Addressing speculation around his recent Kötcse remarks — “nothing will be forgotten, everything will be recorded, everything will be settled” — he explained the message was aimed squarely at those who fail to put the national cause above all else.
“Those who do not subordinate everything to the common victory, we will not forget that,” PM Orbán said, adding, “I’ve never seen a community where everyone fully subordinated themselves to shared goals.”
Pressed on whether such disloyalty exists within Fidesz, the prime minister was blunt: “Every party has them—Fidesz is no exception.”
He also reflected on his 2018 statement at a peace march where he promised “moral, legal, and political satisfaction” after the elections. “Satisfaction means not being harsher than those who were harsh with you,” PM Orbán said. “There is a difference between satisfaction and revenge—if it turns into revenge, that’s not good.”
When discussing government composition, the prime minister dismissed the idea of rewarding past service. “I never build a government based on past merits,” he said. “I look at the challenges ahead and how best to respond. That’s why sometimes we have super ministries, other times more portfolios.”
The interview also tackled recent criticism of the national consultation, with some on the left calling it election fraud. PM Orbán dismissed the claims. “It makes no sense to accuse us before even seeing the questions,” he said.
On media scrutiny of Hatvanpuszta, the estate belonging to his father, the prime minister was unfazed: “My life is an open book. I can only show what is mine.” He described the controversy as trivial compared to past attacks: “This propaganda harassment is nothing. I’ve been through worse—this is just an easy afternoon tea.”
He also took aim at MP Ákos Hadházy, saying, “He’s done nothing except sniff around after me, and he used to be one of us.”
On the recently introduced Tisza tax proposal, the prime minister warned against populist fiscal policies. “I’m not a fan of tax increases,” he said. In his view, that's not because it would mean tax increases for right-wing businessmen. “If you look at where the capital is concentrated, it’s 50-50 [with the political left and right]. You can’t pin this on the right alone.” He added, “I wouldn’t name the left-wing oligarch families, that’s Mr. Hadházy’s job.”
Turning to unemployment policy, PM Orbán defended the three-month jobseeker support rule: “There’s nothing wrong with it,” he said. “After three months, people can ask the municipality for public work. They’ll get it immediately, and we also offer training.” He emphasized, “We want to help people get out of unemployment. If someone wants to work, they can. There’s more work than workers—employers are out there lassoing candidates.
On the lack of policy debate in the current campaign, the prime minister was critical: “This isn’t a policy debate—it’s deception,” he said, referring to opposition candidates who delay revealing their programs. “You can’t tell voters: ‘I can’t say what I’ll do because then I’d lose the election.’ That’s not a debate—it’s a scam.”
Asked whether he had fulfilled the economic action plan he promised at the start of the year, PM Orbán replied: “Everything I promised has been done—just half a year later than planned. From July 1, we delivered on pensions, family support, tax cuts—everything. And all of it has solid economic backing.”
Finally, on the war in Ukraine, the prime minister was firm: “The question isn’t whether Russia has won,” he said. “We need a comprehensive agreement. Only diplomacy can end this war.” He warned that European strength is not yielding results due to poor leadership: “Europe is stronger, but failing. That’s clearly a leadership failure.”