The prime minister started off by saying that “we must understand the efforts of the Ukrainian president because his country is in trouble” and that his quarrel was not with Zelensky but with the Hungarian Left, who are responsible for wanting to drag Hungary into war.
On the subject of Russian energy dependence, the prime minister pointed out that this is not only the case with Hungary, as Germany, Austria and Bulgaria, for example, are in the same shoes. If these European countries want to get rid of Russian gas, it is a matter of years. We simply have no choice: It is a question of whether the economy can function or not, he said.
The Left is playing with fire, PM Orbán said, as they would immediately start sending arms supplies to Ukraine and cut off Hungary’s energy sources.
The rise in energy prices, due to Brussels’ misguided energy policy and exacerbated by the current sanctions, would soon lead to a European economic crisis, he warned, highlighting among other things, the food shortages caused by the disruption of grain supplies. “We will tackle this,” the PM said, adding that managing this crisis will be a major challenge for the next government.
“Austerity is a left-wing crisis management tool,” he noted. The national side, on the other hand, introduced tax cuts and created 1 million new jobs; compared to the massive unemployment in the country before 2010, the demand for jobs is now higher than the supply.
“If there is work, there is money. That’s how you manage a crisis.” Regarding family support, he also said Hungary was being held up as an example across Europe.
“The national side is a guarantee of peace; the Left puts us at risk. It has become a secondary issue whether or not we return to our failed past. On Sunday, we have 13 hours to decide Hungary’s future,” the prime minister said.
He also stressed the opposition was committing electoral fraud by sending campaign messages to hundreds of thousands of people without their consent. “I have never seen such fraud in 30 years,” the PM said, adding that “there will be plenty for the lawyers to do after the elections, as this will have to be thoroughly investigated.”
Finally, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that in the last 30 years, there has never been a Hungarian election with stakes this high. “Elections have always been important. But the stakes of war and the possible collapse of the economy are higher than ever,” he said in conclusion.