Reflecting on his recent diplomatic mission to Moscow, Prime Minister Orbán underlined that Hungary has successfully secured vital energy guarantees from Russia, ensuring continued delivery of oil and gas through the winter and into next year. This, he said, is crucial for maintaining Europe’s lowest household energy costs.
“We’ve kept the utility cost reduction system intact,” Prime Minister Orbán stated, adding that Hungary is on the right path, seeking to persuade Ukraine to pursue peace for the benefit of Europe as a whole.
He criticized Western strategies that he said treat war like a chess game while civilians pay the price. “The most horrible thing in the world is when a parent has to bury their child,” he said, highlighting the human cost of the conflict. According to the prime minister, Hungary must act in its own national interest, advocating for a ceasefire and peace negotiations that bring the region out from under the shadow of war.
The prime minister warned that a European security architecture built without Hungarian input would be a threat to the nation’s future. “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,” he remarked, insisting on Hungary’s involvement in any peace talks.
Prime Minister Orbán also addressed domestic issues, outlining an ambitious development plan for Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County. A total of 670 billion forints will be invested in the region over the next decade, with aims to boost employment, infrastructure, and growth. “There are fifty thousand more people working here than in 2010,” he noted, while unemployment has halved. However, he acknowledged the region's historical disadvantages and emphasized the government’s commitment to equal opportunity, including recent investment decisions like BYD’s expansion into Southern Hungary.
Turning to the EU, Prime Minister Orbán criticized Brussels for pushing Hungary toward a war-supporting, leftist government. He warned that if the opposition were to take power, they would implement harsh tax increases targeting middle-class and urban voters, especially in Budapest. He linked these policies to leaked plans from the Tisza Party, which mirror longstanding EU demands for a multi-rate tax system, pension taxation, and heavier burdens on entrepreneurs.
“Brussels wants to turn Hungary into a country it can control,” he said, adding that opposition figures are aligned with EU interests rather than Hungarian ones. Still, he expressed confidence in public support, stating that Hungary will win the debate on war just as it did on migration.
Closing his speech, Prime Minister Orbán highlighted the symbolic and cultural strength of rural Hungary. Quoting author Gyula Krúdy, he said, “In the Nyírség, even those whose fathers didn’t speak Hungarian become fiercely Hungarian.” Reaffirming his connection to the region, he concluded, “There’s an old saying: city air makes you free, but village air makes you Hungarian. We need both—freedom and Hungarian identity.”