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Regarding online fraud, Mr Orbán said it takes place here, but often there are international networks in the background. Yet, it is not true that there is nothing we can do against it. Also most recently, the authorities succeeded in tracking down an illegal call centre network in Ukraine. They called up Hungarians in the name of banks and swindled them out of their money.
The Prime Minister also spoke about the fact that after Ukraine’s EU accession, everything would be much simpler for Ukrainian criminal circles, they would infiltrate the EU’s fabric, would be afforded the same treatment as financial service providers operating within the EU, and it would be more difficult to take action against them.
He stressed that however difficult it was, we must take action against them, and said that so far the authorities have succeeded in identifying 169 individuals, against most of whom international arrest warrants have been issued. Without doubt, it is best to keep the Ukrainians outside the EU, he said, observing that in his opinion, this will happen. He recalled that more than 1,600,000 people had sent back their Vote2025 ballot papers, and concluded that members of Hungarian society were beginning to grasp the idea that “we must be careful,” we must be cautious with Ukraine’s EU accession.
He also said the government is allocating further funds to the police so that more people can be assigned to warding off online fraud. He drew attention to the fact that these instances of fraud could affect anyone who had a bank card and digitally managed savings. A single flick of the hand, a single click is enough, and the fraudsters have already made away with the money.
He added that the Hungarians were honest people, easy prey for fraudsters, and therefore, we must prepare for online fraud, and the authorities, too, must mobilise far more energy for the education of people in order to help them protect themselves.
He said there is online fraud in the magnitude of eight billion forints, and while the authorities make every effort to get this money back, it is extremely difficult. The authorities are doing well because they have already recovered one and a half billion forints, he said. The government’s measures are meaningful, and this is why they have given a further allocation to the police so that even more police personnel should be able to deal with warding off and defending against these fraud incidents, and once trouble has hit, remedying them, Mr Orbán said.
The Prime Minister also spoke about his impressions of the Thursday opening day of the Budapest CPAC conference. Having spoken to many people, he believes that in Europe the people are increasingly convinced that Ukraine’s admission would result in an unmanageable challenge for the whole of Europe.
He indicated that a number of incumbent and future European prime ministers had come to attend CPAC. They are in the same “resistance movement” in which Hungary has been fighting for 15 years against Brussels’ empire-building efforts as well as against nonsense such as the letting in of migrants, gender activists and Ukraine’s EU membership. He added that this movement was slowly, but surely becoming the majority in Europe, they were stating ever more firmly that there was no room for Ukraine’s accelerated admission.
The Prime Minister also stressed that the next few years would be about whether the Brussels empire-building bureaucrats would succeed – with reference to Ukraine and the war – in taking even more money and powers away from the Member States of the European Union. He highlighted that this was how Brussels had responded to every crisis so far; then it turned out that they were unable to use their extended powers well, and were unable to prevail over the crises.
“There is no point in handing over these powers, on these issues we mustn’t allow Brussels to take even more money, even more powers away from us with reference to the war, to take out even more loans, to push us into even more debt, to build a centralised economic management system,” he stated.
He said one of the gravest questions is how far European defence capabilities should be reinforced as we may easily find ourselves entangled in an arms race with the Russians which “will absorb the Hungarian people’s money,” and then there will be less money left for schools, the development of the economy, housing support or family support.
He stressed that we had a vested interest in the Americans’ peace efforts leading to a successful outcome within the shortest possible time, in us being able to freeze the war, the frontlines, in us achieving minimum a ceasefire and “starting talks aimed at disarmament with the Russians within the shortest possible time because in a case to the contrary, the defence industry will take all our money away.”
Describing CPAC as an international Fight Club, Mr Orbán pointed out that today in politics lies were spreading faster than before, and upon discussing important issues, including Ukraine’s EU accession, we must defend ourselves against fake news and lies. He said “slowly, but surely cooperation is being forged” among party families resting on right-wing, national foundations which on the whole have more MEPs in the European Parliament than the European People’s Party which is the largest party group. “So, we’re more numerous, except we’re not yet organised well enough,” Mr Orbán laid down, adding that this is why a year ago he established the Patriots for Europe alliance which has since “gone from strength to strength, step by step.”
The Prime Minister said the disputes with Brussels seemingly take place in the international domain, but due to our EU membership, these are “all grave internal political issues” as they are about the budgets of Hungarian families, energy prices, inflation and the future of Hungarian businesses.
Mr Orbán also spoke about the fact that Ukraine’s EU membership would amount to a financial tragedy, an economic suicide. He took the view that, without doubt, Ukraine’s EU membership did involve elements which would provide European businesses with orders on a temporary basis. However, on the whole, Ukraine’s admission would result in economic consequences that would destroy the European economy.
He added that this would mostly first affect the neighbouring countries, including Poland, Hungary and Romania.
He warned that in the event of Ukraine’s admission, Ukrainians in the millions would flood into Europe uncontrolled which – in addition to the problems of crime and mafia – would also lead to a situation where the people coming from Ukraine would be ready to work for lower wages in Europe, including in Hungary.
He indicated that the protection of the Hungarian pension system, too, demanded that we say no to Ukraine’s EU membership as in the event of Ukraine’s accession, the people living there, too, would be eligible for pensions in Hungary, meaning that “Hungarian pensioners’ money, a considerable part of their money would go to the Ukrainians.”
He also said that according to the position of the Hungarian chamber of agriculture, low-quality Ukrainian agricultural mass production which is based on genetically modified technologies would “kill” Hungarian farmers and the healthy Hungarian food industry. He stressed that rather than granting Ukraine the rights that members were entitled to, agreements should be reached with Ukraine on cooperation on an individual basis in each sector in a way which was also good for the Hungarians and Europeans because if Ukraine were admitted, there would be no scope for the introduction of restrictions.
The profit margin regulation must be maintained because the people must be protected against unjustified price rises, the Prime Minister stressed, adding that if necessary, they will extend this measure to further products. In Mr Orbán’s view, the profit margin regulation – which was previously “unthinkable in Hungary” – “works like a charm,” has come up to expectations: they have succeeded in reducing the prices of 900 food products, while in drugstores the prices of 420 products have been lowered.
He recalled that for food products they had fixed a 10 per cent maximum profit margin, while for toiletry products a 15 per cent maximum profit margin. “This should be enough, anything above this constitutes an unjustified price increase,” he stressed.
He indicated that Minister for the National Economy Márton Nagy had been given the task of knocking inflation down, and the government had extended the profit margin regulation on his recommendation with a view to this goal. He observed that Mr Nagy was “determined,” and so if needs be, they would extend the profit margin reduction to further products.
He said when he “signed” Mr Nagy for the government, they agreed that they needed an expert – not a politician – at the head of the ministry for the economy who had no particular interest in politics. He added that Mr Nagy was not a politician, and so he should not be expected to deliver “success-oriented, kind statements,” but should be expected to fulfil the tasks entrusted to him flawlessly from a professional point of view.
In connection with the natural disaster that devastated the Parajd (Praid, Romania) salt mine, Mr Orbán said the Hungarian government will provide all available support not only for Parajd, but also for all Hungarians living there. He said Parajd is part of the Hungarian national consciousness; in the past 10 to 15 years, so many Hungarians have visited the place and they have come to like this place so much that it almost belongs to them. Therefore, whatever happens there is like it is happening to us, it hurts, he added.
The Prime Minister said a very large number of people have offered to help, but for the time being the situation is extremely difficult, almost hopeless. Mr Orbán mentioned at the same time: we must not forget that Transylvania is not just Parajd, the situation is also grave in the area of Háromszék because there is water in the gardens up to a height of 1 to 2 metres, and so the Hungarians there will also need help.
The Prime Minister said the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania is a well-organised, strong party which effectively represents the Hungarian people’s interests not only politically, but also economically. He is in contact with its president Hunor Kelemen with whom he spoke when the situation became grave. The Prime Minister promised to provide all support not only for Parajd, but for all Hungarians living there, he added.
