Orbán: 'If the EU starts down a path, they will push through, and anyone who stands in the way gets thrown off the track'
'If Ukraine is admitted into the EU, then the majority of land-based subsidies will be lost, or may not even exist anymore,' the prime minister said. 'Hungarian farmers will not be able to compete with Ukrainian grain,' he warned. According to Prime Minister Orbán, the accession would also result in a significant labor influx. 'Several hundred thousand people will arrive, and this will significantly depress wages in Hungary.'
Beyond economics, the prime minister stressed the political and strategic implications. He urged citizens to participate in Voks 2025, the national consultation on EU issues, emphasizing that the results would define Hungary's mandate at the upcoming EU summit. 'When I speak on behalf of Hungary [in Brussels], it is not irrelevant whether I represent the government's or the people's position,' he said. 'That's why the result of Voks 2025 matters.'
The prime minister drew a sharp contrast between Hungary's stance and that of most EU members. 'There are two kinds of political forces in Europe: national forces, and those who support migration and Ukraine's EU accession,' he said. 'Today, the majority supports transferring more powers to Brussels, supports migration, and supports Ukraine's accession,' he added, describing the pressure on Hungary as immense.
Prime Minister Orbán also issued a warning about ongoing attempts to shift EU decision-making from unanimity to qualified majority voting. 'If the EU switches to qualified majority voting, Hungarian foreign policy will be decided by Brussels bureaucrats,' he said. 'This would mean the end of the thousand-year-old Hungarian state.'
In response to EU criticism over Hungary's economic measures, Prime Minister Orbán defended the government's interventionist policies. 'If the interest rate cap were to be lifted, 300,000 families would be in a very difficult situation immediately,' he said. 'Of those, 28,000 families would be on the street.' He stressed that the cap would remain until the central bank could reduce interest rates.
Regarding the retail margin cap, he argued that lifting it 'would increase prices by 20 percent.' He explained, 'When the world is this crazy, the Hungarian government must intervene—especially to protect families.'
The prime minister also announced significant new support measures. 'From July, people will see progress,' he said, pointing to a 50 percent increase in the child tax allowance. 'In October, mothers with three children will begin to receive full income tax exemption,' and efforts are underway to boost wages for municipal workers in towns of up to 30,000 people.
Despite geopolitical instability and EU tensions, Prime Minister Orbán ended with a resolute message: 'There may be a war, but I will fight tooth and nail to achieve these goals.' He described the 2026 budget as 'the budget of will,' asserting, 'There are goals that are important to Hungarian families and to the government. These goals must be achieved.'
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