International Media Erupts Following Viktor Orban’s State of the Nation Address

It was not only Europe that took notice of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s annual State of the Nation speech—media outlets around the world followed closely. From Germany to the United States to Indonesia, numerous publications highlighted and quoted the Hungarian leader’s remarks.

Based on international coverage, it appears that PM Orban’s address sent shockwaves through the Western liberal establishment.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban's annual State of the Nation address (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister's Communication Department/Akos Kaiser)

The American newspaper The Washington Times emphasized that the Hungarian prime minister praised President Donald Trump for creating an environment in which "fake nongovernmental organizations" and “bought-and-paid-for ” journalists, judges, and politicians can be held accountable. 

Another major U.S. daily, The Washington Post, chose as its headline one of the speech’s most striking lines: 

the European Union—not Russia—poses the greatest threat to Hungary.

PM Orban’s remarks also drew attention in Indonesia, where Ipot News identified his pledge to confront pseudo-civil organizations as a central theme of the address. The outlet also cited his statement that the “Brussels machinery of oppression” continues to operate within Hungary.

Germany’s Die Welt quoted Viktor Orban’s comments regarding the Tisza Party, in which he described it as a creation of Brussels and suggested that German political actors understand the need for a compliant Hungarian partner.

PM Orban: Europe Is Not Part of the World's Transformation

Meanwhile, Euronews opened its coverage by noting Orban’s assertion that, for the first time since the invention of the steam engine, Europe is not actively participating in the transformation of the global order. However, the prime minister expressed confidence that Hungary has a chance to emerge from this period stronger.

The report also recalled PM Orban’s remarks from last year’s address, in which he said that 

as an ally of Donald Trump, Hungary would walk on the “main street of history,” while his political opponents would wander down muddy side streets—a prediction he now argues has come to pass.

In its coverage, Bloomberg cited Orban’s warning that the Tisza Party would pave the way for Hungary to be drawn into the Russia–Ukraine war. The outlet also quoted his claim that corporations such as Shell and Erste are “toll collectors of death” and “dogs of war” profiting from the conflict.

Cover photo: Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister's Communication Department/Akos Kaiser)