At the beginning of his address, the Prime Minister thanked electors for their trust. “I was elected here by Members of Parliament, but I haven’t forgotten that the mandate comes from the electorate, the Hungarian people,” he said.
According to Mr Orbán, their opponents made sure that the elections received unprecedented international and domestic attention. Everyone could see that “Hungary is a country where election fraud doesn’t, indeed, cannot happen,” he stated.
He thanked opposition activists for “helping to protect Hungary’s reputation and the public trust vested in Hungarian democracy with their work as observers and monitors.”
He said a high election turnout is a sign of a healthy democracy. The Hungarian people are interested in their fate, they have an opinion on public affairs, and do not hide it, he pointed out.
He observed that in the thirty-two-year history of Hungarian democracy, never before had a single party received as many votes as the list and candidates of Fidesz–KDNP did, and he will do his best to serve “this enormous trust that is without a rival in the whole of Europe”.
According to the Prime Minister, it is food for thought that they scored their biggest victory when they were compelled to rise to the challenge amidst the most difficult circumstances. “The domestic Left and their international allies, politicians, money people and the media, too, combined forces against us,” and Brussels and George Soros, too, “bet on our failure”.
He highlighted that they had won for the fourth time in a row despite the fact that financial crises, a pandemic, floods of migrants and a war threatened and are threatening Hungary. Such a series of victories is unusual in Europe, but perhaps even in the wider Western world, he added.
He said the Hungarians had learnt that “in times of danger, dissent, opposition and infighting could have grave consequences, could result in a decline, failure, or even a loss of country.” “Infights and dissent are luxuries reserved for happy times of peace,” but “we’re not living in such times now,” he pointed out.
He stressed that “in times of trouble, unity is the word of command,” and those who disobey it bring a threat onto the community, the nation and the country. Therefore, electors thoroughly punish such parties and politicians, he said.
He observed that a consensus should be not sought, but must be created, and in politics, this requires strength, ability and above all, a good heart, good intentions and patriotism. Those who are equipped with those attributes may receive the people’s trust, and this is the historical lesson of the 2022 parliamentary elections, he laid down.
Mr Orbán said the prime minister’s number one responsibility is to somehow understand, to predict the times that await us, and to prepare the Hungarians for them. Everything that has happened since 2020, and everything that is unfolding today – meaning that which helps us understand the nature of the decade between 2020 and 2030 – points in the same direction: Europe, Western man – Hungary and we Hungarians in it and with it – entered an era of threats, he stated.
He highlighted that the decade ahead will be an era of threats, uncertainty and wars.
The Prime Minister recalled that the decade began with the coronavirus pandemic and continued with the war. The war and the European policy of sanctions given in response have caused an energy crisis. The energy crisis, combined with the American interest raises, has brought about an era of high inflation, and all that will bring about recession, a period of economic decline when years of decrease will alternate with years of stagnation and minor increase in the performance of economies in Europe, he explained.
He took the view that threatening pandemics could re-emerge, economic recession could escalate, migration towards the rich countries will intensify with a tectonic force, and on top of all that, a protracted and actual war conveying the threat of a global conflict is taking place in the territory of our Eastern neighbour.
Mr Orbán stressed that “the image of a decade of war is unfolding before our eyes,” and while it would be good if this was not so, “we must focus not on our desires, but on reality”.
In his view, the image of a decade of war that faces us “also features recurring waves of suicide in the Western world”. As part of those waves of suicide, he mentioned “the overarching programme of the replacement of the European population” which seeks to replace the missing European Christian children with adults, migrants coming from other civilisations.
He also mentioned the “gender madness” which, in his view, perceives man as the creator of their identity, including their sexual identity.
He further mentioned the programme of a liberal Europe as another suicide attempt, pointing out that it transcends Christianity and the nation states that have kept the West alive so far, without replacing them with anything else, and sees freedom in man being cut off from his communities – his family and country – and forgets about the fact that the individual can never be free on his own, only lonely.
He said in summary that Hungary is being affected by economic troubles, the threats of war, Europe’s internal intellectual weakness and Brussels’ political flaws all at once.
He pointed out that it is in this situation that we must designate a path for Hungary, and once we have designated it, to set it on that path, and then to keep our country on it with a firm hand.
According to the Prime Minister, this is a difficult task, but we may succeed because the Hungarians are a tough species, and so “we stubbornly resist decline”. Reasonable order, stability, zero complacency, but all the more humility, and above all, unwavering, uncompromising loyalty. And in the meantime, sincere kindness, sober self-interest, an optimistic, proud and brave Hungary, he designated the tasks in hand for the next government.
He indicated that the next government will especially count on the communities of historical churches whose very existence is a great value for Hungary.
We will guarantee the conditions that are necessary for preaching the gospel, freedom and respect for churches, he highlighted.
He said they see the increasing need for church schools, hospitals and homes for the elderly, and helping these will be an important part of the government’s work.
Mr Orbán mentioned that he can also see the spiritual and physical impressions of a reviving national unity throughout the Carpathian Basin. This is beneficial not only for Hungarians living beyond the borders, but it equally strengthens the universal Hungarian community and the motherland.
Hungarians beyond the borders can count on us, we will continue our efforts aimed at the unification of the nation relentlessly, he stated.
Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, the Prime Minister said it should never have started. In his view, today Europe has no means of any kind to manage the conflict taking place in its neighbourhood. In the absence of strength and means, the leaders of the continent are convinced that with the help of the European sanctions it is possible to bring Russia to its knees.
This may be possible on paper, and a number of “paper politicians” are waving about some kind of theoretical evidence, Mr Orbán said, stating that he cannot remember a single continental sanction that proved to be successful, but he does recall instances when those who invented them found themselves on the receiving end.
He repeatedly confirmed that in the interest of European unity, Hungary will not foil sanctions as long as they do not cross the red line of the self-defence of the Hungarian economy, meaning as long as they do not jeopardise Hungary’s energy security.
Mr Orbán also stressed that his political community and government regards Hungary’s NATO membership as „crucial”.
He highlighted that NATO is a defence alliance, and we must not give in to the temptation of this organisation conducting offensive military campaigns outside the territory of its Member States. It must not be turned from a defence alliance into a military alliance that wages wars. NATO is not the Entente, and cannot become that, he laid down.
In his view, the importance of our NATO membership has never been as evident as it is now during the Russia-Ukraine war. “The situation is escalating,” he took the view. He said the Russians declared the war a military campaign that can also be conducted without conscription, meaning that they turned it into “an infinite exercise,” while the Americans decided to finance Ukraine’s need for military equipment and supplies without an upper limit with a lend-lease law, a means known from World War II. This is the worst possible combination, he stated.
He added that the war in our neighbourhood will continue for a long time and with an inconceivable quantity of arms, and will pose a permanent security threat to Hungary.
Mr Orbán said the most important task of the decade ahead is for Hungary to stay out of the war and to protect the country’s peace and security.
He stated that in his mind those who supply weapons “already have one foot in the war”. He said “we stand for peace; peace builds, war destroys,” and so we want an immediate ceasefire and peace talks. He indicated that he will stand by his position.
He took the view that NATO is a dependable ally, but they will not defend Hungary for us. In trouble, perhaps they will, together with us, but surely not for us, he warned, adding that a desire for peace and good intentions are not enough in themselves because if a country’s army is weak, if its soldiers are not fit for fighting and its people do not want to defend themselves, that will be the first country to be attacked. “To fight a dragon you need a dragon’s tooth. The dragon’s tooth is called the Hungarian defence forces,” he said.
Mr Orbán also pointed out that in the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine is the victim and Russia is the aggressor. This is why we support Ukraine, and this is why we launched the biggest humanitarian aid campaign in the history of Hungary. In relation to our population, we have let in the largest number of refugees, are providing care for those who need it and will continue to help Ukrainian refugees, he stressed.
He observed that for the time being, they are putting aside the injuries and insults that Hungarians in Transcarpathia sustained, and also the fact that Ukraine’s president and government openly intervened in the Hungarian election campaign and supported their opponents. “Despite these facts, the Ukrainians can count on Hungary and the Hungarian government,” he laid down.
Regarding Hungary’s disputes with Brussels and the topic of the EU, he pointed out that Hungary is a member of the European Union and has a vested interest in remaining a member also in the decade ahead. At the same time, he also laid down that Hungary will not accept economic measures that would destroy Hungarian families.
He said Brussels abuses its power day in, day out, and “wants to force on us all sorts of things that are bad for us and alien to us”. He added that, in the spirit of the principle of ‘live and let live’ Hungary made tolerance offers on the issues of migration, gender and most recently the oil embargo, but these were rejected.
“But we won’t surrender the protection of our borders, won’t dismantle the fence, and won’t let migrants in. We will protect our families, won’t let gender activists into our schools, in this country the father is a man, the mother is a woman, and they should leave our children well alone. We will continue to stand for Hungary’s peace and security, and won’t accept economic measures that would destroy Hungarian families,” the Prime Minister stated.
He took the view that today Brussels is making attempts to restrict the sovereignty of Member States, including that of Hungary, and instead of a Europe of nations, they are seeking to build a new European empire, a United States of Europe.
Additionally, he continued, the cultural distance – which we could now almost call cultural alienation – is increasing ever more between the Western half of Europe and Hungary. In his view, this is so because we believe in the Christian civilisational foundations of Europe, and we believe in the nation states, something that Brussels has already given up on.
For us it is important to have “the Lord’s blessing,” to have a country that we can love and we can be proud of, to maintain the continuity of the Hungarian life of a thousand years, the Hungarian quality of existence in the Carpathian Basin, and that we may die knowing that our children and grandchildren have a motherland, have something to continue and to preserve.
He added that this is the greatest thing that a Hungarian can give his or her children, and “for us this takes precedence over all muddy talk and politics about common European values and ever closer integration”.
What are we doing in the European Union? – the Prime Minister asked. His answer was: “we’re looking for our dreams,” “a community of free and equal nations”. “A country of countries, a democracy of democracies,” a Europe besieging the heights of erudition.
He said we are not members of the European Union because of what it is, but because of what it could be because such a Europe could offer the best chance, the greatest scope for an independent and free Hungary.
He confirmed that also in the decade ahead they envisage Hungary within the European Union as a member fighting with determination for its rights and looking for allies for the renewal of the union. A Hungary that is a member of NATO and the European Union will face the challenges of the decade of war ahead, but this is not the answer to the challenges as that can only be a successful economic policy that rests on national foundations.
Regarding results, he described the period between 2010 and 2020 as a decade of great progress. He listed the economic results in which Hungary was in the top three in the EU, including the rise in the number of jobs, the increase in investments and the minimum wage and the reduction of taxes. He also pointed out that in our state of development we overtook Greece and Portugal.
He also spoke about the difficulties ahead, including the economic crisis, migration and the pandemic. But he likewise mentioned that with the abatement of the pandemic, a keen competition evolved among countries about where the factories that previously closed down should be reopened. In this race, Hungary was among the winners, he stressed.
In his view, this gives the country’s economy a chance to increase, rather than decrease during the European crisis that is unfolding.
He further mentioned that due to the Russia-Ukraine war, a number of strategic decisions adopted earlier had gained in significance, including the development of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line which could replace the destroyed Ukrainian transport routes and the Southern gas pipeline which could replace the gas pipelines currently transiting Ukraine.
An era of energy supply crises could set in, he stressed, in which those countries will be safe which will be able to generate their own energy needs. He described the construction of the new Paks block and the implementation of solar energy projects as key from a national security point of view as they will make that possible.
Hungary sells three quarters of its products in Europe; however, the biggest and most modern investments are now coming from the Far East. We are standing on both our feet, and this makes our economy crisis-proof, he continued, mentioning that we prepared for the revolutionary renewal of the automotive industry, and did much to push Hungary into the vanguard of the next-generation automotive industry. Hungary will soon become a major battery exporter, and at the same time, we are able to produce twice as much food as we need, he listed.
He said in the decade ahead, low taxes, physical security, advanced road networks and railway services, and political stability will be the main factors in the race for investments. In these, we are doing well, he highlighted, and so we will continue to build our economic strategy on the high level of investments.
He said even amidst the present difficult circumstances, he will undertake to make sure that Hungary will go forward, not backward.
The Prime Minister stressed that the government about to be formed will further undertake to preserve the most important results even amidst the unfolding European crisis, and to not give up the most important goals.
“We will protect full employment, we will protect our family grants, we will protect the value of pensions, we will protect the reduction of household energy bills,” he stressed.
In the years ahead, Hungary will protect families and will be proud of its children, he highlighted.
Mr Orbán described today’s young generation as the greatest value and resource. He stressed that everywhere around the country he sees young people who love their country, understand the world, speak foreign languages and use the latest technologies with ease. Therefore, Hungary has a bright future to look forward to.
In his speech, the Prime Minister also said the Carpathian Basin must be turned into the world’s best place in cooperation with the peoples and countries living here. This is the common interest of Slovaks, Ukrainians, Serbs, Croatians, Slovenes and Hungarians, he said.
Therefore, we will not rise to provocations or attempts to divide us in the future either, he indicated, reassuring neighbouring countries that they can count on the Hungarians; we unwaveringly believe in the common future of the peoples of the Carpathian Basin.
Mr Orbán said today, Hungary is receiving an unusual amount of attention from members of the Western public not because of its population, army or economic strength, but because, in addition to Poland, Hungary has become the Western world’s last Christian, conservative bastion.
We have different ideas about the world and the future than “the liberal, globalist mainstream,” and we are building our country differently than they are building their own. We could live together in peace side by side. However, today Brussels is striving for exclusivity, the Prime Minister said, adding that they say that politics, the leading of a country and even Europe itself can only be conceived and cultivated in a single way. “Those who do not toe the line are punished with investigations by the evening.”
Mr Orbán stressed that this is what Hungary is rebelling against.
He added that ever more people have the feeling that Hungary is an island of peace. We want to give hope to others as well, hope that the Christian way of life, patriotism, national pride, in other words, national politics are not a thing of the past, but a thing of the future, he said.
Thirty years ago we thought Europe was our future; today we believe that we are the future of Europe, Mr Orbán stressed.