Speaking about 2025, the Prime Minister recalled that it had been an extremely eventful year, during which he had attended 82 meetings of heads of state and government and 25 summits. He pointed out that it had become evident to everyone that an era had come to an end in international politics. Donald Trump’s entry into office dealt the era called ‘liberal world order’ the final blow, the rules of which no longer apply.
The Prime Minister called the new era now beginning ‘an era of nations,’ and described himself as a harbinger of this era from as far back as 2010. He added that the most important question of 2026 in Europe was the question of war or peace, stating that the duty of the Hungarian government is to keep Hungary away from the threats of war.
Mr Orbán also stressed that the sovereignty of nations increasingly depended on the issue of energy supply which was additionally the most important question of technological development. The countries which will be able to provide affordable energy for new industries such as artificial intelligence will be the winners of the new era, he indicated, adding that the task for Hungary is to have a strong supply chain, a stable infrastructure and robust energy companies.
He said Hungary’s energy supply and security are guaranteed, our energy independence is thereby guaranteed, too, and we will also be able to generate the quantity of energy required for the new capacities of the future. For this we had to change our previous energy policy, and Hungarian companies had to establish themselves in various places around the world, he observed.
He stressed, however, that some of the Brussels gas and oil industry regulations were destructive for Hungary. Hungary is defending itself against these via legal channels on the one hand because this constitutes an abuse of legal grounds, and on the other because the Treaties delegate energy policy to national competence. Additionally, they are also working against the Brussels energy regulations in a political sense: they are facilitating the efforts which seek to put an end to the war situation by 2027, as a result of which the sanctions would be lifted.
He also spoke about the fact that the Brussels price regulations currently in effect increased energy prices in Europe by 20 per cent, while the regulations now in the making would cause an even greater price increase.
Mr Orbán described the implementation of the migration pact adopted by Brussels as another major issue of 2026. According to the Brussels decision, from June, Hungary would be required to assess 23,000 applications a year, and this would only be possible if we created a migrant camp for 10,000 persons, he said.
The position of the Hungarian government remains unchanged: we will not take over a single migrant, we will not build refugee camps, we will not change the order of border protection and we will not become an immigrant country. We do not accept that Brussels should tell us whom we should live together with, he pointed out.
The Prime Minister said growth in Hungary is a realistic goal at a time when in most countries of the European Union austerity measures are being implemented and the European economy is on a downward course. He added that development required money. Therefore, the government will not give the Hungarians’ money to Ukraine. Hungary will not take part either in any war loan extended to Ukraine or in any financial aid scheme intended for Ukraine, and neither will we send soldiers or weapons, he laid down.
He said “we will mobilise the economic resources at our disposal for the benefit of the Hungarian people.” The politician said he is convinced that the war loan to be provided for Ukraine is a scam because it will never be repaid; it would be more appropriate to call it a grant.
In continuation, he said they will not accept the Brussels decisions which seek to change the economic systems of Member States over to wartime economies. Changing over to a wartime economy does not serve the cause of peace or the economic interests of Member States, he pointed out. Hungary will stay out of this war economy, and will “build a peace economy” instead which offers a chance for growth, he said, adding that this is the Hungarian path, as opposed to the Brussels war path.
Mr Orbán said as Hungary is building a peacetime economy, from 1 January, measures have taken effect which are today inconceivable in Western Europe. He mentioned among these the doubling of the family tax benefit, the extension of the personal income tax exemption of mothers, the minimum wage increase and pay rises in multiple sectors, the introduction of the fourteenth monthly pension, the continuation of the fixed three per cent credit programme for first-time home buyers, the payment of benefits to members of the armed forces in February and the announcement of an energy storage programme for members of the public.
The Prime Minister took the view that these were measures, a single one of which would be a major feat, but in combination they amounted to a fantastic achievement, that Hungary was able to implement these measures in the midst of a European economic policy rooted in austerity.
In the 2026 parliamentary elections, Hungary will have to choose between the Brussels and the Hungarian paths, he stated in summary. Mr Orbán said the options facing the country are simple: either it will pursue the Brussels path which leads to war and economic austerity, or will continue on the Hungarian path which offers the chance of peace and growth; offering the chance of a stronger country, a stronger economy and a better life for the Hungarians.
Mr Orbán said there is a good chance that in the wake of events in Venezuela, the situation on the energy world market will become more favourable for Hungary.
Regarding events of the weekend, the Prime Minister described them as a powerful manifestation of the new world, highlighting that combined with Venezuela, the United States would be able to control around 40 to 50 per cent of the world’s oil reserves, and this is a powerful enough position for them to significantly influence prices.
“We believe that the Americans need cheap energy for the economic policy programme that the President announced […], and this is good news for Hungary,” Mr Orbán said.
He also said they believe that the Americans will be able to involve the Venezuelan oil reserves in world trade. This means that supply will increase which will result in lower prices, he added.
He stressed that regarding their political contexts and legal grounds, the Russo-Ukrainian war and the US-Venezuela situation were different. Concerning Greenland, he said both Denmark and the United States are members of NATO, “if anyone would like to change this, we can discuss this within NATO.”
He said in recent years Hungary had taken in hundreds of families of Hungarian origin fleeing from Venezuela, and they are happy that a change has finally occurred in the life of their country. Mr Orbán wished Venezuela all the very best, adding that in his view they have a great future to look forward to.
He also said the meaning of international law has changed completely; while in the past “it was bashfully pushed to one side,” by now it is perfectly evident that “international law doesn’t govern the decisions of quite a few great powers.” He added that the Hungarian position was that we did not wish to form a moral opinion, but instead we focused on whether a given event or incident was good for the country or bad. What happened in Venezuela, he said, can be expected to lower energy prices, while the fight against drugs must be intensified. Therefore, “the fall of every narco-state is good news,” the goal is “for these to be cleared out of the way by those who are close at hand, who are in their neighbourhood and who have the strength.”
Regarding the fact that Hungary did not take part in the joint EU position related to Venezuela, the Prime Minister said “we don’t want a common foreign policy” because there is no nation state without a sovereign foreign policy, adding that coordination is a good thing, but “there is no need for a common foreign policy because we disagree” equally on this, the war in Ukraine and the issue of the Middle East. He observed that the Member States had only handed over trade policy to Brussels jurisdiction.
Similar to the economy, European democracy as a whole is on a downward course, the Prime Minister stated. There was an election in a European country which had to be repeated because the envelopes did not stick, while in another country a new election had to be held because the result did not come up to expectations. There is another European country where the most popular opposition party is kept under national security surveillance, while there is even a country where the representatives of a given party are not allowed to enter a mayoral election. In yet another country, the most popular leader is barred from running in the elections with a court decision, while somewhere else the interior minister had to go all the way to the highest judicial forum in order to avoid being locked up due to having protected the borders of his own country. There is even a country where the presidential candidate was shot at, he listed, observing that compared with these “Hungary seems quite a model democracy.”
Additionally, the United States has introduced sanctions against multiple EU leaders with reference to the fact that they were involved in the formulation of rules that serve to restrict freedom of speech, he added.
He said, thank God, Hungary has stayed out of migration. In 2015, this came as a shock for Hungary and we had something to preserve, while in Western Europe it was an ordinary phenomenon, there, population replacement started decades earlier, he argued. He said Hungary said no to migration immediately, and today it is absolutely evident that “we bet on the right horse.”
In his view, many Western European countries would give an arm if they could again become immigrant-free countries. This is an unfortunate story because it separates the countries of the EU, guiding them onto different paths. They think about migration on the basis of a different logic, and this disrupts debates and leads to clashes.
The Prime Minister said it is unprecedented that Hungary was obliged to pay a fine of one million euros a day for not letting migrants in. He added at the same time that Hungary was better-off not letting migrants in and not undertaking all the financial, economic and social burdens that went with it.
He said the migration pact is utterly contrary to Hungary’s best interests. He said in summary that in the next 10 to 15 years there will be rather significant demand for people from Western Europe, “native Europeans, not migrants, to work and live in Hungary, using the possibility afforded by free movement.” This will contribute to the resolution of Hungary’s demographic problems, he said, adding that “we will have not migrants, but Germans, French and Italians of our own.” “They should come without weapons, this is the only request we have,” he observed.
In answer to the question of whether Hungary, similar to the United Kingdom, is planning to leave the European Union, the Prime Minister said Brexit was a brave decision, a robust manifestation of national self-awareness. At the same time, “we are the number one victims of this decision.”
Before Brexit, the United Kingdom and Central Europe shared a pro-sovereignty position, and together they managed to constitute some kind of counterbalance to the French-German “love for federalism.” Therefore, had the United Kingdom remained a member of the EU, the means that Brussels is using against countries that seek to protect their sovereignty would not even have been considered. It is not that we would then fight these battles with a better chance; these battles would not even exist, he pointed out.
With the departure of the United Kingdom, Central Europe found itself alone, lost the mathematical power that can be described as a blocking minority, we are unable to put up enough resistance, and this is why today “the whole Brussels dive” is heading in a federalist, and consequently, a pro-war direction.
At the same time, it would not be reasonable for Hungary to follow the British example. “If we were the size of the United Kingdom, if we were a country of sixty-something million, if we had their GDP and we, too, had nuclear arms, we could try that, but we don’t, and so regrettably this is not a viable path for us.” He added that “history may well spare us this question because you don’t have to quit this, it will fall apart of its own accord.” At present, the European Union is in a state of disintegration, there is a process of disintegration under way. Disintegration is coming about through the fact that we make decisions which we then do not implement, he said, mentioning the process of the green transition and the Schengen rules which Germany is continually evading as examples. In his view, the EU’s disintegration will not be a dramatic collapse, but will come about in consequence of a series of such decisions.
In answer to the question of whether young people in Hungary, too, should prepare for the re-introduction of conscription and for taking part in the war in Ukraine, Mr Orbán said “there is no reason to be nervous, we need calm and composure instead as well as a good decision made during the elections.” The Hungarians have no reason to be scared because in addition to the pro-war parties, there is a pro-peace alternative.
Brussels decided to go to war, the loudest war agitator is Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People’s Party. So, there is no exaggeration at all in the statement that the 2026 elections in Hungary will be the last pre-war elections in Hungary. The government we will elect in 2026 will decide on the issue of war and peace, and these questions “will become ever more evidently direct questions,” he said.
The next government will have an even more difficult job than he has had so far, he said, unless the United States manages to come to an agreement with Russia because today the only way to avoid war lies not in a Russian-Ukrainian, but in a Russian-US agreement.
Regarding the war in Ukraine, Mr Orbán made it clear that in 2022 Russia attacked Ukraine, this much is evident. At the same time, the Americans do not share the same ideological platform as the Russians, they want peace, they want to conclude the war, he said, observing that the people of 1956 would have been very happy if the Americans had come to their rescue.
In answer to the question of whether he will be Fidesz’s candidate for prime minister in the upcoming parliamentary elections, Mr Orbán said “today, the shared wisdom within Fidesz is that there is no better candidate than me.” He also said they are not preparing to change the system under public law.
Concerning the number of constituency mandates they expect to secure in the spring parliamentary elections, he said “that is not for us to decide, but for the Esteemed Hungarian Populace.” However, he said the goal is a repeat of the 2022 election result.
Regarding a debate between the candidates for prime minister, he said “I can only debate with sovereign individuals,” and he does not regard anyone who is paid from abroad, who “has masters abroad” as such.
He stressed that the will of the electorate must be respected, any projections, any analyses, any logical arguments were irrelevant. “We must speak clearly,” the Prime Minister stated, taking the view that ‘security’ will be the key word of the next ten years.
He highlighted that we were entering a special and new era, and in order to stand our ground here, we would need certain skills and qualities. These include calm, composure, the ability to assess situations, the ability to make decisions, experience and practice.
Mr Orbán said he has the feeling that they have been able to provide security for Hungary so far, and they will be able to do so in the future as well. The war is a key element of this security, and there has been an enormous change in the meetings of the European Council: these council meetings have turned into veritable war councils.
It will be an important element of 2026 that social movements in Western Europe will spring forth against the pro-war elite with surprising force, the Prime Minister said. Mr Orbán indicated that in addition to Hungary, there were only a few countries at present that proposed a completely different strategy to the EU than the logic of the war economy, war loans and warfare. This is the strategy of peace, stability, the conclusion of a peace deal and a peacetime economy, he stated.
“Most recently, we were three, but we will be more,” he said, observing that according to an announcement made by the Ukrainians, not including military and security expenditures, they are asking for EUR 800 billion for the next ten years, while the European economy itself is on a downward course. Anyone who pays this sum will destroy their own people, Mr Orbán stressed, adding that “the people don’t normally allow themselves to be destroyed.”
In answer to the question of whether he expects any high-level US or Russian visitors backing him to come to Hungary before the elections, Mr Orbán expressed hope that the peace efforts seeking to bring the Russo-Ukrainian war to a conclusion would prove to be successful, the Americans would have something to talk about with the Russians and that this would happen in Budapest. This continues to remain on the agenda, he said, indicating that the Hungarian government is ready to organise such a meeting, and he clarified this with both presidents concerned also in person.
He indicated that a visit by President Vladimir Putin to Hungary was not topical at present because during his recent visit to Moscow, they had discussed all outstanding issues. At the same time, high-ranking US leaders are likely to come to Hungary because there will be political events in Hungary in the spring which are always attended by senior American political leaders.
According to the Prime Minister, it qualifies as interference with an election if a political actor running in the election accepts money or any other financial support from another country. In his view, it is mostly Brussels, rather than the United States, that appears to have an interest in a change of governments in Hungary. Brussels makes no secret of this, “they told me to my face to be so kind as to get out of the way because here they need new people who will pursue a pro-Brussels policy instead of a sovereigntist policy,” he pointed out.
This election is important for Brussels because Hungary is a living example of the fact that the Brussels pro-war elite’s strategy is not the only possible and available strategy, he concluded.
Mr Orbán also said in this sense he will expect a very powerful Brussels interference and will not rule out “a case of rolling euros” either, “but we can clear this up during and at the end of the elections.”
The Prime Minister was asked to name three things that he appreciated about President of the Tisza Party Péter Magyar. Mr Orbán said: he left Fidesz, “that’s good news for us.”
Regarding the plans of the Tisza Party, he said, knowing the people who “bustle around” the party, he said he has no doubt that the economic policy of the opposition, “let’s call them Tisza now” is nothing other than a collection of Brussels expectations: the transformation of the pension system, the introduction of progressive taxation, the cancellation of taxes imposed on retail and the profit margin cap, and the transformation of the system of household energy costs.
There is a key sentence that answers the question of whether this is indeed the intention of the incumbent opposition: ‘if we openly admitted what we are preparing for, we would lose the elections; therefore, we must not tell the people what we are planning to do,’ the Prime Minister recalled.
Mr Orbán said he sees a repeat of the 2022 situation, today, everything is exactly the same as it was back them: a united opposition, even if the whole thing has been re-calibrated, it is the same people, the same advisors, experts and economists. They must fight the same battle, except now the stakes are higher because we now have the war here with us, he said, adding that the only significant difference between 2022 and the present situation is that in the meantime, the Russo-Ukrainian war has fallen in on us, and the pro-Brussels stance has been supplemented with a pro-Ukraine and pro-war stance.
Answering a question related to the incident of the Szőlő utca correctional facility, Mr Orbán recalled that there had been a first signal giving rise to police action many years earlier, but at the time, the police had been unable to prove the guilt of the people working there. The second time they succeeded, he indicated, adding that the investigation as to why the police failed the first time around is still ongoing.
He also spoke about the fact that in Hungary there were around 25,000 to 26,000 children left without parental care, and the state was compelled to supervise, to educate and to provide care for them. Foster parents are involved in providing care for around two thirds of them and the network of foster parents is being extended also at present, while the remaining third is raised in institutions, he observed.
He highlighted, however, that the Szőlő utca institution was a special correctional facility reserved for children who committed grave crimes. As multiple consecutive incidents came to light, they were compelled to examine whether the system rested on good foundations. They came to the conclusion that it did not, and so they decided to transfer the operation of correctional facilities from the social services sector to the prison service, he recalled.
He highlighted that these young people, too, had rights, regardless of the crimes they had committed, and in the new system, they would have a better chance of receiving fair care. Every child’s life gone astray is painful; the state must resort to empathy here, but must act with much more rigour, he indicated.
The Prime Minister pointed out that the country stood on robust foundations, and was in an investment-grade category. The past four years have been the most successful investment period in Hungary’s history. In his view, it demonstrates strength and it is a show of strength that against the background of low growth, the Hungarian economy is capable of implementing the measures introduced by the government; this is owing to those who operate the Hungarian economy. There are not many countries that would be capable of such measures whilst maintaining a 5 per cent deficit of the budget and simultaneously curbing a rise in the sovereign debt, he said.
He mentioned that since Donald Trump’s entry into office, 13 major US investments had come to Hungary which “is quite a feat” at a time when “the Americans choose to take their businesses home,” and also this year, we could expect further significant investments. This, too, shows that there is life outside Brussels as well, he said, adding that Brussels is not the only market option for Hungary, even if it is an important one. However, “if we got stuck in this one single bloc, we would find ourselves at the receiving end.”
He indicated that Hungary must therefore foster the best, most intimate and closest possible relations, in the spirit of the philosophy of connectivity, with all major economic blocs of the world. This is equally true of the United States, China, Russia, the Arab world and the Turkic world, Mr Orbán stated, adding that he is convinced that we can only pursue a reasonable policy in Brussels, as a member of the European Union, if we are sovereign. Therefore, Hungary “does not want to take part in any federal arrangement,” insisting on the rights afforded in the Treaties in this regard.
We envisage our future within the EU, under the protective shield of NATO, but pursuing a sovereign foreign policy and a sovereign economic policy; this is possible, Mr Orbán stated.
Regarding the protective financial shield negotiated in Washington, Mr Orbán said due to the US presidential system, “every agreement is personal,” is valid as long as the president wants it to remain valid, and “the only agreement you can be sure of is the one that is concluded by the incumbent prime minister with the US president.”
He stressed that Hungary had needed some kind of a protective financial shield ever since it lost World War I, and we could not expect one from Brussels, given that we had opted for a strategic direction different from theirs. We are more likely to have to expect hostile measures from Brussels if anything, and the Hungarian government must ensure that also in a situation like this – as always ever since the end of World War I – there is some kind of a protective shield available for the country, he stated,
Mr Orbán stressed that trouble tended to come from outside, mentioning speculation as an example, “we’re living in a world where even the pound could be successfully attacked.”
Regarding the Slovak legislative amendment that threatens to impose a prison sentence for the questioning of the Beneš Decrees, Mr Orbán said he is waiting for the clarification of the legal situation because it is unclear at present what the law actually says. Once he has appreciated the full situation, he will conduct in-depth talks with the Slovak president and prime minister, he said, indicating that until then there are two things he is prepared “to even commit to writing,” one of them being that Hungary will unconditionally support the Hungarians living in Slovakia, their elected leaders, the entire Hungarian community, political and civil-society organisations included, while the other one is that he rejects any manifestation of collective guilt.
Hungary sees in China not a threat, but an enormous opportunity, the Prime Minister stated, recalling that Hungary traditionally professes the one-China principle. He also said in the EU the majority position related to China is not that of cooperation, but that of restriction. He stressed that taking part in the modernisation of China “is one of the greatest opportunities of the modern age,” the same as the investments of Chinese businesses in Hungary. Therefore, they will continue to cooperate with China also in the future. “I look forward to more major Chinese investments, and we also have major export plans in relation to China,” he stated, mentioning the area of food industry products as an example.
Answering a question relating to the state of public services, the Prime Minister said they have refurbished 91 hospitals and surgeries, have built or refurbished 625 medical consultation centres, while compared with 2010 health care expenditures have increased two and a half-fold. In the 2026 budget, health care expenditures will increase by eight per cent, he listed.
In the context of transport, he indicated that since 2010 they have built 870 kilometres of motorways and express roads, and in 2024 the length of the Hungarian network of express roads exceeded that of Austria, he explained, adding that railways, too, are being developed at full speed. They are building new railways, have recently purchased new engines and carriages, and have also introduced a system taking responsibility for delays.
Compared with 2010, the annual budget of public education has increased by 175 per cent, the equivalent of a 60 per cent rise at real value. In the past few years, teachers have received a 60 per cent pay rise, while this year they will receive another ten per cent, the Prime Minister listed.
In answer to a question relating to demographic indicators, Mr Orbán highlighted that one objective of the government was to ensure that the quality of life for people with children should not be any worse than that of people without children, while the other objective was to achieve a higher birth rate. He said family support is a sensitive area, the government has no say beyond the realm of finances because the people would see that as undue interference. “I would be happy to evangelise, but we’re banned from it,” he observed, adding that it would, no doubt, be of much help if more people could find their way back to their Christian roots.
He said in summary that according to their calculations, had they not introduced their family policy measures, today, there would be 200,000 fewer children in Hungary.
In connection with the possible loss of assets that may have occurred under the previous management of the central bank, the Prime Minister recalled that the National Bank of Hungary was independent of the government. He rejected the claim, however, that nothing had happened in the case, highlighting that proceedings are ongoing also at present. The central bank alone is able to provide accurate information about the actual extent of the loss of assets that may have occurred, he indicated, adding that every breach will be duly punished as soon as the investigations are completed.
He said he last spoke to former central bank governor György Matolcsy a few days before his departure, while to his son around 8 to 10 years ago.
He said in answer to a question relating to the enrichment of his family members that they expect three things from wealthy Hungarians, “regardless of whose relatives they are,” namely that they observe the laws, pay their taxes and give the Hungarian people jobs.
Mr Orbán was also asked about the ongoing dispute between President of the Hungarian Football Federation Sándor Csányi and the president of the club Ferencváros Gábor Kubatov, and about whether he was planning to mediate between the parties. The Prime Minister said he is keenly observing the debate which may have some unnecessary “growths” but which is on the whole a good and reasonable debate.
A period of 16 years is coming to an end, involving the rebuilding of multiple disciplines of sport, including football, and the question is whether they should pursue the same path or a different one. The relationship between clubs and the federation is a key issue which should be discussed by “strong individuals.”
Mr Orbán expressed regret over the fact that due to the elections and his duties of government, he was unable to take part in this debate, but indicated that after the elections, provided that the debate was still ongoing, the prospective Hungarian government, too, would be happy to take part in it if invited.
