PM Orban: This Is Not About Us, But About Peace + Video

In his weekly Friday morning radio interview, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban revealed when he learned that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin would both be coming to Budapest to discuss peace in Ukraine. He outlined what the schedule will look like following the announcement and explained why it is in the interest of every Hungarian that the American and Russian Presidents reach an agreement on peace as soon as possible. He also addressed the possibility of introducing a 14th-month pension bonus and touched on the ongoing debate over taxation.

"Last night I spoke with the American President on the phone, though the news had leaked a little earlier," Viktor Orban said when asked when he learned that Trump  and Putin in Budapest. Speaking on Kossuth Radio’s Good Morning, Hungary! program, the Hungarian Prime Minister added that later during the morning, he will also speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone.

Was Budapest the Only Option

"I spoke with the American president earlier, at the peace summit. We are also putting the finishing touches on an official Hungary-US meeting in Washington. Things are heating up everywhere," Viktor Orban said, describing the current situation.

He continued by saying: "There are many places outside Europe where such negotiations could be held, but

within Europe, Budapest is the only place. 

Hungary is the only pro-peace country that, over the past three years, has openly, loudly, and actively stood on the side of peace. He added that he regretted Pope Francis did not live to see this moment, "because he was the one who most strongly encouraged us to persevere in our commitment to peace and to remain steadfast."

PM Orban recalled that “during the migration crisis, too, it seemed as though we were driving the wrong way down the highway, but in the end, it turned out we were the ones going in the right direction." He emphasized that throughout his long tenure as prime minister, "we have always remained loyal, we never traded our principles for tactical advantages, we never stabbed anyone in the back, even when it came at a cost."

President Trump had a successful negotiation with Russia's President yesterday. The two foreign ministers are now working to resolve outstanding issues, and then they can meet in Budapest a week later.

 

Perseverance and Humility

Asked whether the pressure on Hungary coming from the European Union might ease after the Trump–Putin meeting, Orban said: "This meeting is not about us. Of course, everyone is excited, since it is a major diplomatic event, and Hungary is not just a simple host, but a place where peace might actually be achieved. But this is not about us, it is about peace. This is a story three years in the making. Politics demands many kinds of knowledge—but above all, perseverance and humility. If we persist, things eventually turn for the better, even in the darkest hour."

"It was so during the migration crisis, and it is so now, regarding the matter of war," he said. "There are issues that must be represented even when facing headwinds. The European Union should do the same: sit down and negotiate with the warring sides. The EU should have its own diplomatic channel, just as Hungary has maintained one. We were the only European country that from the beginning said: war is wrong, but that does not mean diplomatic channels should be cut off."

 

Peace Also Pays Financially

PM Orban said Europe should be preparing for peace, not for war. "Europe should have a military force capable of defending us if danger arises,but today, it has none. Europe’s greatest problem is the war. They have already spent 180 billion euros to fund a war where Europeans are killing each other, while the European economy is struggling. The war and its consequences are blocking economic growth."

"I feel the costs and inconveniences are worth it," he said, "because there is nothing from which we can gain more than from peace. It is in every Hungarian family’s interest that the Trump–Putin meeting brings peace."

The Hungarian Prime Minister argued that once an agreement on peace is reached, "Europe’s war plans must be thrown out the window. What is needed is a European security plan, not because we want war, but in order to feel safe. The strategy’s focus must be peace," he said, adding that "It is rare in politics to see such a rapid turnaround of opinion, but why should we not believe that Europeans can still return to the path of common sense?"

 

The Left Always Raises Taxes

Turning to the ongoing debate on taxation, PM Orban said that this is a classic left–right debate. Before 2010, the Left bankrupted the country. Then the Right began a new program, which has been carried through the past fifteen years without any intellectual challenge. "For a long time, there was no real debate of this kind, but now, once again, we are discussing the future of the Hungarian economy. Behind the Tisza Party stands the Left. The essence of left-wing economic policy is tax hikes. The right-wing approach, in contrast, seeks to leave more money in the hands of people and businesses," he said, noting that "the Left now wants to tax pensions and they would raise both corporate taxes and income taxes. Meanwhile, the Right is running Europe's largest tax-cutting program."

"All the experts who want to tax pensions have crawled out around the Tisza Party and the Democratic Coalition. They have always wanted this. We have returned to the Bokros Package," he said, referring to austerity measures introduced in 1995. "The Hungarian pension system rests on two pillars: how long someone has worked and how much contribution they have paid. That determines how much pension they receive. Tampering with this is extremely risky," he warned. "One group feels the system is fair as it is, another thinks it unfair. Early in my career I tried to make changes to it, and it became one of my least successful programs. If more children are born, the system will be more sustainable, but for now, it works. It is stable, guaranteed by both the government and the economy, and I personally guarantee it. I have promised that the value of pensions will not decrease. We must not let mathematicians, theoretical economists, or left-wing ideologues interfere with the pension system. It is about generations—it is about those who carried the country on their backs their whole lives, and who deserve to spend their final decades in dignity," he concluded.

 

A Fourteenth-Month Pension?

The Prime Minister noted that despite the war and stalled economic growth, three programs are underway that would each, on their own, be a global sensation: the fixed 3 percent home loan program, the small and medium enterprise credit scheme, and Europe’s largest family tax relief system.

"We are capable of great things, even under such circumstances," he said.
As for a potential fourteenth-month pension, he explained that "it requires economic strength which hinges on peace. But it remains on the agenda." He clarified that this would not be a pension reform, but "a supplementary bonus to be given to seniors in a fair way."

 

Dual Citizenship: Everyone Benefits

Speaking about the referendum on dual citizenship, PM Orban said he had considered it a great success even at the time, since "the number of 'yes' votes exceeded the 'no' votes." That outcome, he said, formed the basis for the constitutional amendment that granted dual citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living beyond Hungary’s borders. "Bitterness was suddenly turned into something sweet in people's memory."

Hungarians in Hungary also came to understand that if the Hungarian economy is viewed not as the economy of ten million, but of fifteen million—a single national community—then everyone benefits.

"Today," he added, "it is clear to everyone that this benefits all of us: we have a larger economy and more satisfied families. The narrative that seeks to sever Hungary from the ethnic Hungarian communities in neighboring countries can no longer win."

Time for Wealthy Companies and Individuals to Contribute Financially

Commenting on OTP Bank’s financial contribution to a palace renovation, PM Orban said: "It hurts when you pass by a building that once embodied our national greatness but now stands in decay. The condition of our historical buildings is a matter of national self-respect. Thanks to civic governance, prosperous companies and private individuals have emerged, and it is good that they can now contribute to causes the state cannot fully fund."

The building complex was handed over to Godollo University and it will be incorporated into the campus, offering students an extraordinary experience. The Prime Minister encouraged all major Hungarian companies to consider, beyond paying their taxes, similar acts of financial contribution.

Cover photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (MTI/Prime Minister’s Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)