Viktor Orbán Talks about Job Cuts at Audi Hungaria Győr

At a meeting organized by Digital Civic Circles at the DVTK Arena in Miskolc (northern Hungary), Viktor Orbán made important comments on the situation in the automotive industry, particularly the state of the industry in Hungary. He explained that anyone wishing to build a car factory in Hungary should focus exclusively on electric cars.

At the event, Viktor Orbán answered questions from the audience. One was concerning when Miskolc could expect such a large investment in the automotive industry as many other cities, such as Košice (Volvo), Debrecen (BMW), Szeged (BYD), and Győr (Audi).

Photo: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Kommunikációs Főosztály/Fischer Zoltán

The Hungarian Prime Minister first listed the five largest investments: The Chinese company Halms is investing HUF 80 billion (EUR 207.15 million, EUR 1 = HUF 386), creating 1,000 jobs; the German company Bosch has built two new production facilities for HUF 69 billion and already employs a total of 5,400 people; the Korean company LG Magna is investing HUF 20 billion; and the Chinese company Chevron is investing around HUF 18 billion. This will be complemented by the high-tech zone, which it is hoped will develop around the university.

The residents of Miskolc must decide whether they want to continue to accommodate medium-sized international factories or whether they want a large-scale project,

in Orbán’s view. Both have advantages and disadvantages, but once the decision has been made, he will be available.

At the same time, Orbán said that particular caution is needed with regard to automobile and vehicle production at present, as an epoch-making change is currently taking place. Last year, hundreds of thousands of workers in the automotive industry were laid off in Western Europe. At this point, he noted that problems could also arise in Győr.

However, the Prime Minister immediately clarified that a major and fantastic development is currently taking place at Rába, which is intended to compensate for or replace the possible decline at Audi.

At the same time, he warned that if a large car factory is being considered in Miskolc, it should be exclusively electric, as in Szeged. Although the transition is proceeding more slowly than originally anticipated, it will take place.

We can be sure that the future belongs to electric cars.

If such a decision is made in Miskolc, I am available to ensure that the next major investment comes to Miskolc,” Orbán concluded.

It is no coincidence that the prime minister also commented on the situation at Audi in Győr. Just recently, the press reported that despite record production figures, job cuts are imminent at the company. This means that Audi Hungaria Győr will not be filling vacancies resulting from staff turnover and retirements, nor will it be filling those whose jobs are being eliminated. Telex.hu has learned that

the latter could affect around two hundred people in 2026.

Currently, 770 vehicles roll off the production line every day, 60% of which are Audi Q3s and 40% Cupra Terramars. These models will be phased out by 2030, and it is already foreseeable that the Czech, Slovak, and Polish plants will catch up with Győr in terms of competitiveness. Therefore, an efficiency program may be necessary.

Péter Lőre, Head of Corporate Communications and External Relations at Audi Hungaria, explained that further cost reductions and the optimization of processes and organizational structures are a prerequisite for the company’s future competitiveness. “This is essential in order to win new products and projects, especially in view of the strong competition with other production capacities within the group,” he noted.

Photo: MTI/Máthé Zoltán

It was also very noteworthy that Orbán clearly named Rába, also with roots in Győr, as a company whose development could compensate for the decline in production at the Audi factory. In fact, there is a lot of excitement surrounding Rába.

4iG immediately promised that new growth prospects could open up for the Győr-based vehicle manufacturer on the basis of international cooperation and markets in the defense industry. These are indeed prospects that could compensate for the decline in Audi production, if only because Rába’s new vision for the future after the change of ownership is based on the development of high value-added defense products and services, and the intensification of its export activities.

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