PM Orban: Consultative Vote Should Be Held on Ukraine's EU Membership + Video

The Hungarian prime minister refused to sign the EU conclusions on military aid to Ukraine. He announced that the government would initiate a public opinion vote (consultative vote) domestically on Ukraine's European Union membership.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the EU summit in Brussels on March 6, 2025 (Source: Facebook)

"Hungary has remained steadfast on the side of peace. We said that the war should not be continued, but rather, the president of the United States should be supported with the greatest possible effort and energy to make his peace negotiations successful," Viktor Orban stated at the end of the EU summit.

We should be going along with the Americans and aim for peace, not a continuation of war. 26 members have adopted a document on the continuation of the war. It is about the need to strengthen Ukraine so that it can continue to fight, and Hungary, of course, did not support this, because it is completely at odds with our position in favor of peace,

the prime minister said. 

Consultative Public Opinion Vote

Viktor Orban explained that in the future, financial assistance from the United States cannot be relied upon. "Enormous figures were being mentioned regarding the amounts that need to be sent to Ukraine in the coming period—partly to keep the country functioning and partly to maintain its army. At the same time, we agreed that we must also spend a lot on strengthening our own militaries. In my view, the financial burden of the aid planned for Ukraine, combined with the costs arising from Ukraine’s potential EU membership, is an amount that the European Union’s economy cannot sustain—nor can Hungary’s economy," he emphasized.

Therefore, we must revisit the issue of Ukraine’s EU membership. A responsible decision cannot be made at this moment. I do not want this decision to be made over people's heads, so I have decided at the end of this debate that we will initiate a consultative vote domestically on Ukraine’s EU membership. We will conduct it in the same manner as the national consultations—quickly and simply. Then we will see,

Orban announced. "We need to know to what extent people are willing to make sacrifices for supporting Ukraine," he added. The PM also noted that U.S. President Donald Trump was right when he said that Europe should spend more on defense. He continued:

First of all, we need to spend more on building our own military capacities and defense capabilities, but at the same time, someone must finance the Ukrainian army, and the Americans will not be contributing to this in the future. This is a huge amount of money. Ukraine’s state must also be financed; otherwise, it will collapse. I believe that this three-part financial burden is simply too much. We cannot afford it—at least Hungary certainly cannot,

he remarked, adding that the sums being discussed are beyond what the European economy, in its current state, can generate.

26 EU member states supported the continuation of the war (Photo: AFP)

Viktor Orban: Europe Has Become Isolated

Responding to a journalist's question, PM Orban stated that Europe has essentially isolated itself from the United States, China (due to trade wars), and Russia (due to sanctions). "I think if anyone has become isolated, it is the European Union," he asserted when asked about Hungary's alleged isolation. The prime minister emphasized the need to separate two key issues:

There is the issue of war and the issue of EU membership. Both carry significant financial burdens, and Europe cannot handle them simultaneously.

In response to another question, he stated that Ukraine's EU accession would bring economic difficulties.

We are talking about enormous figures; Ukraine is a huge country. The entire European agricultural economy would be in trouble—certainly Hungary’s, and similarly, the neighboring countries of Ukraine. The entire agricultural system of the EU would be transformed. We are not prepared for this, which is why I believe we should slow down and, above all, gather public opinion on the matter. Hungary has a national consultation mechanism that we regularly use for this purpose,

he said. Mr Orban also spoke about his relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying that while their relationship has its ups and downs, Zelensky is Ukraine’s president, and he respects him. Finally, in response to another question, he stated: "If there is an abyss beside me, and some people try to bypass Hungary from that side, that is not a smart move."

An extraordinary EU summit was held in Brussels, where European Union leaders discussed the continuation of the war in Ukraine.

As previously reported, Viktor Orban refused to sign the EU conclusions on military aid to Ukraine. He was the only one among the 27 leaders to veto the proposal. According to Deak Daniel, a senior analyst at the XXI Century Institute, Brussels used all possible means, including coercion and threats.

Notably, even before the EU summit, Orban made it clear that he supports strengthening joint European defense policy—something he had proposed and advocated for years.

Europe will only be taken seriously if it strengthens its military and has greater defense capabilities,

Viktor Orban had previously stated. This was an issue the prime minister could get behind, the analyst said adding that Mr Orban, however, firmly rejects the pro-war stance of Brussels' elite, standing alone as the only European leader advocating for peace. His position is strengthened by a positive shift in American politics, and time appears to be on his side. 

No matter how much money Europe burns through on this war, in the end, it will be settled by a Russia-America agreement, while Europe will merely watch from the second row.

As a result, Orban could not be blackmailed, and he remained firm in his pro-peace stance at the EU summit, using his veto. Hungary did not support the EU sending more money and weapons to the war, which is why the other 26 member states could only adopt the proposal as a statement rather than a binding resolution.

Cover photo: Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the EU summit in Brussels on March 6, 2025 (Source: Facebook)