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Evaluating the debate that followed the presentation of Hungary’s EU presidency programme in the European Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Orbán said the debate ignored the facts, was full of hatred, and showed no concern for Europe or the European people; it was an all-out attack. The Prime Minster said the debate was about the intention of toppling the incumbent Hungarian government; the European socialists want Klára Dobrev, while the People’s Party want the Tisza Party with Péter Magyar in government. He added that he had believed also previously that this had been the goal of the two European leaders, but it was unusual that they threw this so openly into the face of the world, instead of concerning themselves with European affairs. They made it clear that this is the coalition they want to see, and this marriage was now contracted before our eyes. “It was celebrated by von der Leyen as priest or registrar, and Manfred Weber was the witness,” he said, adding that the two parties concerned stated that they were ready to fulfil Brussels’ demands: Hungary must enter the war on Ukraine’s side, must deliver weapons and provide money from the Hungarian budget; must support Brussels’ migration policy, meaning that migrants must be let in; the family and child protection laws must be abolished; and Hungary must engage in an economic and trade war.
Mr Orbán said “Brussels wants to delegate into the prospective Hungarian government a socialist and a People’s Party member who will support the most important Brussels objectives, the objectives that are the very cause of the conflicts between Hungary and Brussels. This will be the end of a pro-sovereignty Hungarian policy, we will have a Brusselite government.”
He described the Hungarian EU presidency programme as a carefully considered, excellent professional product to the highest standards. He said there is a highly competent staff of professionals working under the supervision of Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka. He added that it would have been possible to conduct a quality debate in the European Parliament about why the European economy is in trouble, and why the United States and China are fast overtaking Europe. We also have problems with migrants and the green transition, he listed the problems.
The Prime Minister said the MEPs who took part in the debate were “in an agitated state,” and did not in the least want to engage in a calm, composed and meaningful debate about the greatest challenges facing Europe. Instead, “they wanted a political punch-up, a brawl, a scuffle, a fist fight – call it what you will – this is what they envisaged, and attacked us. When there are ten of them against you, that’s rock and roll. So, it was rock and roll,” said Mr Orbán. He added that he had been in a difficult situation because – after all – the Hungarians were a polite, generous and well-mannered people. But “there were so many of them and the tone was so harsh” that he was concerned that if he continued to act like a gentleman, “they would take us for fools.” This is why he decided to take on the debate: “do unto others as you would be done by,” everyone got what they deserved, and “a few blows were also delivered,” he said.
The Prime Minister mentioned that Hungarian viewers, too, may have been shocked by the debate, given that they probably have a completely different image of Europe in their heads. “We thought that there were intelligent people there,” he said, adding in continuation that they thought that while there were “a few interesting fellows” among Members of the European Parliament, they represented some kind of European standard.
Summing up his impressions of the debate, Mr Orbán said “the whole thing was abysmal,” and was a culture shock for him, too. He stated that the Hungarians wanted to decide themselves what government they should have, based on what programme. It will not work that they tell us from Brussels how to live, and they send here their mercenaries who will then implement their instructions, he said, adding that we already had this situation before, that people from outside wanted to tell us how to live, but we got rid of this 30 years ago.
The “Brusselite government” to be delegated to Hungary from Brussels “smells just as stale” as socialism and the Soviet Union, he concluded. This is why he announced resistance: Hungary will resist this Brussels plan. According to his expectations, this will be accepted in Brussels because they will see that they can only lose this battle. Publicity, facts and sincerity do not favour Brusselite intentions of this type, he observed. “Reality and publicity are our biggest allies, and I will speak plainly, if they attack us […] I will produce the facts and tell them: ‘you trade with the Russians,’” he said. Therefore, according to Mr Orbán, people in Brussels will realise that this is not a good deal, we should return to normal European politics, we should leave the Member States in peace, we should leave Hungary in peace.
From among the proposals of the Hungarian EU presidency, the Prime Minister highlighted that on the issue of border protection and migration, Hungary urges a solution – similar to the summits that were designed to manage the consequences of 2008 financial crisis – as part of which leaders of the countries of the Schengen Area should meet, first informally, and later within an institutional framework. He added that – leaving the European Commission out – they would decide at this forum about the issue of border protection, about how not to let migrants in and how to control them. In his view, Frontex, the organisation responsible for European border protection should be subordinated to this body given that at present Frontex functions as “a tour operator” transporting migrants into Europe.
He took the view that Europe is turning. It will take some more time, but Europe will eventually align with the anti-migration political stance, given that people in Western Europe are not happy at all with what is happening in the field of migration, and governments are falling due to their migration policies.
The Prime Minister also spoke about the fact that there is little chance of finding a common EU way out of the competitiveness trap, “positions are very far apart, and so Hungary must focus on itself, rather than on Europe,” despite the fact that we are holding the EU presidency at present. He added that for weeks now he has concentrated solely on the issues of the Hungarian economy; the Brussels “attempt to crucify” him “was only “a detour.” We have put together the first overarching plan of action with which we will give the Hungarian economy a boost, he stated, adding that on Thursday, together with the head of the economic cabinet, he reviewed the concepts which serve as the basis for specific measures. From among these, he mentioned the availability of affordable housing, pay rises and the promotion of an increase in the size of small businesses. “We will give the Hungarian economy an enormous boost; it doesn’t matter what Europe says, we will maintain economic neutrality, meaning that both from the East and the West we will only accept that which is good for the Hungarians and will reject everything that is contrary to our best interests,” Mr Orbán stated, adding that this will result in an economic growth of 3 to 6 per cent which will be perceivable already next year. According to the Prime Minister, the growth of this year’s last two quarters “will be somewhere between one and two per cent,” but next year “we will gather momentum at an enormous rate.”
He identified three “intervention points”: the availability of affordable housing, pay rises and the promotion of small businesses. In the context of housing, he promised “a major housing boom,” adding at the same time that “Budapest, too, should finally say something in this regard,” given that the capital has the biggest housing problem. “We have plans, we are ready to negotiate,” he stated, mentioning that the plans equally include the construction of student accommodation and providing affordable housing for young people, including through rental. He added that the government will support the construction of homes in the countryside as part of the Hungarian Village Programme, and will remove the bureaucratic obstacles which prevent people from using their savings for housing purposes.
“Negotiations with the trade unions are making good progress, as far as I can see, they will be able to agree on the minimum wage, and we will be able to agree on the rates of pay rises,” Mr Orbán said regarding the second point of the plan package, stating that he believes it is not an unrealistic goal for average earnings to reach a million forints in Hungary. He also indicated that in addition to the student loan facility, they will create a worker loan facility designed to help young people attending vocational training.
As the third point, he mentioned that they intend to help small businesses to increase the size of their operations, given that “they have been severely affected by inflation, the war, the sanctions, and they were also severely affected by Covid.” He said as part of the ‘Demján Sándor Programme,’ small and medium-sized businesses will be given access to capital and preferential loans “so that they may become a step more stable and bigger.” These measures combined will give the Hungarian economy a boost which will become very evident in the first and second quarters of 2025, “so this is what I’m focusing on, and the people in Brussels can lie in the bed they made,” he observed.
In his view, the Hungarian economy will have to generate the funds that are necessary for the implementation of the measures listed from its own internal growth, and will at the same time also have to reduce the deficit of the budget. “This is possible. We did the sums, we planned this, it’s making good progress,” he said, indicating that on Thursday the minister responsible for the economy “presented the figures, the trends, the whole concept,” and based on this a general government resolution will be released, identifying tasks, and the specific measures could be introduced a week or two after that. He added that the government would have to consult with interest representations, business actors and “we will eventually also have to discuss these measures with the people.”
We would like to create a kind of new consensus with a view to boosting the Hungarian economy” as if we need a new economic policy – and due to the changes in the world, we must adapt – “we also need a new consensus,”
he said.
Mr Orbán described the September consumption data as promising, and in his view, the almost 10 per cent increase in real wages in Hungary is unprecedented in Europe. At the same time, he said in response to the observation that despite the increase in real wages, consumption is increasing at a slower rate, that he finds any debate about consumption unhealthy because in his view the people will decide what they want to do with their money. In his opinion, this is not the main problem; the main problem is the slowing down of production in the European automotive industry as Hungary is “an automotive industry great power,” is one of the three countries, in addition to Germany and China, where all major German car brands are present. At the same time, he believes that in the second half of next year, Hungarian vehicle production will again gather momentum, as soon as the world market is able to absorb these cars.
This is why he ventures to pledge, he said in continuation, that next year the government will raise the growth of the economy to a range between 3 and 6 per cent. In answer to a question, he said the long-term prospects of the Hungarian economy are “bright.”
