PM Orban: Voks 2025 is a Force, the Power of a Nation that Cannot Be Ignored, Sidestepped, or Brushed Aside + Video

– Votes on Ukraine’s EU accession can be cast until midnight. Those who haven’t voted yet should follow the example of those who already have, Prime Minister Orban emphasized in his radio interview this morning. He underlined that the question of enlargement is being decided now — and that is why the decision must also be made now. At next week’s EU summit, the government will again stand up for the Hungarian people’s interests, while Brussels, acting on behalf of multinational corporations, continues to exert pressure on Hungary across more and more areas. If they take away our veto, that would mark the end of a thousand-year-old Hungary, Mr. Orban warned.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Kossuth Radio's studio (Photo: MTI / Prime Minister’s Press Office / Benko Vivien Cher)

Regarding the Israel-Iran conflict, PM Orban emphasized that Iran is located along strategically critical trade routes through which 20 to 30 percent of global commerce passes. It is a powerful, large, and ethnically diverse country. Should Iran collapse, the result would be destabilization, he warned. If war causes Iran to disintegrate, the conflict won’t remain inside Iran’s borders — it will spread to numerous neighboring countries. He warned that the real danger is that a significant portion of the world could become ungovernable.

Brussels Sides with Multinationals

“If we can’t import gas from Russia, household utility costs will jump two and a half times,” the prime minister said, referring to planned EU sanctions that would ban Russian oil and gas imports. He stated that Brussels is pushing policies that run counter to Hungarian interests — and those policies must be opposed.

Since EU sanctions require unanimous approval, PM Orban previously vetoed the energy-related decision. “Now they want to take that power from us — something we fought hard to secure. They plan to do it using a trick: by calling it a trade policy decision, not a sanction. That’s an affront to the rule of law as understood in Brussels.”

If majority voting were to prevail in the EU, and if Hungary were stripped of its veto rights, that would mean the end of Hungary’s thousand-year-old statehood. This is a matter of historic consequence,

– PM Orban pointed out. 

He also noted that Brussels wants to eliminate the interest rate cap in Hungary because it causes 55 billion forints in losses to banks. But that money stays with Hungarian families, shielding them from bankruptcy, the prime minister stressed. The interest rate cap affects roughly 300,000 families. According to Orban, the cap must remain in place until the central bank can lower the base rate. “This is one of our battles in Brussels—they don’t care about Hungarian families,” the prime minister said.

In terms price margin regulation, Mr. Orban explained: without it, consumers would have to pay 20 percent more for basic goods. The government has imposed a 10 percent cap on how much markup multinational chains can add to prices, but they want more profit. “That’s unjustified,” Orban stated. “There is a breaking point where people go under — where families suffer economic damage. The Hungarian government must intervene on their behalf.”

Brussels always stands with the multinationals. The margin cap is a tool that protects families’ livelihoods — it’s good for Hungarian families

– "So we’re not going to scrap it, even if they'll sue us in the EU court. And by the time the case concludes, we hope prices will have normalized,” Mr. Orban said.

Ambitious Goals Set

PM Orban emphasized that if the world was to go up in flames, then the budget designed for peacetime must also be revised. He described next year’s budget as “a budget of intent”—arguing that even in hard times, a government must set goals. The government, he said, has set ambitious goals and will not sit by idly to just watch as global events unfold. 

As of July 1, the child tax credit will be increased by 50 percent. Starting in August, both maternity leave (GYED) and childbirth allowance (CSED) will be tax-exempt. In towns with fewer than 10,000 residents, local government workers’ salaries will rise by 15 percent—and again by another 15 percent in January. Also in January, the child tax credit will be raised by another 50 percent, and parents with two or more children will be permanently exempt from paying income tax, Mr. Orban said, listing the measures.

There are goals that matter to Hungarian families—and the government must achieve them,

– the prime minister emphasized.

Cover photo: Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Kossuth Radio's studio (Photo: MTI / Prime Minister’s Press Office / Benko Vivien Cher)