Balint Pasztor: We Will Do Everything to Ensure Viktor Orban Remains Prime Minister

According to Balint Pasztor, president of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ/SVM), the existence of a pro-nation government in Hungary is of critical importance to the Hungarian community in Vojvodina. He said the community is bound to Fidesz by decades of strategic partnership, shared conservative values, and the clear experience of the period since 2010, which has shown that the development of Hungarians beyond Hungary’s borders—preserving identity, strengthening education, and boosting the economy—is only possible with the support of a strong national-minded government in Budapest. In an exclusive interview with Magyar Nemzet, Pasztor said the Hungarian parliamentary elections are regarded as their own cause.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, president of Fidesz, delivers a speech at the party's congress at Hungexpo in Budapest on January 10, 2026 (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister's Communication Department/Akos Kaiser)

For the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, it is vital that Hungary be governed by a pro-nation government, Pasztor emphasized in the interview. Decades-long strategic cooperation with Fidesz–KDNP, a shared commitment to traditional conservative values, and the successes of the 2010–2026 period—including historic Serbian–Hungarian reconciliation, support for educational and cultural institutions, and tangible results in economic development for Hungarians in Vojvodina—all demonstrate that only a Budapest government committed to the unity of the nation can provide a stable foundation for long-term planning, identity preservation, and economic strengthening. For this reason, the VMSZ considers the 2026 Hungarian elections its own cause, with the aim of keeping a national-minded government in power.

Balint Pasztor stands by PM Viktor Orban's policies (Photo: MTI)

 Why is it important for the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians that Hungary have a national-minded government in power?

There are several reasons. First, the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians and Fidesz have been strategic partners for decades. Second, we share the same values—and here I do not mean only the VMSZ/SVM as a political party, but the overwhelming majority of the Hungarian community in Vojvodina as well.

“We share the same values as Fidesz and Hungary’s national government: traditional, right-wing, conservative values."

“Third, the past fifteen years have proven that Hungarian communities beyond the borders can only develop if, on the one hand, they have strong political representation in their homeland, and on the other hand, Hungary has a national government that thinks in terms of a unified nation. Only then is it possible to plan for the future and implement meaningful measures to preserve identity and promote economic development. That is exactly what happened between 2010 and 2026.”

Looking to the future also requires looking back. How did Viktor Orban and the Hungarian government support Hungarians beyond the borders, especially those in Vojvodina?

I would highlight three specific areas. The first is the historic Hungarian–Serbian reconciliation achieved in 2013 and 2014. This would not have been possible without Viktor Orban, Istvan Pasztor, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. That reconciliation made possible the joint nation-building that has defined the past decade.

Second is identity preservation—whether in education, cultural institutions, dormitories, or the renovation of church buildings. In all these areas, the financial support of Hungary’s national government was indispensable and outstanding.

The third area, which delivered the most tangible results in Vojvodina and later expanded, to varying degrees, to other Hungarian communities abroad, is economic development.

Between 2012 and 2015, Istvan Pasztor, late VMSZ president, oversaw the development of the economic strategy for the Hungarian community in Vojvodina. Over the past ten years, 

with financial support from the Hungarian government, more than 16,000 successful applicants—Hungarian farmers, families, and entrepreneurs in Vojvodina—have been able to realize their economic plans. This resulted in roughly €500 million in development, supported by €250 million in non-repayable grants from Hungary.

For this reason, last year we prepared a second economic development plan covering the 2026–2033 period. It outlines a clear vision for the future of Hungarians in Vojvodina, so that together with Hungary’s national-minded government we can achieve results similar to those seen between 2015 and 2025.”

Can Hungarian–Serbian cooperation be described as exemplary in Europe?

It can be stated that what Hungarians and Serbs have achieved together is something that, on a global scale, only Germans and French—or Germans and Poles—have managed. Cooperation is ongoing in the economy, infrastructure development, energy, defense, and many other fields. We are talking about a strategic partnership and alliance that is unique in this part of Europe.

“Viktor Orban must remain prime minister, and Fidesz–KDNP must form the government.”

VMSZ is preparing for a challenging year. There will be elections in Hungary and, it seems, in Serbia, and let's not forget that there will also be elections to the National Council. What do you expect from 2026?

I am confident that Hungarians in Vojvodina will once again be guided by common sense and normalcy, as they have been for decades. This should result in the Hungarian community in Vojvodina demonstrating its strength on three occasions this year, in order to secure legitimacy and a mandate to continue managing the community’s affairs.

The three occasions are the Hungarian parliamentary elections—which we treat as our own struggle, and for which we will do everything to ensure that Viktor Orbán remains prime minister and that Fidesz–KDNP forms the government—the National Council elections, and a possible early parliamentary election in Serbia. In the latter case, it is crucial that the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians retain its status as a parliamentary party and its strength, so that an independent Hungarian parliamentary caucus can be formed after the elections.

Support from Hungary’s national-minded government is essential, but so is maintaining strong legitimacy and political strength at home, ensuring that the Hungarian community in Vojvodina continues to be a decisive force in Serbia.

Cover photo: Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, president of Fidesz, delivers a speech at the party's congress at Hungexpo in Budapest on January 10, 2026 (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister's Communication Department/Akos Kaiser)