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)

The newest and final section of the M44 expressway has been completed. At the opening event, Viktor Orban emphasized that the government is fulfilling a long-standing promise to the residents of Bacs-Kiskun and Bekes counties. He recalled how important these areas were in toppling communism and regaining Hungary’s independence. He also mentioned one of the early milestones leading to the formation of the Fidesz Party: the first student seminar in Szarvas, back in 1985. Orban noted:

Reaching Bekes used to take half a day. Every post-communism Hungarian government promised to remedy the situation. In 1990, the old route 44 was upgraded from a secondary to main route. 

Viktor Orban: Urban air makes us free, rural air makes us Hungarian

"But the real work began - and making good on this promise - in 2014 under the patriotic government. At the time, we entrusted Janos Lazar with solving the problem," Orban recalled. Since 2016, the M44 has been developed section by section, finally linking Szentkiraly in 2024. However, although from Budapest to Bekescsaba the connection is finished, the reverse direction is not yet complete. He hopes that will be resolved next year.

We’ve built over 125 kilometers of expressway, creating faster and more comfortable connections. We’ve improved the quality of life for people living here - you certainly deserve it. You are hardworking, ambitious, patriotic people who love their country. They say that taking in urban air makes you free, but this place and you are living proof that breathing rural air makes you Hungarian. Hungary could always count on the people who live here, and I personally thank you for the support I have received from you. Today proves that you too can count on the national-minded government,

the prime minister said.

"The Kunsag is the Heart of the Country"

Viktor Orban also highlighted that the Kunsag region is central to Hungary, "providing more than agricultural products and the beauty of the Great Plains, it’s also become an industrial hub — with the Mercedes factory in Kecskemet, many automotive suppliers, the Univer food industry company, as well as the Szarvas factory producing the classic stovetop espresso maker, found in every Hungarian household,” he joked, adding that its signature aroma of slightly burnt rubber was part of the charm. "The headquarters of Duna Aszfalt, without which we wouldn't be standing here are located in the vicinity," he remarked. 
He pointed out: 

while factories are closing across Europe, Hungary is opening and expanding them — supported by infrastructure like this new expressway. With the M44 comes more opportunities, more work and more resources. The last major labor reserves in the country are in this region. We want to create opportunities and bring them into the economic bloodstream,

Viktor Orban said. He also noted that over the years, Hungary has become a country of road construction. "Since 2010, the kilometers of expressway have increased 1.5-fold and we have doubled state assets. We also decided that every county capital will be accessible by expressway. Today, with the M44, Bekescsaba joins this club." But the work does not stop here, the prime minister stressed. 

We will widen the M1, M3 and M7 motorways to three lanes, but we will also build the M8 motorway, which will also pass through here without going through Budapest,

he said.

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.