PM Orban: The war situation is more severe than ever

It is alarming that two nuclear powers are preparing to deploy uranium weapons a few hundred kilometers from Hungary's border, PM Viktor Orban told Hungary's public radio this morning, adding that this also shows that the war situation is more serious than ever. Mr Orban touched on the new tax levied on bank savings, which he said would only be needed so long as the war lasts, because in the current situation people should be encouraged to keep their savings in government bonds. Hungary's premier underlined that he was opposed to increasing the excise duty on fuels. He said it was imposed by Brussels but, in order to counteract this, the government has prepared an economic protection action plan, which will be presented next week. With regard to the adoption of the new migrant quota plans, PM Orban said: the Soros empire has hit back, but we will not accept the decision.

Borítókép: A Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda által közreadott képen Orbán Viktor kormányfő a Kossuth rádió stúdiójában, ahol interjút adott a Jó reggelt, Magyarország! című műsorban 2023. március 10-én. (Fotó: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán)

Mr Orban said the government had made a clear commitment in a very difficult situation. He said that Hungary is importing most of its energy needs. "We are going to bring down inflation, and that is why we have introduced several important decisions. Next year's budget will also follow this logic, that inflation should be in single digits by year's the end.

We need more stable points, Mr Orban said. He stressed that it was not easy to foresee all the economic developments five to six months ahead, adding that Hungarians must put together a budget that is capable of protecting families, pensioners and jobs.

In times of war, it helps the country if citizens keep their savings in treasury bills or government bonds, the prime minister said.

This is why people are encouraged to choose government bonds, instead of simple bank savings. He said the tax levied on bank savings was a temporary solution, one that was needed in the current situation, so long as the war lasts. 

Regarding the increase of the excise duty of gas, PM Orban indicated that it was a "pain in the neck," but since we are members of the EU, there is a range of economic measures that the Brussels bureaucrats have control over and they have decided that excise duty on petrol should be raised. 

– This is also true for another product group, namely packaging materials and glass, so the cost of waste management will also increase, he said.

Now when we have war-time inflation, it is a grave mistake to burden member states with bad decisions from Brussels.

– he added.

Government to prepare an action plan for economic protection

PM Orban explained that his government has prepared an economic protection action plan to counteract the bad decisions made in Brussels, and that it will attempt to infuse the economy with some new dynamism. The details, he said, would be outlined at next week's government press briefing. 

– Regarding the vote on the migrant quota scheme, Hungary and Poland have said no, PM Orban stressed.

He underlined that we are facing a very unpleasant turn of events. He said that the solution should not be to distribute migrants, but to protect our borders. He said he thought that we had already won this battle, adding, however, that this recent coup-like decision showed that this was not the case. 

Mr Orban believes there is a link between George Soros handing over his empire to his son and the adoption of the migrant quota in Brussels.

The Soros empire has hit back 

– One could say that the Soros empire has struck back, something that's been forced down the throats of the majority of Europeans, Mr Orban said. He also stressed that Hungary has no intention of implementing the measure. He underlined that people in Brussels should accept that border protection costs money, but instead of helping us, they are punishing Hungary, he added. 

"We must be prepared that the Soros family will incite the migrants, and the pressure on Hungary's southern border will increase, Mr Orban said.

Hungary's premier emphasized that accepting and taking in migrants entailed huge security risks. "We don't want to be proven right, we want the Germans to be right in Germany and the Hungarians to be right in Hungary. We are asking those in Brussels not to tell us whom we should live with, Mr Orban pointed out.

He signaled that, due to the amendment to Hungary's Fundamental Law adopted at the beginning of the migration crisis, the ideas put forward by Brussels are not in line with Hungary's existing legal order.

Cover photo: In the picture published by the Prime Minister's Press Office, PM Viktor Orban is seen in Kossuth Radio's studio, where he gave an interview on the "Good Morning, Hungary" program on 10 March 2023 (Photo: MTI Prime Minister's Press Office / Zoltan Fischer)