PM Orban: Pro-Ukraine Gov't Would Not Just Drag Hungary Into War And Supply Weapons, But Also Hand Over Hungarians’ Money To Ukraine. We Cannot Allow This! + Video

“Ukrainians threaten Hungary every day, and now intelligence services are also interfering in the election campaign, tapping our foreign minister, infiltrating the Tisza Party, and doing everything they can to install a pro-Ukraine government. If such a government comes to power in Hungary, we can forget the next twenty years. We will defend Hungary and everything that belongs to Hungarians! In 19 days, we will achieve a great victory!” PM Orban emphasized at the Nagykanizsa stop of his nationwide tour.

PM Orban is welcomed by a Peace March in Nagykanizsa (Photo: Zalai Hirlap / Attila Szakony)

Viktor Orban’s nationwide tour continued on Tuesday in Nagykanizsa. The prime minister invited local residents to Erzsebet Square in the city in Zala County.

I ask you to support Peter Cseresnyes with your votes, as he remains a stable ally of mine in governing,

– PM Orban emphasized at the beginning of his forum in Nagykanizsa.

He thanked attendees for their past support and encouraged them to reaffirm the anti-war alliance formed in 2022. He also thanked supporters of the Tisza Party for attending, indicating that he wished to address them as well.

Viktor Orban said the campaign has entered its final stretch, there is little left to weigh, and it is time to move forward; if everyone does their job, we can expect a decisive victory.

He added: “Tisza supporters disparage our work and attack us."

Standing firm is not easy, PM Orban said, stressing that even he is being threatened with soldiers by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Photo: Prime Minister’s Communications Office/Akos Kaiser)

– “They are doing everything they can to ensure that a pro-Ukraine government comes to power in Hungary,” Viktor Orban emphasized, adding that government supporters share a common passion for Hungary, which must now be defended in unity.

For us, the campaign is not a burden but an opportunity for like-minded people to come together,

– PM Orban said. He stressed that all hostility must be rejected. “The past four years have been extremely unjust. They have been about fending off crises we did not cause, crises that have blocked our economy,” he said, adding that it is a shared task to achieve all of their goals.

He added that the war has caused approximately €10 billion in losses for the country, while emphasizing that significant achievements have nonetheless been made. He highlighted that the minimum wage is set to rise by 11 percent even as the economy grows by only one percent—something he said no other European country has achieved.

He also noted that the government not only restored the 13th-month pension but has begun building a system for a 14th-month payment as well. He spoke about Hungary’s commitment to being a family-friendly country and said it will not allow families to be ridiculed. As he put it:

A father is a man, a mother is a woman—there is no debate about that.

He recalled that the child tax benefit has been doubled and that mothers raising at least two children have been granted tax exemptions, adding that families are held together by mothers.

Photo: Zalai Hirlap/Attila Szakony

The prime minister also emphasized the importance of a work-based economy: the goal is not a welfare-based system, but one in which everyone has a job. He noted that in 2010, 3.6 million people were employed, compared with 4.7 million today, and his aim is to reach 5 million by the end of the next term, while the average wage rises to 1 million forints.

Speaking about young people, he said that today it is easier than ever in Hungary to obtain one’s own home. He recalled the reburial of Imre Nagy, when he said that their next twenty years lay in the sixth coffin. Now, he warned young people that 

if a pro-Ukraine government comes to power, they could lose the next twenty years of their lives.

– “The European economy is in trouble, there is no money, so the EU is taking out loans to support Ukraine, backed by member states. Ukraine would only have to repay once it has defeated Russia. This would burden even our grandchildren with debt,” Viktor Orban said, adding that if given a mandate to continue governing, he will continue to resist what he described as the EU’s war-driven mindset.

I will not allow Hungarians to be stripped of their money and have it sent to Ukraine,

– the prime minister emphasized. He added that in the next four years, Hungary must also reckon with the consequences of both the Middle Eastern and Ukrainian conflicts. “It is a major achievement that, despite the Middle Eastern conflict and the Ukrainian oil blockade, we have managed to keep utility prices low and introduce a fuel price cap,” Viktor Orban said. He also warned that, as a result of the Iranian conflict, a new wave of migration can be expected in Europe in the near future.

We must be able to say no to war and illegal migration. At this moment, we need experience and security, and Fidesz is currently the only reliable choice,

– PM Orban said.

Viktor Orban pointed out that long-term governance does not weaken them but rather strengthens them, as experience is essential in the current situation and necessary to meet the challenges ahead. He also said that we are living in a time when security is the most important value, and this must guide decision-making. He emphasized that 

significant forces are mobilizing against Hungary, making vigilance especially important.

PM Orban thanked supporters for their trust, noting that he too is human and that their confidence matters to him. 

He said that based on the achievements of recent years, there is no reason to stop, adding that the country needs a prime minister committed to national interests.

He urged those present to give their full effort over the next 19 days so that a significant victory can be achieved on April 12.

Photo: Zalai Hirlap/Attila Szakony

Peter Cseresnyes, candidate of the Fidesz–Christian Democrat (KDNP) party alliance in Nagykanizsa, said at the beginning of the event that on April 12 voters will also decide whether Hungary will be drawn into a war that has nothing to do with it. The governing parties’ local candidate warned that if the Tisza Party comes to power, the migration pact will follow, bringing thousands of migrants into the country. He said everything achieved so far could be lost if Tisza wins, adding that the party’s representatives have already revealed what they would actually do. He recalled remarks by Zoltan Tarr, Tisza’s vice president, who said they could not reveal their plans because they would lose.

The party’s experts have also let slip what they intend to do. They would abolish the family tax benefit, scrap the utility price caps, and have even called the 13th-month pension nonsense,

– Mr. Cseresnyes said.

The crowd marched for peace in Nagykanizsa ahead of Viktor Orban’s speech. Photo: Attila Szakony/Zalai Hirlap

He added that many fail to appreciate the achievements Hungary has made since 2010. “Tisza supporters take these for granted, but they will last only until they take them away,” Mr. Cseresnyes said, suggesting this may be why Istvan Kapitany, global vice president of Shell, was sent to Hungary.

He also said both the country and the Nagykanizsa region have seen significant development in recent years.

He recalled that Tisza representatives posed in the European Parliament wearing clothing with the Ukrainian national flag. He added that Peter Magyar’s backers speak of Europe needing to fight. Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party group, envisions fighting in Ukraine, and considers Peter Magyar his ally—meaning that if Tisza were to win, the winds of war would reach Hungary’s doorstep.

Photo: Zalai Hirlap/Attila Szakony

At the event, Alpar Gyoparos, the governing parties’ parliamentary candidate, said that Hungarians are capable of unity when needed, and that the essence of Hungarian identity lies in rural areas—making support for the countryside especially important.

Mr. Gyoparos said Zala County has been a major beneficiary of the Hungarian Village Program, with hundreds of road sections and public institutions renovated thanks to the initiative. However, he warned that this progress could quickly come to a halt if the Tisza Party comes to power.

Photo: Zalai Hirlap/Attila Szakony

In fact, the danger is even greater, as they have said that villages should be closed down and eliminated,

– Mr. Gyoparos declared, recalling earlier statements by Tisza Party experts. He added that the party would dismantle rural Hungary.

They want to dismantle the countryside out of revenge, because rural voters consistently support Fidesz–KDNP and Viktor Orban,

– he said, adding that such warnings must be taken seriously and that voters should support candidates who understand rural life and can protect the country in times of trouble.

Photo: Zalai Hirlap/Attila Szakony

Last week, PM Orban visited Kaposvar, Eger, Dunaujvaros, Szentendre, Miskolc, and then Hodmezovasarhely on Sunday, before continuing his program in Kecskemet on Monday. Viktor Orban was greeted by large, enthusiastic crowds at every stop.

Cover photo: PM Viktor Orban was also welcomed by a Peace March in Nagykanizsa (Photo: Zalai Hirlap / Attila Szakony)