
2026 elections to be expected at earliest possible date
Under the constitution, the elections should be held in April or May 'in line with a decision by the president of the republic', PM Orbán said, adding that 'nobody can strip the president of that right or restrict that right, but we must also make preparations.'
Political parties are getting ready 'to be in full armour by the earliest date,' PM Orbán said. He said that next year offers the second weekend of April as the earliest date, but suggested that the president would make the final decision.
Meanwhile, PM Orbán said his Fidesz party had selected the election candidates for all 106 constituencies with the exception of 3 or 4.

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Budapest Times
2 days ago
- Budapest Times
Fidesz-KDNP call for release of ‘secret clause' in EU-US deal
MEPs of Hungary's ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance said on Tuesday that the recent agreement between the European Union and the United States is 'catastrophic' and 'serves as further proof that the Brussels bureaucracy has turned its back on the interests of European families and businesses', adding that the deal 'contains a secret clause promoting Ukraine's interests'. The deal under which the US would impose a 15 percent tariff on European products and the EU would buy energy worth 750 billion euros from the US alongside European companies investing a further 600 billion euros in the US, 'would make Europe's people and businesses pay exorbitant prices for energy rather than increase Europe's energy independence,' the MEPs said, insisting that the new agreement was 'another act of betrayal'. 'It is totally absurd that Brussels bureaucrats, without any authorisation, commit to stellar investments on behalf of European companies rather than work to assist those businesses and improve their competitiveness,' the statement said. Concerning the 'secret clause', they said it was aimed at providing further military aid to Ukraine and prolonging the war. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and 'the Brussels leadership want to continue financing the war at the expense of European taxpayers and without consulting voters,' the statement said. The MEPs demanded the immediate release of the document. The MEPs also slammed Von der Leyen's reelection as EC head, 'supported by the left-liberal grand coalition', including the European People's Party and Hungary's opposition Tisza Party. 'We won't let Brussels drive the continent to war and ignore the will and interests of Europeans. Brussels is in need of an urgent change of leadership,' the MEPs added.


Budapest Times
2 days ago
- Budapest Times
Orbán: We must restore moral equilibrium – Brussels must pay the price
In a forthright exchange with Polish journalist Michał Karnowski, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addressed the shifting power dynamics in Central Europe, the erosion of democratic norms in Poland, and the growing rift between sovereignist governments and Brussels. The prime minister began by reaffirming Hungary's unwavering support for Poland in light of recent political persecution. 'In Hungary, we say once a friend, always a friend,' he stated. He denounced the crackdown on Poland's conservative leadership and the silence from EU institutions. 'What's going on in Poland is unacceptable—it's shameful that the European Union says nothing, even supports it,' he added. PM Orbán introduced the concept of 'moral equilibrium,' arguing that Brussels must be held accountable for its double standards. 'I'm not a man of revenge… but what they have done to Poland and Hungary cannot be accepted. Brussels must pay the price,' he declared. Reflecting on Poland's recent presidential election, PM Orbán described President Karol Nawrocki's victory as a turning point. 'It's essential… a chance to reshape Central European cooperation,' he said, praising past successes of the V4 alliance and expressing hope that it could regain strategic weight in EU decision-making. He accused Berlin and Brussels of trying to dismantle this regional influence, calling the move 'obvious and deliberate.' The interview also touched on the EU's proposed multiannual financial framework. The prime minister rejected it outright, calling it a 'war budget.' He criticized the allocation of a quarter of its resources to Ukraine and warned against turning the EU into a military actor. 'I agree with spending on defense—but from national budgets, not the EU's common pot,' he said. He also emphasized that Hungary will not support any future budget unless Brussels unfreezes Hungarian funds. 'First, they have to give it back. Then we can negotiate,' he said. Turning to Ukraine, PM Orbán reiterated that peace is only possible through a direct meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin. 'This war is not between Ukraine and Russia—it's between the West and Russia,' he noted. He also criticized President Zelenskyy's rejection of his earlier peace proposal, calling it 'a mistake.' The prime minister warned as well about what he called the EU's 'biggest corruption scandal'—covert financing of media and NGOs. He announced plans for Hungarian legislation banning foreign funding of politically active NGOs, stating, 'If you're involved in politics, you should follow the same rules as parties.' On migration, PM Orbán issued a stark warning: 'My generation stopped the Muslim influx on our southern border. The next generation will have to defend our western border.' He concluded by framing Hungary's political divide as one of 'patriots and sovereignists' versus 'internationalists and imperialists.'


Budapest Times
3 days ago
- Budapest Times
Orbán: Tisza Party approves of EU's Migration Pact
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said the opposition Tisza Party approves of the European Union's Migration Pact, which would mean that 'Brussels decides who can enter Hungary'. Speaking in the Fight Hour programme broadcast online on Monday morning, PM Orbán recalled Tisza leader Peter Magyar 'sitting in the front line clapping … in support of the Hungarian way' during the prime minister's public appearances only about a year and a half ago, and now, leading an opposition party 'he advocates a different path'. PM Orbán insisted that these days, a prerequisite for 'a European politician striving for compromise with the European Commission' was to adopt the Migration Pact. 'This is what Tisza says, but you need a good ear to understand,' the prime minister said. Implementing the Migration Pact would mean 'building a refugee camp for tens of thousands', he said, adding that 'Hungary has been imposed that obligation, but the country does not comply'. The Pact would also involve 'accepting that if many migrants arrive in Europe, Brussels would decide how many should come to Hungary.' 'The Migration Pact would mean the end for Hungary,' PM Orbán said.