Bence Retvari: The Left Always Hooks Up with a Foreign Entity + Video

As the Fighters’ Hour continues, on Monday host Balazs Nemeth welcomed parliamentary state secretary Bence Retvari, with whom he discussed, among other topics, the start of the school year.

Guests of this week's Fighters' Hour program (Photo: Fighters' Hour)

“The things that left-liberal fact-checkers are pulling off are unbelievable,” host Balazs Nemeth said at the start of the show. He recalled that in a previous episode he had mentioned that the number of employed under the Orban government rose from 3.7 million to 4.7 million — an increase of one million. The leftist-liberals, however, claimed that the rise was actually from 3.8 million to 4.7 million.

All this is excellent, and considering the challenges — the coronavirus pandemic, three years of war, and the economic strength required to retain all these new jobs — this is a huge achievement for Hungary,

– parliamentary state secretary Bence Retvari responded. 

Groundless Left-Wing Accusations

Regarding the fake news about Viktor Orban’s vacation, Mr. Retvari emphasized that Peter Magyar and the left do not care about any law or regulation; their only goal is to mislead their own supporters.

We’re talking about accusations that have no basis in fact or real data. In fact, even (Tisza MEP) Andras Kulja objected, asking why anyone would bring numbers and data into a debate. Indeed, numbers appear to bother them — especially since two years ago Peter Magyar cited these same numbers to praise how good things were, claiming there’s no better place for young people than Hungary because of the various aids and supports available,

– he recounted. The state secretary also said that the left always attaches itself to a foreign entity, from whom they expect help in election campaigns. “This is the difference between the national side and the globalist side. I think in recent years, this has become clear and obvious to everyone. For us, Hungary always comes first, always the interest of the Hungarian people,” he emphasized.

Responding to Lászlo Keri, a leading voice from the Tisza Party, who claimed that PM Orban wants to “survive as president,” Mr. Retvari stated:

As we used to say as kids: that’s wishful thinking. They want to give news readers the impression that Fidesz won’t win next year. But as we can see, Fidesz–KDNP remains strong and is still the frontrunner in next year’s election. Peter Magyar has long been saying that he has effectively already won the 2026 parliamentary election,

– he listed. He added that another major lie spread by Peter Magyar concerns the imminent departure of national economy minister Marton Nagy. Mr. Retvari emphasized that Peter Magyar is a tabloid-style politician who hears a rumor somewhere and tries to sell it as news. “He usually hears information from Viktor Orban’s family and, naturally, from the innermost circles,” he added, sarcastically.

Baseless Criticism of Lake Balaton

Peter Magyar and his circles are also spreading a lie when they say that Lake Balaton is empty because it’s too expensive for Hungarians. On this, the show referenced Zoltan Guller, head of the Hungarian Tourism Agency, who said there are more visitors at Balaton this year than last year’s record season. Revenues of hospitality establishments have risen by 11 percent, and these figures do not yet include the effect of this weekend’s MotoGP race or the Strand Festival.

Hungarians love going to Balaton, and it’s also an attractive venue to foreigners — Germans, Austrians, Poles, and Czechs,

– the participants of the show noted.

Lies About Education

For years, the left has been spreading the falsehood that education in Hungary is in decline, that teachers are leaving in droves, and that schools cannot find replacements. Bence Retvari stressed that every mid-summer, many teachers are sought because they often change schools or workplaces in the summer. The left tried to create a misleading impression from this.  – “Not long ago, I spoke to a school principal who said that before posting a single job listing, 32 applicants had already applied. Fortunately, many are applying to be teachers, so they can no longer spread this lie with impunity,” he said. It is also false that school cafeteria meals have become significantly more expensive.

When we began governing, 32 billion forints were available to provide free meals for children in need. This year, that amount has risen to over 140 billion, and next year’s budget will increase it further to around 160 billion. Now, children in need can receive free meals not just during the school year, but also during spring, autumn, and winter breaks. Students in need can also participate in the summer meal programs,” 

– the state secretary explained, noting that the overwhelming majority of children in nurseries and kindergartens receive their meals free of charge.

Missed Opportunities Due to the Left

The show also discussed how the left frequently attacks the Otthon Start program. In doing so, they harm their own compatriots, who believe the lies and fail to take advantage of the opportunity. “This program is exceptional in Europe and very favorable for young people,” Retvari explained.

Unfortunately, it’s a bit like when opposition parties said during the coronavirus pandemic that no one should get vaccinated with Eastern vaccines, putting people’s health at risk. Tragically, there were cases because of this,

– the state secretary recalled.

Combating Fake News

In another show later this week, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto will discuss the Ukrainian attacks on the Dhruzba (Friendship) oil pipeline. Later in the week, the state secretary in charge of healthcare, Peter Takacs, returns to refute false claims about Hungary's healthcare system. “And from Janos Boka, I’ll ask why Brussels bureaucrats are so foolish,” host Balazs Nemeth wrote on his social media.

In this week's Fighters’ Hour program, host Nemeth Balazs will speak to two state secretaries and two ministers, as guests 

The show’s memorable first episodes quickly spread on Facebook and other online platforms, reaching hundreds of thousands and then millions of views within days. The first guest was Prime Minister Viktor Orban, but since then other guests have included Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto, Fidesz parliamentary group leader Mate Kocsis , and Health State Secretary Peter Takacs.