PM Orban: Hungary Has a Direct Interest in Israel’s Stability

The government has identified ten goals for this year.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Kossuth Radio’s Good Morning, Hungary! program (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister’s Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)

– There have been serious changes across the entire international political arena. A considerable portion of international organizations has turned against the independence of sovereign nation-states, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Kossuth Radio’s Good Morning, Hungary! program in his Friday morning in an interview, in connection with Hungary’s decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Mr. Orban emphasized that the court has become a political tribunal, and he noted that several countries — including the United States — are not members of the court.

 

We do not arrest our guests

– Israel is our friend, and we do not arrest our guests. Moreover, Hungary has never incorporated this international treaty into domestic law,” PM Orban said in connection with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to Budapest.

He emphasized that antisemitism is on the rise in Western Europe, adding that as migration increases, so does antisemitism. In his view, this is why people in the West cannot truthfully claim that they have zero tolerance against antisemitism.

PM Orban emphasized that any conflict in the Middle East also affects Hungary. He added that Israel is a key country for regional stability. Mr. Orban highlighted that the Hungarian state protects all of its citizens. There are citizens—primarily in Budapest—who consider Israel their second home, and they, too, care deeply about what happens there. He said that Israel also presents long-term business opportunities, and Israeli tourists contribute significantly to Hungary’s tourism sector.

Hungary is the safest place for the Jewish community. They enjoy coming here, and they’re happy to spend their money in Hungary,

– he stated.

 

Ten Goals for this Year 

Hungary's prime minister said the government had identified ten priorities for this year: five economic and five political. Mr. Orban listed the economic goals as follows:

• We want to bring down prices.
• We’re introducing the largest tax cut in Europe.
• We’re launching the “100 Factories Program”.
• We have a program to support small and medium-sized businesses with 1,000 billion forints.
• We’re giving pensioners back the VAT they paid on food.

He also listed the political goals:

• Consulting the public about Ukraine’s potential EU membership.
• Putting an end to foreign political financing.
• Strengthening child protection.
• Rolling out an economic development package for small towns and villages.
• Launching a full-scale crackdown on drugs.

There's a comprehensive economic plan that underpins the implementation of these goals: in the first quarter, the Hungarian economy is expected to grow by 0.7 to 0.8 percent, rising to 1.5 percent in the second quarter, reaching 3 percent in the third, and closing the year at 3.5 percent. This forms the foundation for economic growth.

The key to all this is jobs. More people are working in Hungary now than ever before,

– Mr. Orban emphasized.

He noted that even the Roma community is benefiting from increased employment, stating that more Roma people are working now than at any time in the past. In his view, high employment is essential, and he wants to see the number of employed people increase from 4.7 million to 5 million..

 

We Want Peace 

Western Europe pursues a different strategy from Hungary, which advocates for a policy of peace, PM Orban said, adding that “Trump must be supported in bringing about peace.” According Mr. Orban, Western countries have drawn up a massive war plan and want to see major spending on maintaining the Ukrainian military.

We support the strengthening of defense, which requirs a strong economy,

– he said, adding that President Trump had succeeded in at least one thing: that the war would not spread westward, and that the conflict is now contained. Mr. Orban described the war as horrific, noting that its brutality is not fully felt from Hungary. He pointed out that ethnic Hungarians also live in Ukraine—and some are fighting on the front lines. He said he believes Hungary can realize its peace plan even if the European environment is not favorable.

 

Rising Prices Hit Hungarian Families Hard

The government has reached a three-year agreement on minimum wage hikes with the economic stakeholders, PM Orban said, noting that the average gross wage has reached 700,000 forints, still short of his target of one million, but clearly heading in the right direction. At the same time, there are three sectors where the price increases have had a seriously negative impact on Hungarian families:

One of these was food prices, so this is the sector that's required the swiftest intervention, because people need to eat,

– PM Orban said.

The second sector is services, particularly telecommunications, where prices have spiked significantly. Mr. Orban expressed hope that an agreement can be reached with providers to avoid government intervention. “We only need to reach an agreement with three companies,” he said. The third area is banking services. Mr. Orban said the banking sector had enjoyed strong years recently, making it reasonable to expect them to help curb the price hikes. He said he sees a realistic chance of reaching an agreement here.

 

Hundreds of Kilos of Drugs Seized

PM Orban indicated that he had spoken with locals in Tarnazsadány, a place he recently visited as part of central efforts to crack down on drug use. He said that drugs are not some abstract issue, but a concrete, personal problem. He said he spoke with a family where a child had died from rat poison-like synthetic drugs. 

These are serious matters, and people there need help,

– he emphasized. Mr. Orban praised the local leadership in Tarnazsadany, saying the excellent mayor and the strong leaders are doing their best but face a constant battle against drug distribution. 

He thanked the police, reporting that law enforcement officers have carried out over a thousand operations and seized hundreds of kilograms of narcotics.

He added that tackling the drug problem requires a collective effort from society, he added. He also underlined that

authorities will confiscate drugs, seize properties and assets used in the drug trade, and sentence drug traffickers to the harshest prison terms.

There is zero tolerance in this matter,” he declared, adding that the government targets the dealers, not the users.

If there are no drugs, there are no addicts,

– he said. He stated that, in his view, eliminating the trade will drastically reduce the number of consumers, and ultimately, we will reach a drug-free Hungary. He also pointed out that drug use is still illegal in Hungary, but the law provides an option where first-time offenders are not punished if they voluntarily go into rehabilitation.

 

Legal Amendment Coming to Prevent Massive Traffic Jams

Mr. Orban announced plans to introduce a legal amendment aimed at representing the views of non-protesting citizens as well. He emphasized that protesting is allowed, and freedom of assembly is important.

It’s a good thing when everyone can express their opinion, even forcefully, if they choose to,

– Mr. Orban said, adding however, that it’s unacceptable for thousands or even tens of thousands of people to be stuck in traffic jams across Budapest, just because a few hundred people decide to block bridges. The judges are applying the law that Parliament enacted,” he said. “What we can do is one thing: we can change the law to prevent rulings that allow multiple bridges to be closed at once — because that’s what just happened in Budapest,” PM Orban emphasized.

Cover photo: Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Kossuth Radio’s Good Morning, Hungary! program (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister’s Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)