PM Orban: Even Oil Blockade Won’t Bring Hungary's Economy to Its Knees Before Election + Video

PM Orban was a guest at the Megafon Club.

PM Orban at the Megafon Club event, on February 25, 2026 (Photo: PM'S Press Department)

– “I expected some dirty tricks during the campaign. I thought the intensity of personal threats would increase,” Prime Minister Viktor Orban said at the Megafon Club event. According to Mr. Orban, the possibility that Ukraine - with Brussels’ help - could cut Hungary off from cheap Russian oil has become a tangible risk. However, he called this a risky move on Ukraine’s part.

We’ve accumulated enough reserves that the Ukrainian government cannot create chaos before the elections; even with an oil blockade, they cannot force the Hungarian economy to its knees before the vote,

– Mr. Orban said. He added that Hungary protects its critical infrastructure even in peacetime, and that heightened security measures had to be ordered today. Orban recalled that four years ago, something passed over Hungary toward Croatia, prompting the establishment of a defense system to protect the country against such potential attacks.

Photo: Prime Minister’s Communication Department

PM Orban pointed out that there is a supplementary pipeline coming from Croatia that can now bring oil into Hungary. The government is waiting for incoming tankers to refill the strategic reserves. He noted that while the situation is challenging, Hungary also has leverage over Ukraine. “They need to be discouraged from taking these actions. That’s why the Ukrainians are making threats,” he said.

Ukraine's money runs out in April

PM Orban emphasized his belief that there is no physical obstacle preventing the pipeline from operating. He said Ukraine has enough money to cover losses from the Druzhba oil pipeline disruption only until April. He added that until the oil shipments resume, any sanctions packages against Russia will not even be put on the agenda. He also cited another “strong card”: the electricity system. 

“Ukraine gets roughly 30–40 percent of its electricity from Hungary,” he said. 

We also have Hungarians living abroad, and we would not like to put them if any difficulty. 

De However, the "technical capability" exists, Mr. Orban stressed. 

He also addressed the impact on Hungarians if cheap Russian oil were to disappear permanently. Prices would rise, and industrial jobs would vanish due to high energy costs – just like in Poland and Germany.

A compromised man cannot resist the pressure

PM Orban explained that political leaders have more room to maneuver than people are usually led to believe. He added that, although it is difficult, some positions can be enforced. When the war loan to Ukraine was halted, he was also berated for everything. But, in his view, this can be endured. It is a matter of political courage and freedom. However, if someone is a captured man, they cannot do this.

The prime minister noted that Europe wants to send military units to Ukraine. This is not as far off as many think. The question is whether the conditions for staying out will be met. Orban’s calculations indicate this will be the last election before the war. He also said that Ukraine’s EU membership would entail military actions for Hungary as well.

What's at stake in the election

Orban then addressed what the stakes of the election mean for the people. He said an election is about a person’s basic hopes, but there are times when the goal is to avoid a bigger disaster.

Hungary’s security is what's at stake,

– he declared, adding that, given the current situation, much depends on what happens, but one thing is certain: it will be a wartime scenario. EU leaders will have to decide between war and peace. He reminded that we have grown unaccustomed to such questions over the past eighty years, but now they are relevant once again.

Standing Up Against the War

According to PM Orban, all the recent government measures are connected to standing up against the war. As examples, he cited the 11-percent minimum wage increase and the personal income tax exemption for mothers. He said these measures could have been introduced in peacetime as well, but because of the war he felt it was particularly necessary to do so now. The goal is security for Hungarians.

Viktor Orban reported that they have gained strength in nine electoral districts. As he put it,

 the plan is to be the strongest on election day.

He added that there are three possible responses to international forces. Ferenc Deak once said he could fight even without hope. He would spare himself and Hungary from that. On the other hand, there is a greater force on our side: we defend our interests and decide what we will not yield on. Thirdly, quoting Ronald Reagan, he said: we win, they lose. Reagan outlined this against the Soviet Union at the time.

Patriots Are Gaining Strength

According to PM Orban, the plan was to perform well in the 2024 European Parliament elections and to establish the Patriots alliance, which they have done. In the meantime, the American shift they had hoped for took place. There was a shift in Slovakia; Babis won in the Czech Republic. In Poland, the shift occurred at the presidential level, while the government is struggling. The Italians are with us, he added. He said they are now awaiting a breakthrough in France. Early elections could be called at any time, he said, but in 2027 the Patriots’ candidate could also have a strong chance in the French election. Then a situation could emerge in which they would no longer have to constantly adapt but would instead hold a majority. They would have at least as much strength as their opponents, and negotiations on reorganizing the European Union could commence.

We are not playing for defeat, we are not playing for luck, we do not want to win battles but a war

– he declared.

One-Time Payment of 150,000 Forints for Teachers

Viktor Orban also addressed the situation of teachers. He pointed out that earlier today a one-time payment of 150,000 forints was approved. In response to a question, he then explained how NATO operates and whether there is reason to fear a war initiated by the alliance. He emphasized that NATO is a military, defensive alliance. Member states have no obligation to participate in any action outside the alliance’s territory. As an example, he cited Iraq, when after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks not all member states joined the United States in its attack. At the same time, this is why the idea of Ukraine’s NATO membership is dangerous, because if it were to join, a war would then become unavoidable.

Photo: Prime Minister’s Communication Department

The prime minister then addressed one indirect danger of a potential change of government: the loss of national identity. He pointed out that Tisza has a slogan that is true: they want regime change. However, he argued that 

there are only two systems: the Hungarian and the Brussels system. In the latter, there is no place for national identity,

– all cultural programs that strengthen it would be eliminated. Starting from the old left, he believes they would likely cite financial reasons and dismantle funding that way. In his view, everything that is Christian, religious, or work-based would likewise be cut.

– No one should be hoping that they'll get a government just like the current one, except even better. At most, we may get a different government – he stated.

There's Plenty of Work To Be Done 

According to the prime minister, slowly but surely everyone is realizing that the possibility of continuation lies ahead. Viktor Orban said many analysts believe high voter turnout does not favor them, but he thinks it does. Because we are the majority.

Viktor Orban said there is a view that things can only get better. As he put it, you cannot keep the plane on autopilot because it will crash into the ground. He said we are facing a four-year period during which the war will continuously pose a threat. There is no universal solution in his pocket, only work. In his view, the current campaign is about which of the opposing sides can mobilize more of its supporters.

As he put it, local intellectual engagement in politics has not been this important in a long time. The same approach cannot win people over in one town as in another. The prime minister has no doubt that at the last moment the result will tip in their favor, but until then a great deal of work is required. The opposition lies continuously, without inhibition or shame. This is a new situation; Hungarians have not faced such an intellectual challenge before.

PM Orban emphasized that in the east-Hungarian city of Debrecen two mandates are seem secured, and they are fighting for the third.

Ukrainian Army Is a Serious Threat

A man from the audience spoke up who had previously lived in Germany. He said he was happy to return home and, as he put it, could “only validate the prime minister’s work.” Upon returning, he joined the territorial defense reserves, and his question was what kind of threat the Ukrainian army poses to Hungary. Viktor Orban’s answer was brief and to the point: “a serious one.”

He explained that a Russian–European security agreement must be concluded in any case. If this does not happen, an arms race will begin “that will cost us even our shirts.” In his view, a nuclear power can only be bound by a peace agreement, and at the European level a level of armament must be defined that would also apply to Ukraine.

As he put it, he would not like to live next to a Ukraine with an army of 800,000, because such a force would pose a constant security challenge. Moreover, he argued, we are talking about a state that does not truly function as one – since by definition a state must be able to sustain itself. Ukraine cannot do so, which is why financial aid packages must be sent and it must be maintained from the outside. PM Orban pointed out that such a state simply cannot be trusted.

Photo: Prime Minister’s Communication Department

At the same time, he believes Ukraine is not the key issue; European security is. – Hungary’s interest is that the Ukrainian army be as small and as regulated as possible – he emphasized.

We Must Sober Up

PM Orban said the Germans “could stand to sober up from time to time,” arguing that risk-taking has limits that should not be crossed. He added that when German tanks appeared on the front lines with Ukrainian crews, he couldn’t help but think that “in Moscow, they have their own thoughts about that.” The prime minister recalled that Europe had once vowed such scenes would never happen again. Yet now, he said, both the president of the European Commission and the German chancellor are “beating the drums of war.”

He added that “we would not be up to our necks in war if this were not a German Europe. The American Democrats bear primary responsibility, as they're the ones who “pushed the Germans into the war,”

- he said. According to Viktor Orban, the homeland must be defended. He believes voluntary service is a fantastic thing and in Hungary’s interest. Those who undertake it deserve recognition for their determination. However, young people must prepare themselves for the fact that smoothing out this situation will not take one or two years. The coming years will be difficult, and in his view it may take three or four years before things settle. If more people vote for the Tisza Party, then it will not be three or four wasted years but twenty. He recalled that after 2002 it took eight years for them to return. Now they would have to fight to restore things and also confront international forces. The stakes of this election, therefore, are not merely the next four years.

Election Prospects: Only Through Hard Work May One Win

Regarding election prospects, he said he sees the issue in three dimensions. The first is a civilizational question, where he is convinced that what Fidesz represents enjoys a large majority. Examples include migration, a work-based society, the family as the fundamental unit of society, and gender issues. The second dimension is the present, including tax benefits and home-creation programs. The third is the future, which is about making people aware that security is better than change.

He said that if elections were held tomorrow, Fidesz–KDNP would win 65 districts and there are 10 more where they would fight with very good chances. He recalled that last time they won 87 districts – and he would not want to settle for less than that.

We have accomplished everything we promised, and we can account for all of it,

– PM Orban declared, assessing the cabinet's past term.

At the same time, he warned that even if they are in a strong position, overthinking can lead to mistakes. In his view, this election can only be won through hard work. He stressed the importance of mobilization, saying they must reach people who, because of their life circumstances, do not focus much on politics. They must knock on their doors and explain what is at stake in the election.