The Fidesz party renewal congress confirmed Viktor Orban as the party's president. After the vote, PM Orban thanked the delegates for their confidence and signaled that he has the strength to continue.
"Both the government and I have plenty more in the tank, Mr Orban said. Trust is always an honor, it's an honor now, it's an honor after all this time, and it is an honor again and again. I am honored that you have once again entrusted me with the task of leading the most successful community in the country, and indeed in Europe; Fidesz. As far as my dedication is concerned, you will not be disappointed," Viktor Orban said, adding that, truth be told, he had suspected that this would be the outcome.
He said that he had not lost his humility, but he knew that we were in the middle of a term and that "we don't change horses on the go, especially if they're going in the right direction". He recalled that everyone had given their all to win in 2022. The left has united and amassed all the resources of the West behind them, just as they did a month ago in Poland. The only difference is that we started our preparations much earlier, and
we had assessed the strength of our opponent, given that the kingmaker, the spider, the puppeteer was a Hungarian named George Soros, and his network. It's no exaggeration to say that we literally won a world-changing victory,
Mr Orban noted. "However, let's be generous to our defeated opponent. There's no need to dwell on the fact that the mayor of Vasarhely came to Budapest only to find himself at the top of the left-wing list," he said. "However, it is noteworthy that the united left has received support from Brussels and the Soros empire, a point that should not be overlooked. If they had succeeded, Hungary would be dealing with tens of thousands of migrants today, Budapest would resemble the major cities of the West, gender ideologists would be marching in and out of our schools and the weapons of the Hungarian Armed Forces would be in Ukraine, he said.
According to Mr Orban, this cannot go on, and
even though it is legally not treason, it's still not okay that the left can sell itself to foreigners with impunity.
We accomplished our objectives
The crises we have faced since 2010 have all been difficult, PM Orban said, adding however, that the last two years have been the toughest. He said
the only way to overcome these periods is though having clear objectives: we must not get involved in the war, we must protect families, maintain our scheme of household utility bill cuts, protect the purchasing value of pensions and withstand Brussels' attempts to bleed us dry.
"I report to the congress that we have achieved the goals we'd set for ourselves, PM Orban said. From here on out it is clear that we have cut our way through the minefield intact, and although the noise of war still dominates the landscape, we are moving forward and upwards again, towards the promising Hungarian life that every Hungarian would like to see. Those who voted against us will also do well with us," he noted.
There will be a new impetus and growth that's significant even by European standards. Additionally, there will be an increase in the minimum wage and we'll be able to afford thirteenth month pensions and a generous home creation scheme (CSOK); there will be a CSOK Plus and new social security system, and an expanded baby loan, Mr Orban said.
"Congress is always a camaraderie meeting. It is a chance to prepare for the forthcoming elections, but it is also a good opportunity to talk about the deeper context of political and government work," Mr Orban said. He stated that Hungary would also resist the absurdities of Brussels bureaucrats, migration, gender propaganda, Ukraine's unprepared EU membership, green ideologies with communist symptoms, and the Soros empire attacking from Brussels and Washington. PM Orban said he was deeply convinced that the Brussels vision must be rejected as unsustainable.
"Every day they are hammering more and more nails into Europe's coffin. If we carry on like this, the world will end, and we can make the sign of the cross over the EU, too. Unless the cross gets banned. We must prevent this," the party president pointed out. He said that today, neither the EU, nor the member states are implementing their own decisions. Everyone has already adapted to this situation, which Mr Orban described as worrying.
"The EU is waning like an ageing body: if something doesn't work, we get used to it, we slow down and eventually we cave in," Mr Orban said. He described Brussels' recipe as one that breeds chaos. Brussels bureaucrats would rather recoil and stop trading, leading Europe to be squeezed out of the world economy, he pointed out.
The Hungarian model is successful
"We don't want to become debt slaves of George Soros and his allies, we don't want gang wars, and we don't want Hungary to become a reservation of land with no future," PM Orban said. "We, Hungarians, have our own plan and our own counter-proposal. We have already tried and tested it: the Hungarian model is visible and - thanks to the many attacks - now more widely known. The French and the Italians would give half their lives if they could have a migrant-free country again," he noted.
"Work is a prerequisite for prosperity in Hungary," PM Orban pointed out, giving examples such as trade, favorable taxes and sensible green transition to illustrate how the Hungarian model works.
Green parties in Hungary have taken an ideological approach, while the governing party is implementing environmentally friendly measures in terms of practical issues, he said. Hungarians do not believe in fairy tales that are based on ideology: Nazism, communism, genderism and poison-green ideology are viewed with suspicion, Mr Orban said. He stated that
Hungary's future lies in green energy.
In ten years' time, with the completion of Paks 2, nuclear and green energy will provide the greater part of the country's energy mix, he opined.
"For us, nuclear energy is green energy, and there are a few others like us in Europe. In ten years' time, when Paks 2 is completed, the Hungarian economy will be producing energy that is 52 percent nuclear and 39 percent renewable, mainly solar energy. We are making huge steps forward. Hungary’s power grid is already connected with our neighbors’ systems, so we can exchange energy as we please. But we are not yet in the lead," Viktor Orban noted, pointing out that energy storage will be a crucial issue. He reminded left-wing MEPs that green energy must be stored, and the big question for the future is which country’s economy will have the capacities. He added that Hungary wants to lead the way in all three areas, but this will require massive investments.
"We are in for a huge race against Germany, France and Spain.”
The fact that we are in this league is fantastic, and I think it's even more fantastic that it looks like we're about to win.
Now we are at a point where decisions are being made on where Europe's green centers will be established. We have not had such an opportunity for 150 years," said PM Orban said. "While all this sounds good, there is a serious problem,” he added, pointing out that Hungary's domestic market comprises only ten million people, which is not a sufficient basis for rapid technological development. At the time the country made its last great economic breakthrough, Hungary was much bigger, and without a sufficient basis, it is impossible to have a podium win, he explained. However, this obstacle ill be overcome by a foreign policy feat: by increasing the number of those who have a stake in Hungary's success, making the country a meeting place for the most modern Eastern and Western technologies.
The factories that are good for the Germans will also be good for us,
PM Orban said, referring to the battery plants. He believes that today the technological giants of the East and the West can cooperate most easily in Hungary. “This will drive Hungary upwards in the next fifteen years. We will be strong, rich and green. Our opponents will also be green, albeit with envy," he said.
Fidesz must push forward
PM Orban recalled that they are up against overwhelming forces on all fronts. "We are a "ninja government": following deployment, it's not us, but rather our opponents on the ground, and we can return to base," he said, comparing the current government with Hungary's right-wing government after 1990, which - in a similarly difficult situation - called itself a "kamikaze government."
The prime minister called the upcoming National Consultation Survey a key issue. "This is the first part of the campaign, followed by the elections, when Fidesz must push forward. Change must be achieved in Brussels, and the Gyurcsanyists must be defeated. We have to win both elections, the European one and our municipal one," the Fidesz president said, setting out the goal for delegates and guests.
At Saturday's congress, delegates voted not only on the extension of the president's mandate, but also on Fidesz's vice presidents: Lajos Kosa received 1145 votes, Gabor Kubatov 1158, Kinga Gal 1150, and Szilard Nemeth garnered 1121 votes for their reelection.
Hungary's prime minister also shared a photo of the event beforehand, depicting him standing in a ring of young people.
In the early afternoon, PM Orban was already tuning up for his speech.
We'll go live soon, from the Congress,
Viktor Orban announced.
Magyar Nemzet's live, on-site coverage of the Fidesz party renewal congress receives continual updates. The event was broadcast live by Hir TV.
