we switched in good time from petrol-based production – for the time being, only on a supplementary basis, but later as the main line of business – to the manufacture of electric cars, and therefore not a single car factory will close down. Had we not accomplished this changeover, including the production of batteries, we would not just have lost a percentage of growth, but would have been compelled to witness the closure of conventional car factories, he concluded, pointing out that this was the pre-condition of saving these plants.
He said the Mercedes plant just hired its five thousandth worker, and as they will manufacture electric cars, they are recruiting another three thousand people, while workers are being laid off by the thousands in other countries of Europe. No one should take it for granted that we have a workfare society or full employment, no one should take it for granted that even amidst wartime circumstances, when the war is blocking the economy, the economy is able to grow. That it is possible to introduce an 11 per cent minimum wage increase when economic growth is otherwise below one percent, or that even under such circumstances we are able to double the family tax benefit, we are able to introduce the fourteenth monthly pension, we are able to provide tax exemption for mothers and we are able to offer fixed 3 per cent housing loans, he listed.
Mr Orbán described all this as unprecedented, observing that Europe is heading in the opposite direction. Staying out of the war and maintaining the present workfare economic policy are the pre-conditions that ensure that the Hungarians’ living standards should increase, rather than start falling, the Prime Minister pointed out.
Mr Orbán also spoke about the fact that this required money. Money must be raised and the extra profits generated in Hungary must not be let out of the country, or only a percentage that is necessary for fairness and future investments, he stated, adding that all extra profits above that must be kept in the Hungarian economy and must be given to families.
He recalled that between 2010 and 2025, they had taken HUF 15,000 billion away from large corporations, banks, financial institutions, energy companies and multinational chains, and had given that money to mothers, for family support and the thirteenth and fourteenth monthly pensions. This policy must be continued, we must not allow multinationals, Shells and Erstes, to be delegated to the government and to take the Hungarians’ money out of the country, the Prime Minister said in conclusion in the radio interview.
