No to War, No to Funding Ukraine, No to Higher Utility Prices — National Petition Launches

The government is once again seeking the public’s opinion. Every Hungarian will now have the opportunity to say no to financing Ukraine and the war.

PM Orban: Europe Is Not Heading Into War — It Is Already There

In a speech delivered in Kaposvar, Prime Minister Viktor Orban emphasized national unity, while using historical reflections and local development examples to explain the government’s rural policy and economic direction. According to the prime minister, agriculture and food self-sufficiency are matters of national sovereignty, and EU trade agreements—particularly the Mercosur deal—pose a threat to Hungarian producers.

He described Hungary’s utility cost reduction policy as a public service, one the government intends to preserve through investments in energy independence, including the Paks II nuclear project and renewable energy developments, despite constant pressure from Brussels. Addressing the Russia–Ukraine war, PM Orban said 

Europe has already been drawn into the conflict, warning that its financing could become a long-term debt trap. 

This, he said, is why the government launched the national petition to reject war-related obligations.

The petition has gained added urgency following a recent EU summit at which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented a new $800 billion Ukraine financing plan to EU leaders—a proposal that was leaked to the press the following day. According to Csaba Domotor, a Fidesz MEP, the plan effectively subordinates the next decade to Ukraine policy.

Domotor noted that the $800 billion Ukraine package is designed to fund spending both during the war and throughout the postwar reconstruction period.

In the background—or perhaps no longer just in the background—are the international corporations that stand to profit enormously from all this,” the politician said. Citing The New York Times, Domotor claimed that BlackRock could reap massive gains from postwar reconstruction, noting that "the asset management giant is already being involved at the planning stage.

“This activity also explains two things,” Domotor added. “First, why Peter Magyar speaks of enormous economic opportunities tied to Ukraine's reconstruction. Second, why a growing number of candidates are being recruited by his party from major international corporations—whether from a global oil company or a gas trading firm,” he said, referring speifically to Istvan Kapitany and Anita Orban, who have recently been identified as Tisza Party politicians.

Cover photo: Illustration (Source: Facebook)