Bence Retvari, Parliamentary State Secretary of Hungary's Interior Ministry, stated in Godollo on Friday that Ukraine's potential European Union membership would have a direct impact on every Hungarian citizen’s life. Speaking at a press conference before a Fidesz public forum, he emphasized that nowhere in Europe are citizens being consulted on Ukraine’s fast-tracked EU accession, and that’s because the results would not be welcome in Brussels.
He added that Ukraine clearly does not currently meet the entry criteria that every other EU member state had to fulfill before joining.
It’s deeply disheartening to see a narrow elite take control of Brussels’s leadership, who consequently continuously fuel and perpetuate the war,
said Retvari.
The War Has Cost Hungarians Dearly
At the same press conference, Culture and Innovation Minister Balazs Hanko stated that Hungarians must not allow Brussels to make decisions affecting them without their input. That’s why the ruling Fidesz party launched its nationwide campaign tour.
Let’s not forget: over the past three years, the war has cost every Hungarian family 2.5 million forints (over 6000 euros),”
Hanko reminded the audience.
Retvari stressed that the Hungarian government has always sought citizens' input on major issues — from migration to utility price caps and migration resettlement quotas. He said that Hungarians would also have the opportunity to express their opinion on another significant issue - Ukraine’s EU accession - and the government would represent that view in Brussels. “The EU is making a series of bad decisions again. Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president presents a historic opportunity to end this war that has already cost hundreds of thousands of lives,” he added.
Magyar and Gyurcsany Serve Brussels
Retvari emphasized that Donald Trump made it clear he wants to end the war, and the leaders in Brussels should have sided with him to achieve peace. They could have joined forces with the U.S. in a joint effort to stop the war. Instead, they turned against the pro-peace countries — including Hungary, which has been punished with sanctions and repeated legal proceedings.
It’s especially dangerous that there are politicians here in Hungary — from Ferenc Gyurcsany to Peter Magyar — who cater to Brussels’s every demand,
he pointed out.
Hanko raised a number of concerns about the consequences of fast-tracked EU membership for Ukraine, such as agricultural subsidies flowing to Ukrainian farmers instead of Hungarian ones, and Hungary becoming a net contributor to the EU. The minister warned of security, health, and numerous other risks, which is why the government launched the nationwide tour promoting the upcoming public opinion vote. "We are asking everyone to stand up for peace and say no to Ukraine’s fast-tracked accession,” the minister said.
