The Prime Minister said while Ukraine has a vested interest in involving as many countries in the war as possible, and there are countries in Europe which would like to take part in it directly or indirectly, the Hungarian interests is for the country to be left out of it.
The question is whether the next government will stay away from the war or will risk Hungary’s security, he stressed, adding that the Left struck a deal with the Ukrainians, and if they win, Hungary will be dragged into the war.
As an excuse, the Left claims that there are debates as to what the prudent conduct is also in Europe and within NATO. According to some countries, Ukraine is fighting our war, and therefore they must be helped.
“This is a mistake, this is not our war. Here we have everything to lose, but nothing to gain,” he stated.
Mr Orbán said “by having Hungary shot to pieces or sending weapons shipments and then having Transcarpathia shot to pieces, we help no one. If we impose sanctions in relation to energy and thereby destroy the Hungarian economy, we’re of no help to Ukraine either.”
In the context of sanctions concerning energy, he said the Hungarian atomic power station – which has used Russian technology for almost forty years now – is in Paks, meaning that a new site should also be created there, and it is impossible to operate two different technologies next to each other without safety risks. Therefore, nothing justifies the closure of Paks because we need nuclear energy in order to operate the economy and households in Hungary with clean energy, he added.
He highlighted that 85 per cent of Hungary’s total gas consumption and more than 60 per cent of the oil we use come from Russia, via pipelines, and as Hungary has no sea outlets, oil and gas cannot be transported here in tankers; we only have these energy sources in Hungary if they are supplied via pipelines.
Hungary is on the eastern edge, it is a front country or could easily become one, and so over here “funny ideas such as that we compromise a little on our comfort, and then the world will become a better place” do not work, the Prime Minister said, stressing that those who want to stop Russian supplies would destroy the Hungarian economy within seconds.
He said if the sanctions are extended to gas and oil, we will have to use our reserves, and those would be exhausted within a few weeks. After that, plants would have to be closed down and many people would lose their jobs as a result.
Mr Orbán stressed that he will do everything he can to stop this from happening. Hungary supports European unity and also the sanctions against Russia – with which though he does not agree, he accepts and does not veto – but any sanctions concerning energy are a red line that cannot be crossed, he laid down.
He, however, additionally drew attention to the fact that in relation to its population, Hungary is helping the largest number of Ukrainian refugees: they are given food, shelter and assistance with travel and employment, children are able to go to creche, nursery school and school. The Hungarian people are helping the Ukrainians honestly and generously even if they have not forgotten that during peacetime the Ukrainians treated Hungarians badly, he added.
Regarding fears caused by the war, he said they are not unjustified because a war is a dangerous situation, but we must keep our calm.
“A war never ends the way those who started it initially thought, and so we mustn’t take any steps out of enthusiasm or passion that we would later regret,” he said.
Mr Orbán also spoke about the fact that in 1999 the Yugoslav War fell on his term in government, and so he has experience of how to stay out of a war which takes place in a neighbouring country and how to handle a crisis situation.
International organisations usually advise austerity which means that the people are made to pay the price of the crisis, he said, adding that he, however, was never prepared to do that.
In 2010, at the time of a major financial crisis, they developed a job projection action plan, organised public works schemes for those who found no opportunities on the market, and raised wages, while during the coronavirus pandemic they supported businesses in order for them not to lay off workers and to implement further investments, he recalled. He added that this is how Hungary succeeded in going upward compared with the average of the European Union: from the respect of GDP per capita, Hungary has overtaken Portugal.
The Prime Minister also said every election takes place amidst new circumstances; for instance, at this time, electronic devices and various platforms are playing a much greater role than they did four and eight years ago; this is why the significance of data protection has increased.
The Left obtained people’s data illegally, without their permission, and are using these by bombarding people with their own political messages, Mr Orbán said, taking the view that this is a serious breach, and gives rise to a mass election fraud that had never ever occurred before in the history of Hungarian elections.
Mr Orbán also said, in addition to the war, there are other important issues as well, including the child protection referendum.
In this regard, he highlighted that decades ago in Western Europe people following different lifestyles appeared on the scene, openly admitting to their differentness, and they said they would like to be treated equally, like all other human beings. This, he said, is a perfectly legitimate demand, but in the meantime, organisations and lobbying groups have been set up, and started popularising their own lifestyles – “to which they have a right as adults” – also among children.
Gender propaganda started pushing from the West towards Central Europe. If we do not stop it, “this sexual propaganda aimed at our children will find its way to schools unhindered, and when parents want to stop it, we won’t be able to; one day, we will wake up to find that the education of our own children is not in our own hands anymore,” the Prime Minister stated.
He highlighted that in the referendum we must protect the rights of parents to the education of their children.
Mr Orbán said an election is “a responsible celebration” because we decide together in which direction Hungary should move on in the next four years.
With regard to this, he asked people not to stay at home on Sunday under any circumstances, and not to risk the country’s peace and security.
“The national side, Fidesz-KDNP is able to protect peace, is able to guarantee security, while the Left poses a war risk. Think of this when you cast your votes,” the Prime Minister appealed to members of the public.
