In a pointed speech delivered at a private Civic Picnic in Kötcse (near Lake Balaton) over the weekend, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán claimed that Central Europe—particularly Hungary—has become the final refuge of faith, reason, and civilizational coherence, as the West succumbs to cultural and economic decline.
Referring to what he called the “Islamisation of the West,” Orbán argued that Western Europe has abandoned its Christian roots, embraced mass immigration, and built an unsustainable welfare-based economy. In contrast, he said, Hungary’s distinct path since 2010 has shielded it from the same fate.
We detached ourselves from the European economic model in time. While Western nations collapse under their own contradictions, Hungary has built a work-based, family-oriented society,”
PM Orbán said.
He warned that even if a new multiannual EU budget is agreed for 2028–2035, it could turn out to be the final one unless fundamental reforms are enacted. Without them, the eurozone faces a potential collapse in a “chaotic and costly process.” PM Orbán asserted that the European Union is currently experiencing a process of coming apart, as we are witnessing its current fragmentation. He warned that if this trend continues, the EU will be remembered not as a triumph but as “ a discouraging outcome of a a noble experiment.”
PM Viktor Orbán in Kötcse, Photo: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Kommunikációs Fõosztály/Fischer Zoltán
On geopolitics, Orbán declared that the Global South is reshaping the world order, with the U.S. stepping away from democracy promotion toward a return to great‑power politics. He cited Russian and Chinese economic gains, and what he labeled Europe’s weakening position:
The U.S. ends democracy export. We are entering a multipolar era where ‘faith and reason’ still survive here.”
The Prime Minister described the Western model as one that pretends to be a model of prosperity but is, in reality, based on social aid and debt. He highlighted key structural differences between Hungary’s “national model” and the EU mainstream, including: Flat personal income tax, versus progressive systems in the West; Three-month unemployment support, followed by mandatory public work; Work-linked family benefits; No inheritance tax; Energy price controls (“decreased utility costs”) unique to Hungary; Support for outward foreign investment; Exemption from income tax for mothers of two or more children
These are not surface differences—they reflect deep structural and philosophical divides,” Orbán emphasized. While the West is shrinking, our performance has grown. The Hungarian model works.”
The speech stands in stark contrast to the message of Péter Magyar, the leader of the Tisza Party (main opposition), who has emerged as PM Orbán’s leading challenger ahead of the 2026 elections. Speaking days earlier, Péter Magyar accused the Orbán government of turning Hungary into a “political island cut off from Europe”, locked in conflicts with Brussels and responsible for the freezing of crucial EU funds.
Hungary is not the last Christian state—it is the first European country that must be reclaimed,” Péter Magyar said in a recent address. He promised rule-of-law reforms, transparency, and re-engagement with the EU.
The politician also criticized Viktor Orbán’s use of “national consultations” as tools of political manipulation rather than democratic input. His party is campaigning on a pro-European, anti-corruption, and institutional reform platform.
In a notable statement, Péter Magyar declared, “Prime Minister, we both know it’s over,” signaling his belief that PM Orbán’s time in power is nearing its end. He emphasized the need for change, stating that his party aims to “take back our country brick by brick” Magyar also criticized Orbán’s recent salary increase, contrasting it with the financial struggles faced by teachers, healthcare workers, and those on minimum wage.
PM Orbán’s narrative positions Hungary as the defender of Western civilization’s original values, suggesting that Western Europe has surrendered both faith and reason to ideology, bureaucracy, and open-border liberalism. In this framework, Central Europe emerges not as a periphery but as a cultural and moral core.
Opposition leader: Péter Magyar, Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd
As Hungary approaches the 2026 elections, the choice presented is stark: A Hungary that stands firm as Europe’s last bastion of faith and reason—or one drifting together with a diluted, ideologically unmoored West.
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Via hirado.hu, világgazdaság, Telex; Featured image: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Kommunikációs Fõosztály/Fischer Zoltán
The post With the Islamisation of the West, Faith and Reason Only Survives in Central Europe Says PM Orbán appeared first on Hungary Today.
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