The prime minister argued that Ukraine’s EU membership would turn the region into a battlefield. “If we admit Ukraine, we admit the war,” he said. For Hungary, a neighbor to Ukraine, this would bring direct military and economic consequences. “Many Hungarians would die, our youth would be taken away, and our economy would be in ruins.”
He reiterated that the government is not acting out of hostility but out of necessity. While Hungary has offered to help broker peace, its offers have been rejected by Ukrainian leadership. Instead, Brussels has continued to press for full membership, which Prime Minister Orbán called an existential threat.
The economic dimension of this debate is equally serious. Hungary would be expected to contribute to a massive financial package for Ukraine—one the prime minister described as astronomical. “The money they want to send to Ukraine in a single year equals 18 times the total pensions paid in Hungary,” he said. “We are burning money in Ukraine for no reason,” he added, claiming that only large multinational corporations stand to benefit.
Hungarian farmers are especially at risk, he warned. Not only would EU agricultural subsidies be redirected, but unfair competition would also follow. “It’s outrageous that Tisza Party experts called Hungarian farmers ‘chimpanzees’ just for adapting to the support system,” he said, condemning the insult and defending those who have played by EU rules. “You simply don’t talk about people like that.”
Beyond economic and military issues, the prime minister also addressed growing pressure from the EU under the banner of the rule of law. “The rule of law is nothing but a political cudgel,” he stated, accusing the European Commission of using legal rhetoric to pursue ideological goals. “It’s a political blackmail tool, nothing more.”
Cultural tensions were also in the spotlight following the government’s decision to ban a controversial Irish band from performing at a major music festival. Prime Minister Orbán said the move was necessary to protect public peace. “If you come to Hungary, you must respect our laws,” he said.
He also pointed to what he described as a growing alignment between artists and liberal politics, particularly in the lead-up to elections. “Artists and the showbiz world line up behind the liberals. It didn’t help in America, and it won’t help here,” he said, adding that such campaigns often misjudge public sentiment. “I think voters don’t appreciate it when popular performers try to tell them how to think about life and politics.”
In his view, this alignment may ultimately work in favor of the government: “Politically, it doesn’t hurt us. In fact, it may even help.”
