PM Orban: Opposition Parties Are Engaged in a Contest of Provocations

PM Orban discussed the bridge blocade, the Hungarian village program, the price margin caps and the war in his Friday morning interview on public radio.

PM Viktor Orban gives an interview to Kossuth Radio (Photo: MTI/ PM's Press Office / Zoltan Fischer)

The opposition parties are engaged in a contest of provocations. Being an opposition party is not easy, especially when the government is actively working on many issues, PM Viktor Orban told Kossuth Radio’s “Good Morning, Hungary” program.

He said the opposition can either take a constructive approach or dismiss everything and turn to provocations instead—hence their presence outside the radio station, he added.

PM Orban emphasized that the ogoing events appear to refute the opposition’s claims.

In a year, Hungary will hold elections and the opposition parties are engaged in a contest of provocations. 

As he noted, they should consider other people as well. Blocking a bridge is not legally permissible. It is not normal to unnecessarily restrict the lives of others. As Mr. Orban put it, 

the non-protesting majority has the right to live their lives within normal boundaries.

Speaking about the smoke bombs used recently in parliament, he emphasized that certain behavior is unacceptable in the National Assembly.

 

The Village Is Not the Past, but the Future

Regarding the Hungarian village program, PM Orban stated that in the modern world, most developments focus on efficiency and work against the rural way of life.

However, some valuable aspects - such as tradition and settlement structure - must also be taken into account. Village life is a rich tradition and also a significant resource for Hungary,

– the prime minister explained, adding that “the Hungarian village is an eco-social unit whose decline accelerated after the regime change.”

As a villager himself, PM Orban believes that 

the village is not the past, but the future.

A considerable portion of families will continue to prefer the village life, and the interests of rural residents must be upheld. Therefore, 

villages are to be upgraded, not dismantled.

Because of the urban problems there will always be people who will leave the big cities behind, especially if the state supports rural homeownership through programs like the Rural CSOK and CSOK initiatives. Today, every settlement is within a 30-minute drive on a four-lane highway, and if there is a school, a local store and a pub, the village becomes attractive. Since the program was launched, population decline has stopped in 1,200 settlements, PM Orban stated. 

He noted that the Hungarian village program has been running for five years. The current initiatives have only reinforced it, expanding the original program with new elements. The modernization of villages is being carried out while preserving their traditions, as the government does not intend to abandon thsse. Mr. Orban also spelled out that if the family is considered the fundamental unit of society, this must be reflected in regulations. If we take a liberal approach and place the individual at the center, that calls for a different type of regulation. Regarding the government measures, he said 

what's happening now is we are making the economy family-centered.

 

Prices of Over 800 Products Have Decreased 
 

On the topic of the price margin cap, PM Orban confirmed that prices have been reduced for 874 products. He noted that 

such a measure is unprecedented in modern Hungarian history.

 He emphasized that navigating uncharted territory in politics is risk, but after two weeks, it is clear that the policy is working. Many retailers believe that the price margin is too low, and some will undoubtedly attempt to circumvent the government’s measure. To address this, the government has prepared certain additional measures and is continuously monitoring the prices.

Hungary's prime minister pointed out that the price of some products, such as milk and cottage cheese, has dropped by as much as 50 percent. At the end of May, authorities will conduct a major review of the effectiveness  of the price margin cap, and make a decision on whether to continue the policy.

 

Brussels is on the Side of War 

Regarding the European Commission’s proposal that households should stockpile emergency reserves that can last 72 hours, PM Orban stated that Hungarian households generally already do this, so it does not pose an insurmountable problem for Hungarians. Brussels is taking this step because they are preparing for war, and that must be taken seriously. However, he does not see any realistic threat of war in Europe, as Hungary is a NATO member state.

“Brussels wants war, while we stand for peace. However, there are countries within the EU that want to engage further in the war,” 

There is no threat of war. We're on the side of peace, and we will certainly not go to war,

 – Mr. Orban asserted.

He added that we are witnessing a transatlantic rift, or divide, 

and while America seeks peace, European countries are working to continue the war.

“We should fully support the U.S. peace efforts. The Slovaks and Italians are also reluctant about the war; they recognize that Europe should move toward peace. We, Europeans, had an opportunity with the Minsk agreements, but we failed to enforce them. The French-German guarantee was insufficient. The answer is not war, and this is why we must involve the Americans," Mr. Orban said.

If you want peace, support the Americans,

 – PM Orban concluded.

Discussing the outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease, Hungary's prime minister said that it originated from Slovakia, and that life in the border region has slowed as a result. He said if the infection was to spread nationwide, it would have severe consequences. Many work on these livestock farms, and the epidemic is causing significant problems in these communities. The further spread of the disease must be prevented, and Hungary must cooperate with Austria and Slovakia to contain it, he added.

At 7:30 am, PM Viktor Orban spoke to Kossuth Radio’s “Good Morning, Hungary!” program, with Magyar Nemzet providing live coverage of the interview.

Hungary’s prime minister will also likely discuss the announcements following Wednesday’s cabiet meeting, where it was revealed that small shops would receive three million forints in support per store, small pubs would also get a three-million-forint lifeline (with all settlements under 2,000 residents eligible to apply), at least one ATM machine would be placed in every village, and a church renovation program would be launched for small communities. 

Villages must be upgraded, now downgraded. This is what we worked on today,

 – PM orban said. Details of the decisions were presented on Thursday at the Government Info briefing by Alpar Gyoparos, the government commissioner in charge of implementing the Hungarian village program.

Cover Photo: PM Viktor Orban gives an interview to Kossuth Radio (Photo: MTI/PM's Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)