PM Orban: Ukraine’s EU Integration Would Thwart Development in Hungary + Video

Hungary has always been able to count on the countryside, and the countryside can count on the government — this was the message of Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the inauguration of the final section of the M44 expressway. He stated that since 2010, the total number of kilometers of expressway in Hungary has increased by 50%, but the work is far from finished. However, the prime minister also warned that due to efforts by Brussels and the Tisza Party, Ukraine’s possible accession to the European Union could jeopardize Hungarian development projects. He urged everyone to voice their opinion in the upcoming opinion vote on Ukraine’s EU membership.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks at the opening ceremony of the M44 expressway section between the M5 motorway and Szentkiraly near Nagykoros (Photo: Hungarian PM’s Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)

PM Viktor Orban says Brussels and the Tisza Party aim to block Hungarian development (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister's Press Office)

Brussels and the Tisza Party Jeopardize Development

Speaking about the importance of villages, he said there are more than 120 settlements with a population below five thousand in the region, whose residents will be able to reach their destinations more quickly. "Villages are also winners of this development; we should not dismantle them, but build them further up, and for that, good roads are necessary. There are also good railway development projects underway in Hungary— the entire country is being built," he added. However, PM Orban continued by saying that Hungary is facing a serious threat: Ukraine’s EU accession.

This threat is hanging over our heads. Yesterday, a package was submitted in Brussels to fast-track Ukraine's EU accession. I report that our troops are ready to fight in Brussels. If this goes through, then all the money of Hungarians would have to be spent on our eastern neighbor. The cost would be 20 trillion forints—not only would we not receive the EU funds we are entitled to, but even money from the Hungarian budget would end up in Kyiv. So, for a long time, nothing would be built—let alone roads. This is why Voks 2025, the vote on Ukraine’s EU membership, is important,

PM Orban highlighted, urging everyone to take part in the vote.

"In the coming years, the question of Ukraine’s EU membership will be the most important issue in Hungarian politics. The positions are clear: Brussels and the Tisza Party are in favor of Ukraine’s accession, while we, the national forces, are against it. And this has serious consequences. Brussels wants a pro-Ukraine government in Hungary—one that will fulfill its demands. This is what the pact between Brussels and the Tisza Party is about. Brussels is helping to halt Hungary’s economic development in order to propel the Tisza Party to power, and in exchange, the Tisza Party supports Ukraine’s membership and its economic and military assistance," he stated.

According to the prime minister, a new era has begun in Hungarian politics in recent days: Brussels and the Tisza Party have openly admitted that their goal is to destroy the living standards of the Hungarian people. They want an unsuccessful Hungary and are working to this end.

They are working to block the development of 50 hospitals, the improvement of public services, the construction and development of roads and railways. The worse it is for the country, the better it is for them. We will not allow this to happen. We will make Hungary successful, no matter how much they want to thwart our plans. This is a big fight. Along with Ukraine, they too must be stopped. It’s a big task, but we are not afraid,

he said. "Hungary is not part of the past, but part of the future," he said in conclusion, quoting 19th century statesman Istvan Szechenyi, with Easter approaching and thinking of resurrection.

The M44 expressway project is a real success story. Construction has been ongoing since 2016. The first phase of the project, the 61 kilometers between Tiszakurt and Kondoros, was completed in 2019. The section between Kondoros and Bekescsaba was handed over in 2020. The stretch between Lakitelek and Tiszakurt, including the new Tisza Bridge, was opened to traffic in December 2021, while the 4.6-kilometer segment between Lakitelek and Szentkiraly was inaugurated last February.
As part of the project, new grade-separated interchanges are being built where the M44 meets highway 5 and the M5 motorway. As a result, the Kecskemet North motorway junction is being reconstructed, where a new so-called full cloverleaf interchange will be created. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 and will become the largest traffic interchange in rural Hungary.