Mr Orbán said that while even the party’s opponents recognise Fidesz’s robust support base in the countryside and tend to talk about the relationship between Fidesz and the capital as something, the significance of which falls behind the party’s popularity elsewhere in the country, by contrast, the situation is that the Budapest community is the largest one within Fidesz, this is where they have the most, many hundreds of Fidesz members, he pointed out.
There is no Fidesz government, there is no Fidesz-Christian Democratic People’s Party parliamentary majority, and there is definitely no two-thirds without a strong Budapest Fidesz community, he stated.
He said if they had been unable to see eye to eye with the people of Budapest, they would not have won the metropolitan mayoral election twice and many battles for the seats of district mayors. “This is a fantastic achievement, we have no reason to underestimate this,” or to look upon Budapest “as a city we can surrender,” Mr Orbán underlined.
Regarding recent developments in Budapest, he highlighted that in the past 15 years, the government had conducted developments worth HUF 3,000 billion in the capital. Parks, sports halls, surgeries, hospitals have been refurbished thanks to the efforts of the Hungarian government. “We organised multiple World Aquatics Championships, we had World Athletic Championships, Champions League quarter finals, and soon we’ll host a final as well.” The City Park (Városliget) and Kossuth tér have been refurbished, while Buda Castle is under reconstruction, the Prime Minister listed.
He recalled that “after the corrupt left-wing ‘go-halves’ machinations,” the Fidesz Government completed the M4 metro line, and took part in the refurbishment of metro line M3. “We created one of Europe’s best public transport systems in Budapest,” he stated, expressing regret over the fact that the incumbent city leadership is unable to use the opportunities it has.
The situation is that in the past 15 years “we have built, while our opponents have obstructed our efforts; we have created, while they have protested,” Mr Orbán said in summary, mentioning the City Park as a prime example.
He said in Budapest the value of the so-called nominal GDP per capita – which was just USD 29,000 in 2010 – had risen to USD 53,000 by 2024. In 2024 in Budapest, the gross domestic product per capita stood at 102 per cent of the EU average, while it is just 100 per cent in France, 95 per cent in Italy and 92 per cent in Spain.
Budapest is “a prime example of the fact that even those are better-off with Fidesz who don’t vote for us,” the Prime Minister pointed out.
He also said Budapest is one of Europe’s safest cities as here there is no Islamic radicalism. He highlighted that Jewish families and communities were the safest in Budapest in the whole of Europe.
He said what is happening in Budapest today under the incumbent leadership is a disappointment as all government grants and developments appear to be in vain; Budapest has become a trouble-ridden capital, stumbling from one trouble to the next. This is not what the Hungarians deserve, he stressed.
Mr Orbán said the incumbent metropolitan leadership’s negative achievement of having bankrupted even the richest Hungarian settlement is unprecedented. He added: “we should have no doubt, they would also bankrupt the country if it was entrusted to them.”
Regarding the local trade tax, he drew attention to the fact that in consequence of government measures, in recent years, revenues derived from this tax have almost doubled. The capital generates more than 40 per cent of the total local trade tax revenue, while only around 17 per cent of the country’s population lives here, he detailed.
However, there is always money left for bonuses irregularly paid to the employees of municipal companies under liquidation, and then they start begging and moaning, that without assistance public transport will come to a halt, rubbish will not be collected, there will be no public lighting, he added, observing that while there is one trouble after another in the capital, there is always room at the city hall for a Ukrainian flag and a Pride flag.
The President of Fidesz said it has also been revealed what it is like when the Tisza Party is part of left-wing governance: the party had its fair share in the city’s bankruptcy, and meanwhile in Brussels they voted for the acceleration of the migration pact.
“In the event of a left-wing government, Tisza’s participation in the government would mean that migrants would again emerge in the streets of Budapest,” he stated.
The Prime Minister said in Brussels the political parties in opposition to them also voted for the European Union’s proposal relating to the budget under which the war must be continued and the financial grants intended for Ukraine must be increased. He recalled that the Ukrainian government had just submitted another financial demand for EUR 800 billion.
Mr Orbán recalled that in the 2022 parliamentary elections, 390,000 people had voted for Fidesz and the Christian Democratic People’s Party in Budapest, and also in the latest European Parliament elections they had been the strongest party.
He said in recent years, Fidesz’s metropolitan organisation has been renewed, and spoke in words of praise about metropolitan Fidesz President Alexandra Szentkirályi’s efforts.
“We have a chance to win not only in the countryside, but also in Budapest,” Mr Orbán laid down. He said they will not surrender a single street, square or apartment block, they will reach everyone during the campaign and will convince everyone they can.
The President of Fidesz took the view that their candidates were strong, able and knew the ropes.
Mr Orbán said the people of Budapest can count on them, they will do what they promised to do: there will be no tax increases, they will not send the Hungarians’ money to Ukraine and they will not take children to foreign countries as soldiers.
