The country has a government which “stands with Hungary wholeheartedly,” and is able to protect the country and the results of recent years, Prime Minister-President of Fidesz Viktor Orbán stated on Monday in Kaposvár. Mr Orbán said “we will protect what we have, we will protect our future, we will protect that which the Hungarians have all worked for, and all this by keeping Hungary out of the war.
At the election rally of the government parties held in Kossuth tér in Kaposvár, the Prime Minister said the goal of their opponents is to turn Hungary back into a country where once again international big capital, rather than the Hungarian people, will thrive on the Hungarian people’s money and hard work.
“This is what we must prevent. With due placidity and calm, we must say no to this, and must continue the work-based, economy-building effort which has brought us this far,” he laid down.
At the first stop of his tour of the country, the Prime Minister said it is for a reason that the opposition invited its economic experts from large international corporations such as Shell and Erste.
He added that in the past 16 years, they had taken HUF 15,000 billion away from international corporations operating in Hungary in the form of taxes and other contributions and had given it to Hungarian families, small and medium-sized businesses, mothers and pensioners, restoring the thirteenth monthly and launching the fourteenth monthly pension.
The Prime Minister said the world has entered an era of threats, there is a war under way not only on the Ukrainian-Russian front, but also in the Middle East, and in the next four years, security will be the most important.
He stated: today, Hungary is the only country in Europe which is not preparing for war. In his view, Hungary has only been able to stay out of the war preparations that characterise the whole of Europe because in 2022 a unity was forged which obliged the government to persevere with peace until the very end.
He said the present elections also has a player – Ukraine – who was not invited, was not expected and was not wanted either.
He stressed: Ukraine demands that Hungary detach itself from cheap Russian energy, give money, to commit to the war and to let Ukraine into the European Union. He added that in the past four years, several European leaders had yielded to these demands, as a result of which the war had moved closer to us. However, Hungary said no, and this has led to many conflicts.
“Let us continue to persevere with the Hungarian national interests, let us say no, if needs be to Ukraine, if needs be to Brussels, let us take the debate on, but we should fight in this debate by bringing something good, not something bad out of it eventually. We don’t want to harm the Ukrainians, all we ask them is that they shouldn’t want to harm us either,” he pointed out.
He highlighted that Hungary needed cheap energy. Therefore, they are asking the Ukrainians to let “what is rightfully ours” through their country so that families in Hungary can preserve the living standards they have recently reached. “All we’re asking of the Ukrainians is that they shouldn’t want to pocket us,” he stressed.
He said that they are under enormous pressure to give in to the Ukrainian demands. “If there is support, if there is unity, we will be able to resist even the greatest pressure. If there is no unity, we will try anyway, but it will be a lot harder,” he stated.
He said what is at stake in the elections is whether we will preserve our living standards, jobs and money, and whether we will be able to preserve our future.
He highlighted: there are efforts to replace the incumbent patriotic government in Hungary with a government which meets Ukraine’s demands, meets Brussels’ demands and eventually hands over Hungary’s resources to the business groups financing Ukraine.
Mr Orbán said if the patriotic government remains in office, not a single migrant will be allowed to set foot in Hungary. Hungary will remain a migrant-free country, and we will not allow anyone to turn us into an immigrant country, not even if “Brussels goes berserk,” he observed.
The Prime Minister recalled that while at present everyone was focusing on 12 April, we must also pay attention to the fact that the European migration pact was due to take effect on 1 July. As a result of that, the government to be formed after 12 April would have to let hundreds of migrants into the country and would have to build refugee camps for tens of thousands of people.
This will happen in July, but it will be decided already in April whether Hungary will give in to this pressure or will resist and persevere, he pointed out.
Mr Orbán said on behalf of the patriotic government, he pledges – regardless of the pressure coming from Brussels – not to implement the migration pact and to protect Hungary. No one can tell us whom to live together with, only we can, he laid down.
The Prime Minister said they also agree to continue building the economy and to continue the average wage increase which has quadrupled since 2010, and as a result of which, by the end of the next four years, the average wage will be a million forints in Hungary. We are capable of this, and we will do this, he stressed.
They also agree to continue to keep families in the focus of life in Hungary, the Prime Minister stressed. He said families must be supported because that is where the future is.
They agree to continue the policy supporting mothers, and by the end of the next four years, regardless of age, all mothers with two children will be income tax-free for life in Hungary. We alone in the whole world are capable of this feat, and we alone will be capable of it, Mr Orbán pointed out.
He said: he is not saying that “the incumbent government is perfect” because whoever works makes mistakes. He argued that the country needed a government which “stands with Hungary wholeheartedly.” “We have a government which is able to protect Hungary, to protect the results of recent years,” he laid down.
He added that this was not a one-man-show, the incumbent government was a government comprised of highly qualified, experienced and successful people. Every member of the government is well-prepared and committed, and is grateful if they are allowed to continue the work they are doing, he stated.
“Just imagine if the opposition had to protect Hungary’s interests in debates in Brussels. Would they be capable of what [Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade] Péter Szijjártó is capable of? Or when it comes to dynamising Hungary’s economy, could anyone stand up for Hungary’s interests the way [Minister for Construction and Transport] János Lázár can?” he asked.
Neither international big capital, nor Brussels, nor Ukraine can exploit Hungary, the Prime Minister laid down.
Mr Orbán said we will protect what we have, we will protect our future and we will protect everything the Hungarians have all worked for.
And we will achieve all this by keeping Hungary out of the war, he pointed out.
According to the Prime Minister, this will be the key, in the next for years, we will be talking the most about the fact that while Europe is reeling, marching into, heading for, becoming involved in the war, we Hungarians will gain a foothold by not moving an inch, not taking a single step in that direction, and will stay out of the war.
He added that this was much more difficult than we thought; no one from István Tisza to Miklós Horthy had succeeded in this feat so far. Therefore, we are now preparing for succeeding in that which our great ancestors failed in, and keeping Hungary out of the war even if Europe has lost its mind and continues to head in the direction which in the end only leads to war, blood, suffering and hardship, the Prime Minister stated.
He said we are able to because we have been able to preserve Hungary’s peace and security, but only because electors have supported us. Therefore, he asked members of his audience to help him with delivering on their new pledges.
“We are the favourites,” we can win this election, and if we are determined enough, we will, Mr Orbán stressed, indicating that since yesterday it has been clear to everyone that “we are more.”
If we win the elections, Hungary will remain a peaceful and safe island, however much the earth may be shaking around us in the world, he said, and therefore asked the people of Hungary to renew the election alliance they concluded in 2022 for peace.
Mr Orbán also spoke about the fact that “the campaign started today, but since yesterday’s Peace March, this has been a whole new game, everyone can see that we are a very large force, we are many, and we find each other.”
He recalled that in March 2010 he had already stood on the same stage, and “that resulted in a two-thirds victory.”
He added: they have fulfilled all the requests which the Mayor of Kaposvár handed over to the patriotic government that was formed in 2010. They now agreed that Kaposvár will be the first city in Hungary where there will be electronic public transport, he announced.
In the past 16 years, 52 major projects have come to the city to the value of more than HUF 200 billion in total, and they now agreed on an enormous project creating 400 new jobs which will lay the foundations for Kaposvár’s future, he added.
Mr Orbán highlighted that in Hungary they had built an economy which was based on work. In 2010 in Hungary, just 3.6 million people had jobs, while today as many as 4.7 million, and if they are given another four years, Hungary will be a country where 5 million people will have jobs, he promised.
However, the new economy that they have built is not only about the number of jobs, but also about the appreciation of work, he indicated. “We are envisaging a Hungary where the people’s place, recognition and appreciation are designated by the quality of their work,” he stressed.
Before the rally, a peace march was also held in the Somogy County seat.
