PM Orban at Anti-War Rally in Nyiregyhaza: City Life Brings Freedom, Countryside Preserves Our Identity

Prime Minister Viktor Orban closed the Digital Civic Circles’ (DPK) major anti-war rally in Nyiregyhaza with a wide-ranging speech. In a conversation with Gyula Tarczy, editor-in-chief of Nyiregyhaza Television and Nyiregyhaza Naplo, PM Orban discussed, among other topics, the details of his Friday visit to Moscow. According to the Prime Minister, Hungary is on the right path—pressing Ukraine to pursue peace in the interests of Hungary and all of Europe. He note that, just as was the case with illegal migration, a growing number of people are coming around to Hungary’s position, and the country will win the debate over the war. He also spoke about defending the nation’s utility price reduction program and the planned developments for the county bordering Ukraine.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the anti-war rally in Nyiregyhaza

PM Orban opened by saying he had just arrived on the Moscow–Nyiregyhaza route—now with the war, a six-hour flight, spending a total of twelve hours in the air yesterday—yet he still felt in good shape. He stressed that three weeks ago in the United States he was negotiating for an exemption from sanctions on Russian crude oil. This time, he said, Hungary needed guarantees directly from Vladimir Putin to ensure that the contracted energy supplies arrive this winter and next year. “We reached an agreement on that,” Viktor Orban noted, “so we can maintain the lowest utility costs in Europe.”

Gyula Tarczy spoke with Prime Minister Viktor Orban upon his return from negotiations in Moscow (Photo: Balazs Ladoczki)

Knowing How to Negotiate

Asked why he once sat at a long table with Putin and this time at a much shorter one, PM Orban explained that the larger a country, the more cautious its leader tends to be about contracting illnesses. He emphasized that one must never approach negotiations with the American or Russian presidents from a position of inferiority. “You must find a way to avoid being in a subordinate role,” he said.

Mr. Orban pointed out that while the United States will celebrate its 250th anniversary next year, he represents a nation more than 1,100 years old. As for Russia, he recalled that they had invaded Hungary multiple times—in 1849, in both World Wars, and again in 1956.

Hungary Is a Different World

Viktor Orban recounted a story Putin had told him about visiting Transcarpathia during communist times, where he saw Hungarians in pressed shirts sitting on a bench—realizing, he said, that this was “a different world.” According to Orban, Putin understands that Hungarians are not Slavic and have a distinct cultural quality that Russians recognize and respect. Moscow, he noted, cares deeply about whether it can trust its partners. Since 2009, Hungary has honored every agreement it signed with Russia—and the Russians have done the same. “The most important thing I can say about the Russian President is that this approach works,” PM Orban stated.

(Photo: Balazs Ladoczki)

Viktor Orban said Russia views today’s geopolitical situation through the lens of losing the Soviet Union and signing agreements with the West that the West did not honor. NATO expansion into Ukraine is, for them, a red line—they do not want a NATO neighbor. “We need power relations that allow us to live in peace and pursue economic growth. For us, the future of Ukraine and Russia is secondary,” he said.

Hungary Must Be at the Table

The Prime Minister argued that Hungary must be present at peace negotiations to prevent a European security arrangement harmful to Hungarian interests. “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,” he warned.

He also highlighted the success of Hungarian businesses—ten major companies now capable of striking strong deals anywhere in the world. And, he added, Hungary opened the door in Moscow to two or three major business opportunities.

PM Orban reiterated that Brussels wants a government in Hungary loyal to Brussels, not to Hungarian interests. "That we are unwilling to give up our interest for theirs causes much ire in Brussels. Immigration policy is a prime example," he said, adding, "Hungarians have decided that the country will not become an immigrant nation, a stance completely at odds with Brussels."

Brussels’ Agenda

The PM criticized Western European efforts to present LGBTQ content to children as a normal lifestyle, calling it an “assault on our children,” citing books like Csipke Jozsika (an LGBTQ rendition of Sleeping Beauty). In his view, Brussels wants all of Europe to become such a continent. Brussels is also working hard for Hungary to have a pro-war government. There are domestic forces in the service of Brussels that would impose heavy taxes and pursue left-wing policies—starting with property taxes that would hit Budapest residents the hardest. "The other option is continuing on our path - the Hungarian path," he said. Meanwhile, the leaked program of the Tisza Party, Orban said, mirrors long-standing Brussels demands: multi-rate taxation, taxing pensions, and increasing burdens on entrepreneurs.   

(Photo: Prime Minister's Office, Communications Department)

He emphasized that this program is essentially Brussels’ wish list translated into Hungarian—and he will not implement it because it is detrimental to Hungarians.  "I don't like to talk much about the opposition because it's boring and lowbrow, but three or four years ago Peter Magyar said that Hungarian youth had never had it as good as they do now. Their bad intentions are evident in their choreography. They are paid from Brussels, where their program was written, and where they are protected by immunity," the Prime Minister reminded the audience.

The Harsh Reality of War

PM Orban said the current war is devoid of all romantic notions of heroism. Western leaders treat the conflict like a chess match, he said, when in fact it is a series of human tragedies. “The most terrible thing in the world is a parent burying their child,” he added.

He mentioned that the U.S. President understands that the war must end. If the conflict spreads, he warned, it will engulf Transcarpathia and its Hungarian community. "People here, in the Nyirseg region," he said, "feel the danger directly. It’s irresponsible to downplay the threat.”

The Moment of Truth Will Come

According to PM Orban, Western leaders want war—they believe Russia can be defeated on Ukrainian soil, paid for with Ukrainian lives and benefiting Western interests. There's a lot of money in war, he said, it has become a lucrative business, with the arms industry growing ever more influential in Europe. If a war is lost on the continent, he warned, the consequences will be grave. “Who will admit that in April 2022, when peace was close, it was the West that prevented it? Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians would be alive today, and Ukraine would have more territory.” He added that when the truth comes out, it will be political “earthquake”—just as it was with the migration issue. “EU countries are wrong; we are right. Now what are they saying about immigration? The same things we have been saying. Deja vu - the same is true about the war: they will come to see that I was right."

(Photo: Balazs Ladoczki)

PM Orban noted that more and more people support Hungary’s stance and that Hungary will win the debate on the war. He also added that both Russia and Ukraine each has a logical point of view, which makes it difficult to establish peace.

"I don't have to think like the Ukrainians, but like the Hungarians. It is in Hungary's interest to have a ceasefire and peace as soon as possible, and for us to escape the shadow of war as soon as possible," he added. According to the Prime Minister, the right path is the one they are currently following, and they are trying to persuade the Ukrainians to make peace in the interests of Hungary and all of Europe.

Development and Opportunity for All

He detailed development plans for the county, totaling 670 billion forints (over €1.7 billion) over the next decade. Compared with 2010, 50,000 more people now work in the region, and unemployment has been cut in half. Meanwhile, Budapest receives 1 trillion forints (over €2.6 billion) in state-funded investments—a level people in the east would be happy even to see half of.

(Photo: Prime Minister's Office, Communications Department / Akos Kaiser)

The PM noted that for historic reasons, eastern Hungary suffers from a mentality of two-fold defeat, compounded by the fact that this is a less developed area of the country. He emphasized that Hungary currently has a “rural government,” with only a few ministers from the capital, and that developing eastern Hungary remains a major national priority. The country, he said, is on an upward path—and southern Hungary must join that trajectory as well, which is why the BYD investment was placed there: to give everyone equal opportunity.

He praised Nyiregyhaza Mayor Ferenc Kovacs for initiating projects the government could support, and highlighted several major investments underway thanks to persistent local leadership. Closing with a quote from writer Gyula Krudy with ties to the area, “This place is a big chunk of national history. (...) Here in the Nyirseg region, even the sons of non-Hungarian fathers become raving Hungarians”. PM Orban said that message still resonates today. Society needs both “city air,” which brings freedom, and “country air,” which preserves Hungarian identity.

He concluded by thanking the people of Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg County, noting that during difficult times, the civic, pro-nation side could always rely on them, as could the country historically. “We can only win the election if we win every seat in this county,” he said.

 

National Tour

The anti-war mass rally in Gyor—part of the national tour organized by the Digital Civic Circles (DPK)—was also a major success. The event, held at the Olympic Sports Park, featured round-table discussions with artists, athletes, and public figures, followed by a speech from Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban also took part in an on-stage interview, during which he spoke, among other topics, about the war in Ukraine. He stressed that Hungary stands firmly for peace because Europe is standing at the threshold of war. According to Orban, Europe’s leaders are about to stumble—are already staggering—into a conflict.

Regarding EU financial support for Ukraine, the Prime Minister then underscored that 

the position the Hungarian government represents is based solely on the interests of the Hungarian people, regardless of what any other country may think.

As is well known, Orban launched the DPK’s nationwide tour in his October 23 National Holiday address, delivered after the record-breaking Peace March in Budapest.

Following the event in Nyiregyhaza, the DPK roadshow will travel to three more cities: Kecskemet on December 6, Mohacs on December 13, and Szeged on December 20.

Cover photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the anti-war rally in Nyiregyhaza