Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said today in an interview with public radio that the new national petition launched by the Hungarian government gives all Hungarians the opportunity to say "no" to financing Ukraine and the war, and to state: "We refuse to pay, so don't include us, because we will not make changes to state support measures," reports the Hungarian news agency MTI, quoted by BTA.
Regarding EU support for Ukraine, Orban cited Brussels' own data showing that 193 billion euros have been spent so far. “The Americans had the sense to withdraw at the right time, but the Europeans are ignoring common sense, suggesting unconditional financial support“, he said.
Orban noted that 90 billion euros of this was financed with debt, with Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia having backed out after lengthy negotiations. He added that Ukraine had already submitted a request for 10-year financing worth 800 billion euros, an amount he said could cover all Hungarian pensions for 40 years or family benefits for 60 years.
By financing Ukraine's war against Russia, the European Union is betting that Ukraine will win on the battlefield, Orban added, saying that the EU is counting on defeating the Russian army through Ukraine, after which Russia will pay reparations “and everyone will get their money back“. “This is the assumption on which they are spending hundreds of billions of European taxpayers at a time when Europe is running out of money.“
The prime minister said that “No serious expert“ argues that Russia can be defeated on the battlefield, let alone forced to pay reparations.
He said that Western European countries are withdrawing money from their citizens, and since they see that Hungary refuses to do the same, they are presenting the country with “a list of demands”. He said that the demands, issued in various EU documents, include the abolition of taxes and fees for multinational companies and banks, as well as the 13th pension, and reform of the family support and home purchase systems.
But Hungary, Orbán said, is in a favorable position because in recent years he has always “opposed these demands for Hungarians to pay more”. “I have used my veto and refused when I had to; we have resisted – as we did on the issue of migration.“
According to him, the new national petition will give all Hungarians the opportunity to reject this.
On domestic political issues, Orbán called the opposition parties Tisza and the Democratic Coalition (DK) “pro-Brussels and pro-Ukrainian political forces“, warning of a real danger that young Hungarians would be sent to fight in Ukraine if a pro-Brussels government came to power.
The prime minister highlighted recent agreements signed by major EU member states to deploy troops in Ukraine, increasing pressure on member states, including Hungary, to follow suit.
“It is a legitimate fear that the pro-Ukrainian forces, the DK and the Tisza party, will eventually succumb to this pressure“, he said, calling it a real threat that must be prevented.
The government, he said, opposes sending Hungarian young people, weapons or money to Ukraine and refuses to let the country be drawn into the war.
“We must not let this war drag us in“, he added, insisting that there was no national consensus on the issue, making it “the most pressing question for Hungary's future“. Noting that Hungary could not stay out of any of the world wars, he said the most important question in the coming years would be whether Hungary would be strong enough to withstand international pressure and stay out of the war.
Orbán said the government was prepared for rising global tensions, adding that at the same time unforeseen events, such as a US intervention in Venezuela, were still possible.
“If Hungary follows Brussels' path, the victory of "...the pro-Brussels forces would mean a war economy, increasing risks and causing serious damage to the country," he added. Staying on the "Hungarian path," however, would allow a peacetime economy and Hungary to use its opportunities, Orbán insisted.
By the end of the year, the average salary of teachers will exceed 900,000 forints (2,300 euros), and those working in public administration, the social and cultural sectors will receive a 15 percent salary increase, he noted.
"Our platform is clear: we reject the Brussels path, we avoid the war economy and we stay on the Hungarian path - the path of the peacetime economy," Orbán said.
“And let our opponents convince people to choose the path of Brussels, along with war and the war economy,“ Orbán added.