– "Some two million and a few hundred thousand people have already expressed their opinion on Ukraine’s EU membership — that shows how important the Voks 2025 ballot really is," PM Viktor Orban told public Kossuth Radio on Friday morning. He encouraged those who haven’t yet voted to follow the example of those who have. There is still time to participate in Voks 2025 until midnight tonight.
He reminded listeners that the entire European Union — including the Tisza Party and the Democratic Coalition (DK) — supports Ukraine’s EU membership. The prime minister warned, however, that fast-tracking Ukraine’s accession poses real threats to everyday life. If Ukraine becomes a full member of the EU by 2030, farmers would lose their land-based subsidies and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian workers would flood into the union, he said, listing the risks.
It’s going to be an ugly job,
– Mr. Orban said, with regard to the upcoming European Council summit, where Ukraine’s accession will be the main topic. The prime minister expects a fierce debate, hopefully within intelligent bounds. He said this is a situation where experience matters, and since Hungary’s government has been in place longer than any other in the EU, “there is strategic calm.” But strength is needed too, he added — strength that comes from knowing what the Hungarian people think. “It matters whether, when I speak up, I represent the government or the will of a nation. That’s a power that cannot be ignored or brushed aside,” he said firmly.
“This decision must be made now—because the question is being decided now,” he said, justifying the need for Voks 2025. He added: “Once the EU starts down a path, it can’t be stopped — it’s a steamroller that flattens everything in its way.”
The EU must not be underestimated, and we must not let it gain momentum.
According to PM Orban, the dynamic is the same everywhere: there are the national forces that oppose Ukraine’s membership, reject migration, and do not want to hand powers over to Brussels. But there's also another group that supports Ukraine, backs migration, and advocates for even more rights to be given to Brussels.
Patriots on one side, federalists on the other,
– the prime minister observed.