"Europe has fallen asleep," the prime minister said, emphasizing that the French President and German Chancellor should already have met with President Vladimir Putin to seek an end to the war in Ukraine. "This war is taking place in Europe, not overseas. It is in our interest to bring it to an end."
According to Prime Minister Orbán, only a direct and high-level dialogue can lead to a ceasefire: "The Trump-Putin meeting is good news, because without them there will be no ceasefire. But it should not be America alone. Europe must act as well."
The interview came at the end of a politically and economically dense week. The prime minister introduced the details of the Home Start housing loan program, launching in September, which he framed as a strategic tool to reverse Hungary's demographic decline and strengthen families. "In the West, they want to solve the problem with migration. We don’t like that.”
Listing the problems Western cities are facing due to this approach, PM Orbán said, migration “changes cities—more foreigners than local children in the schools, terrorism risks, declining public safety.”
“We will not solve our demographic issues with migration—we will support (Hungarian) families," he stressed.
The newly introduced measures offer significant financial advantages. The tax-free status of maternity and childcare allowances now brings a net gain of up to HUF 78,000 per month for those making an average income. The updated housing loan, with a fixed 3 percent interest rate, can save up to HUF 150,000 monthly on a HUF 50 million loan.
"There is no exchange rate risk, no interest rate risk. It’s in forints," Prime Minister Orbán noted. He added that young people now renting can find themselves paying less in monthly installments than they would for rent. "The Hungarian dream is to own a home,” not a monthly rental.
Responding to criticism that the new scheme will increase housing prices, the prime minister dismissed such concerns as misinformed. "They haven’t read the decree. Or they could just call Miklós Panyi," he remarked, calling the attacks from the Tisza Party politically motivated and based on falsehoods. "Those who attack this program have never built anything like it. We won’t be buying luxury apartments. There’s a cap on price per square meter. This is for people who don’t own property."
Turning again to the war, Prime Minister Orbán reiterated his belief that Hungary must continue pushing for peace. "I already wanted to launch these economic programs in March, but we had to add safeguards. Still, we cannot wait for the war to end. We must act now."
In closing, the prime minister touched on international disinformation campaigns, including one orchestrated against Donald Trump. "It’s a scandal—state organs were used to spread fake news. And similar things are being done against Hungary. They want a government here that Brussels likes, not one the people chose. But there are serious ways to resist."