PM Orban: Ukraine's EU Accession Would Put Hundreds of Thousands of Families in Difficulty + Video

Hungary's prime minister commemorated the Holy Father and also spoke about Ukraine’s EU accession in his weekly radio interview.

In times of war, the greatest legacy that the warring parties and Western civilization can receive is peace. Pope Francis was a man of peace. He was a man of unwavering courage because standing up for peace brings with it attacks, said Prime Minister Viktor Orban n Kossuth Radio's morning program, commemorating Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday. The Hungarian prime minister recalled that before Donald Trump became US president, only two states had consistently stood up for peace: Hungary and the Vatican. In recent years, the pro-war network kept the the Holy Father under constant attack in an effort to force him to give up his anti-war stance, but he did not. His support gave supernatural significance to truth and peace.

Mourners in the Vatican (Photo: AFP/Alberto Pizzoli)

The Prime Minister highlighted that Pope Francis visited Hungarians twice in Hungary and once in Csiksomlyo (Sumuleu Ciuc). This may have had personal reasons as he also worked with Hungarian nuns and liked us.

When I met him, I could feel that there is a Christian community that connects us, but beyond that, there is another type of sympathy based on nationality,

Viktor Orban said.

It is of great significance for Hungary who the next Holy Father will be, he said, as the Hungarian Catholic Church plays an important role in the life of society: running educational institutions, caring for the elderly, taking an active role in Roma integration, not to mention matters of faith. The prime minister is looking forward to seeing what will happen, but for now, "we are living through the days of grief and mourning over the loss".

War Psychosis in Europe

Speaking about the Russia–Ukraine conflict, he said it would be good to put an end to the war psychosis in Europe. In his view, without the United States, Ukraine has no chance to maintain its current positions. Slovaks and Hungarians support peace, while the others advocate for continuing the war and enhancing  aid. Meanwhile, the Hungarian opposition in Brussels wants Hungary to contribute to the effort with 45 billion forints. "That’s hopeless, a leadership mistake, not a viable idea. It’s only a matter of time before the pro-war forces must take and go down the path where pro-peace countries want to achieve peace,” said Viktor Orban.

Regarding Ukraine’s accession, he stated that the timing of Ukraine becoming an EU member "also depends on us Hungarians". "An order was issued from Brussels to all of Europe. Every party supporting the European Commission argues that Ukraine should be admitted to the EU. The Hungarian opposition even organized a vote on the issue,” the prime minister recalled. This is a current debate in Hungary, he added. The opposition supports Ukraine’s EU accession, but the Hungarian government takes a different stance, saying it would ruin Hungary's economy.

Viktor Orban took the view that it’s better not to let Ukraine’s EU accession reach a phase where it can no longer be stopped. Countries are usually admitted to the EU because current members benefit from it, he explained, that’s why Hungary had been admitted.

"If admitting Ukraine to the bloc would be beneficial to us, we would gladly say yes – but Hungary would not benefit from this."

It would drive down wages in Hungary, and full employment could disappear. Ukraine's accession would destroy Hungary's agriculture, which would shrink dramatically. Hundreds of thousands of families would end up in a very difficult situation. Moreover, Ukraine is such a large country that all the EU funds would go there. Hungary would also become a net contributor, meaning Hungarian contributions would go to Ukraine, PM Orban pointed out.

Independence at Stake

The prime minister recalled MEP Kinga Kollar’s scandalous statements: "We learned another name – someone who, with Gyurcsany-style shamelessness, told Hungarians that every day she works in Brussels in order to block EU funds for Hungary, thus preventing hospital renovations. "We get up every morning to work for our own and our country’s success, for example, to improve public services and have good hospitals. But there are a few dozen people in Brussels who work to make sure none of this succeeds for Hungarians. That is unacceptable – I’d need words stronger than a microphone can bear to describe this. And they get paid for it – 7, 8, 9 million forints a month – for worsening the standard of living for Hungarians,” he pointed out.

Viktor Orban added that Hungary is entitled to EU funds, and 13 billion euros have already been secured. Thanks to this, teacher salaries have been increased. This year, at least 1 trillion forints will arrive, with more to come next year. There is still more than 10 billion euros to secure.

Brussels says that if we were pro-war, admitted migrants, and abandoned child protection, we’d get the money.

"This money will be secured, and we’ll bring it home while preserving our country’s independence," the prime minister emphasized.

In European politics, Manfred Weber sets the tone and direction, the prime minister pointed out. The Tisza Party was admitted to the European People’s Party he leads, and the EPP supports the Tisza Party, for example, by suspending funds for Hungary to lower the standard of living for Hungarians. This will help the Tisza Party to power, and in return Tisza will do all that Brussels wants it to do. "Hungary will no longer be migrant-free, there will be no child protection, Hungary will no longer be in the peace camp, because we will join the countries supporting military operations in Ukraine  – the latter is already part of the Tisza Party’s agenda. Hungary, as an independent state, will cease to exist for a long time, and we’ll become a colony again," PM Orban concluded.

Cover photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Kossuth Radio's studio (Source: Hungarian PM's Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)