He added that he had never seen anything of the kind that taking money in the magnitude of EUR 200 to 300 billon away from a country had not provoked a response. He said the plans on the utilisation of the frozen assets which seek to avoid Hungary show that “the illusion that the rule of law prevails in Brussels is over.” With what is happening, Brussels is effectively closing the treaties and casting them aside, he said.
Mr Orbán stressed that European leaders had for years “deceived” their own citizens by saying that supporting Ukraine and the war taking place there would not cost them a penny. Now, they should admit that this will not be so, and multiple generations will have to foot the bill. Riots will break out everywhere in Europe, and those who have argued for the war will all be toppled. And then they will have come off lightly, considering that they have plunged their own generation into such an adventure, he stated.
Regarding currency reserves kept abroad, the Prime Minister explained that the practice was in peacetime that all states had such reserves, and in order to conceal the date of the attack on Ukraine, the Russians had not taken their reserves home, the bulk of which – some EUR 200 billion – had been placed in the EU. If this money is taken away, he stressed, European countries break the number one principle of the whole international monetary system, namely that there are privileged financial institutions that may engage in such transactions. Even in World War II, German currency reserves kept in other countries were not confiscated, Mr Orbán observed, adding that in the wake of such an incident, other states, including Arabic states, may in the future refuse to keep their currency reserves in euros.
Additionally, the Russians will start a lawsuit and will win it, in which case “someone will have to pay this money back,” and this could in turn – due to the domicile of most of the banks acting as custodians for Russian currency reserves – “ruin the Belgian economy.” Therefore, the country’s prime minister appreciates that his own national economy may be in immediate danger.
“I can’t say anything as tough as the Belgian prime minister about the European Union and this contemplated measure anymore,” the Prime Minister stated.
Mr Orbán also spoke about the fact that the fate of this money was a prominent issue of the Russian-US talks, the parties have agreed on it, and “in this the Europeans haven’t been dealt a hand.” He mentioned that as owners of these funds, the Russians could lawfully agree on them, unlike the Europeans. Hence the current extremely complex conflict of interests.
In answer to the suggestion of the show host, claiming that every point of the Tisza Party’s austerity package can be found in a Brussels document, the Prime Minister said, in actual fact, three Germans “are taking the lead and are, in my opinion, leading the EU astray or to the wall,” specifically, the German chancellor, Manfred Weber, the head of the European Parliament’s largest party group and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.
“This is a German affair, and their thinking is ‘either we’ll have the Russian money or we won’t. And the war will either end or it won’t. And if it doesn’t then we’ll need more money, and money will have to be sent to Ukraine from somewhere in a way that doesn’t cause a political upheaval at home,” Mr Orbán said.
In his words, if we want to finance a war, we must take “a pencil and a piece of paper,” and must calculate how much falls on “the Belgians or the Germans.” However, instead of this, they are collecting money from the Member States which could serve as security for a large loan. Additionally, the President of the Commission is asking for EUR 135 billion from the 27 Member States, Mr Orbán explained, mentioning that in his reply to Ursula von der Leyen written “in a very polite tone, but one which evokes a powerful gesture,” he thanked her for “this great offer,” but indicated that he would pass this “splendid opportunity” on to the others.
At the Mohács anti-war rally, Mr Orbán also spoke about the fact that we must prepare for the eventuality that Brussels would seek to win the third Hungarian election in a row. This was the case in 2018 and in 2022, and this will be so in 2026 as well. He said also previously they had disputes with Brussels, but until 2018 they did not look upon the Hungarians as posing a serious threat.
Hungary started becoming dangerous for the other Member States of the European Union during the 2015-2016 migration crisis; at the time, the rest of the Member States concordantly took the view that migration was a positive phenomenon, he said. We set out on a different path, he added in continuation, and we said that migration is a source of danger; rather than managing and resolving it, it must be prevented, migrants must not be let in.
They, too, now only have a single idea, namely that migrants should be sent over here, this is what the migration pact is about, he stressed, observing that Hungary has suffered unfair treatment in Brussels because “we said no to everything.” We did so because “we are living proof of the fact that you can protect your county, you will be able to protect your country from migrants also in the future; in fact, the Hungarian example shows that you should have protected it in the past as well, but you didn’t do so,” the Prime Minister said.
He pointed out that Hungary had not desired the role of “being shown around as the embodiment of a hateful country.” This was not the plan, but that is how the situation has turned out, “we are living proof that this could have been done differently.” Europe could have remained Christian and with countries inhabited by European people, but that is not what happened because leaders messed it up, he argued.
He added: Brussels believes that the government that set this example in Hungary and demonstrates it day in, day out “must be hunted down” and replaced with a government which makes Hungary similar to Germany, Austria or France: a government that will let migrants in, “and then this thorn will have been removed from under the nail.”
“This is why they wanted to topple us in 2018 and in 2022, and this is why – in addition to other reasons, but mostly because of this – they will want to topple us in 2026. The Tisza Party is the embodiment of this intention of theirs,” he pointed out.
In his speech, Mr Orbán described Turkey as the Hungarians’ “life insurance policy” because also at present, the Turks are not allowing three million migrants out of Turkey; migrants that would otherwise come to Europe through the Balkans. If there is a change in Turkey, then in addition to Africa, migrants could also invade the continent from the direction of Turkey, the Prime Minister pointed out, saying that the next generation’s most important task will be to defend ourselves against this. This is not an easy task, migration is not a thing of the past; migration will be the future’s most important question if we have survived the war, he laid down.
Mr Orbán recalled that those who had fled here during the Yugoslav wars – Serbs, Croats, Bosnians – had been Hungary’s neighbours and had come from a cultural sphere that was the same as the Hungarians’. Those who are now preparing to set out for Europe do not respect social teachings not only because they do not want to, but also because they do not know them. There is no doubt that many of the people who want to come to Europe are experiencing trouble at home, the Prime Minister said, pointing out that help must be taken there, rather than bringing trouble here.
It would not have been the duty of Europe, and especially the rich countries of Europe, to let migrants in. Now, they do not know what to do with them, despite having burnt tens or hundreds of billions of euros. This amount of money should have been taken to places where there is poverty, trouble or war. They should have restored order there, and should have helped with creating a liveable life there, he stated.
No responsibility of any kind lies with Hungary in this regard, Mr Orbán laid down. In his words, “our duty is to protect ourselves as an island.” “There are also others, and we are cooperating with each other,” he said, mentioning that in addition to Serbia and Slovakia, Hungary can also count in this effort on the Czech Republic where Prime Minister Andrej Babis entered into office on 9 December, and also on Poland with whom “we have tensions right now,” but on the whole “on the issue of migration, we sing from the same hymn sheet.”
Mr Orbán also said his secret ambition was more than just to govern well, he also wants to make people’s lives easier and to help them make their own lives happier. “I endeavoured, my plan was, using the means of politics, not just to govern well, but to change our fate, to turn ourselves from losers to winners, this is what I contracted for,” he stressed.
The Prime Minister said in explanation that we lost the 20th century; we lost territory, population, blood, the economy, opportunities and the future. In his words, “this will remain the case until we change this together.” “We will be Central Europe’s most successful people, and then this will change,” he laid down. He said he does nothing other than try to realise the plans and dreams that the Hungarians have carried with them for almost a hundred years now.
In the second half of the eighties, the mission of Fidesz – which can also be regarded as “a generational party in some sense” – was to encourage the people to believe that there will be major changes, he said, adding that at the time, not even the members of his immediate family had faith in this. According to the Prime Minister, today, the mission of this generation is to hand over the baton in such a way that when the new ones come along, there should be a generation of politicians with heads held high, saying that the ones that went before them won.
“The country is beginning to look like we want it to. This is the region’s economic centre. This is the region’s most competitive country. Here, there is strength, there are opportunities, good things are coming to life, both personal and communal plans,” he pointed out.
The question is how to seize the opportunity of the future, rather than how to defend ourselves, he pointed out, adding that he would like to take leave from Hungarian politics one day in the knowledge that the country is like this and the new generation is like this.
Regarding his motivations, Mr Orbán said politicians usually avoid risks. However, he believes that it is important for everyone to understand why he does what he does.
He also spoke about the fact that ‘power’ had a great many definitions. According to his definition, ‘power’ in a Hungarian historical context means the ability to take collective action. Good political leadership is nothing other than achieving that we should be convinced together that there is something serious happening here and together we will do it. This is not about the fact that those in power, the government will or can do it, but that there are things, regarding which we can convince each other that they are important, he stated in summary.
He also said in his family he is the first graduate, but he never thought of his grandparents as not forming part of the intelligentsia. They were not highly educated, but were intelligent people; they never accepted anything as to be taken for granted, they wanted to understand things. This is not related to formal education, but more to inclination, he observed.
He highlighted that in Hungary the desire to understand was a distinguishable mark compared with the peoples of Western Europe. Every Hungarian is a member of the intelligentsia in this sense, he pointed out. “And as I signed up for changing fates, rather than for simply operating a government well, the more people understand what I’m talking about, the closer we will move to the common will, the closer we will move to becoming winners, after recovering from our losses, and to doing good things together,” he stated in summary.
He recalled that politics was not “a ploy for men in trousers,” but was about understanding the world, and was as such open to everyone, including even those who left school at fourteen.
Politics also has a beautiful face which people would do well to notice, and should therefore join movements such as the movement of the digital civic circles, he observed.
In the context of the significance of the town of Mohács, Mr Orbán highlighted that this was where Hungarian history had taken a bad turn. Mohács “is the cemetery of our national grandeur,” but is also a symbol of survival, he added. He recalled at the same time that politicians usually went to big cities. “However, we also have an important message for the Hungarians of the countryside, people living in small towns and also people living in villages: they are not any less important. […] They, too, are part of the country’s great collective history. Therefore, there is no need to explain why we came to Mohács,” he said, adding that the Member of Parliament for the Mohács constituency, János Hargitai (Christian Democratic People’s Party) usually wins an extra 6 to 7 per cent over and above the local list result of the government parties.
Regarding the upcoming elections, the Prime Minister recalled that they had established the Fight Club 400 days before the elections; this is now an intensely political community. They next established the Digital Civic Circles which is a civil-society movement. The conservative, patriotic, Christian world tends to keep digital platforms at arm’s length, given that they can be scenes of arrogance, harshness, inferior standards and even heartlessness at times. However, digital space does not have to be like that, the Prime Minister stressed.
In Mr Orbán’s words, the Digital Civic Circles are a great success. “But we’re not where we should be,” he pointed out. “We need the 120 days remaining before the elections to increase our digital presence minimum to the same size as that of people who think differently than we do.” “If we can achieve a draw here, then the enormous advantage that we have in real life – which is not just an advantage in numbers, but also a spiritual, natural and quality advantage – will be enough to win the elections,” he laid down.
In answer to a question, Mr Orbán summed up the mission of the Right in that “we set right that which the Left messes up.” He recalled that already during his first term in government, in 1998, they had been compelled to set right that which Lajos Bokros and his team had messed up. “Because Lajos doesn’t joke. If he’s allowed to, he does what he says he’s going to do,” he warned.
In his opinion, citizens want three things from the economy: they want shelter, a roof above their heads; they want job opportunities; and they want a decent old age. Lajos Bokros does not want any of these three things, he wants our money because he doesn’t want to give young people cheap loans; he regards the workfare economy as nonsense; and as far pensioners are concerned, they should get by as best they can on their own, he observed.
He added that people on the Left not only believed in different economic policy means, but had a different idea about what the economy was for. The economy is not there in order for the most talented to make money, but to create a space that provides enough security for us all. To earn enough money so that we can then concern ourselves with the things that we regard as important without the pressure of survival, he stressed.
This is what the economy is for, but in the heads of bankers, Lajos Bokroses, the Tisza Party and DK [Democratic Coalition] it is about numbers, profits and returns. Naturally, these are not insignificant, but this is not the goal; the goal is for us Hungarians to be able to create a life to a high enough standard which enables everyone to realise what they see as important, Mr Orbán highlighted. We do not fit into Lajos Bokros’s worldview, and Lajos Bokros likewise does not fit into our worldview, he stated in summary.
Fairness cannot be removed from politics and public life, Mr Orbán laid down. He stressed that they had agreed to preserve the value of pensions. At the same time, they are unable to increase pensions at the rate at which salaries are increasing, mostly because the latter are decided not by the state, but by the private economy.
The Prime Minister mentioned that the thirteenth and fourteenth monthly pensions were, in actual fact, a pension increase, and stressed that the promotion of economic growth, support provided for young people and the extra benefits provided for the elderly must be kept in balance “despite the fact that, in the meantime, we’re not particularly rich.” We will be, but we are not there yet because “we have only governed for 15 years. When we get to 30, we’ll be talking in an entirely different tone,” the Prime Minister observed, mentioning that his plan for the future is for us to become lenders, rather than borrowers.
In answer to questions from members of the audience, he said “it is difficult to find any difference” between the Bokros austerity package and the plans of the Tisza Party. He then spoke about the fact that there were talented rivals and opponents – failing whether professionally or from a human point of view – and ever more of the latter had the feeling that they were unsuccessful because of him. He added that we should expect these people to try something, and the Brussels protective umbrella easily lent itself to people of that kind.
We should not confuse our real opponent: the entity that we must fight the battle with is not the leader of the opposition, and is not even [the party] Tisza. “For all we care, they could be called ‘Amazon’; even then they would not be the major challengers. The real challenge is Brussels, the true opponent is Brussels, the headwind is coming from there, it’s from there they want to undermine Hungarian life, it’s from there they want to tell us how to live,” he said, adding that it is important not to allow this to happen.
When asked about his old plans, he said he has some regarding football, but the laws do not allow the realisation of these.
In answer to a question relating to his customs as a leader, he said it would be better to work without a staff because while they do everything they can for you, “perhaps, that’s the problem.” “I have the traits of a bachelor, I like to look after myself,” he said, adding that members of his staff may find it difficult “that at times, I perceive assistance as a limitation.”
When asked about his most difficult and riskiest story, Mr Orbán mentioned the incident when in the context of a debate about migration, German Chancellor Angela Merkel cornered him and urged him to surrender the Hungarian position. In response, he said neither do the Germans of Hungary want migration because it will lead to something bad.
“Berlin already told us once before whom we were not allowed to live together with. Our history had such a stage, didn’t it? It didn’t lead to anything positive. Now, you want to tell us whom we should live together with. This won’t lead to anything positive either,” the Prime Minister recalled his own words at the time, adding that he persevered with his position even after he was told in reply that he would experience what it was like ‘when the protective hand of German chancellors is not over Hungary.’
