Hungary's PM Was Right, as Acknowledged by Brussels

At this year’s final EU summit, Prime Minister Viktor Orban emphasized that the Russia–Ukraine war remained the most critical political issue. However, a lack of consensus within the EU left no room for maneuver on the matter. While PM Orban called for a ceasefire, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa - President of the European Council - backed the continuation of pro-war measures. The 130 billion euros that Brussels has spent on Ukraine is glaringly absent from the European economy and Europe's competitiveness, Daniel Deak, an analyst at the 21st Century Institute, told our newspaper. While the Hungarian prime minister's warnings were once disregarded, an increasing number of countries now share his viewpoint.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks at an international press conference following the EU summit of heads of state and government in Brussels (Photo: MTI / Tamas Purger) Forrás: MTVA - Médiaszolgáltatás-támogató és Vagyonkezelõ Alap/Brüsszel, 2024. december 19. Orbán Viktor miniszterelnök az EU-tagországok állam- és kormányfõinek brüsszeli csúcstalálkozója után tartott nemzetközi sajtótájékoztatón 2024. december 19-én. MTI/Purger Tamás

Ukraine is digging its own grave by escalating the war (Photo: AFP)

The Hungarian precidency was successful 

PM Orban also evaluated Hungary’s EU presidency at the press briefing, a subject on which Ursula von der Leyen also spoke positively.

Many decisions were made, and the Hungarian presidency has managed to finalize issues that the EU had kept postponing for years, even decades. For instance, Romania's and Bulgaria's Schengen membership was also achieved under the Hungarian presidency,

– analyst Daniel Deak noted. He added that another significant achievement was reaching an agreement among EU agricultural ministers on post-2027 agricultural subsidies. “This historic agreement is also thanks to the Hungarian presidency,” he said.

Cover photo: Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks at an international press conference following the EU summit of heads of state and government in Brussels (Photo: MTI / Tamas Purger)