Speaking on the first day of the official campaign period for the April 12 parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Orbán recalled that he first attended a political event in Békéscsaba in 1989 during the campaign for the “Four Yes” referendum. He described the southeastern Hungarian city as a place where victory requires full commitment.
Under Fidesz–KDNP governments, national public assets have doubled, Prime Minister Orbán said.
Referring to Békéscsaba’s history, the Prime Minister recalled that in September 1944, 56 bombers dropped 607 bombs on the city, claiming around 100 lives. War arrives faster than people think, he said, stressing that the key is to stay out of it from the very beginning.
“If you have a good government and national unity, you can stay out of war,” Prime Minister Orbán stated.
He said the war in Ukraine continues amid differing narratives about its origins. According to the Ukrainian position, Russia seeks to occupy their country, while Russia argues it is fighting against Ukraine’s NATO membership, he noted.
Prime Minister Orbán emphasized the human cost of the conflict, stating that approximately 9,000 people are killed or seriously wounded each week. He added that the European Union is seeking to provide enough financial support to prolong the war for another two years.
“If Western Europeans supported peace, this war would already be over,” he said, arguing that several European governments are politically unable to admit strategic miscalculations.
Prime Minister Orbán warned that Ukraine’s accession to the European Union would draw Hungary into the war and seriously harm its agricultural sector. He reiterated that Hungary exercised its veto when 26 member states supported opening accession talks.
According to the Prime Minister, Ukraine is interested in a change of government in Hungary that would support its EU membership and provide financial and military assistance.
“We will not go with them, we will not collapse. The country will continue to develop,” he said.
Prime Minister Orbán described the suspension of oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline as an “energy weapon” in Ukraine’s hands. He said Hungary had taken countermeasures, including halting fuel supplies to Ukraine and blocking a 90-billion-euro EU war loan package.
He also noted that a significant share of Ukraine’s electricity supply comes from Hungary, suggesting that further measures remain possible if necessary.
“We cannot be blackmailed. We will not be intimidated by a few loud Ukrainian politicians,” Prime Minister Orbán declared.
Turning to domestic issues, Prime Minister Orbán said the protection of household finances is at stake in the upcoming election. Without affordable Russian energy, fuel prices would rise to 1,000 forints per liter and utility bills would quadruple, he argued.
He rejected claims that Hungary could maintain low utility prices while ending purchases of Russian gas, describing such assertions as unrealistic.
Prime Minister Orbán defended what he called the “Hungarian model,” under which special sectoral taxes were imposed on banks, energy companies and retail chains. Over 16 years, he said, this approach had generated 15,000 billion forints for the Hungarian economy, enabling the government to introduce measures such as a 13th-month pension, tax exemptions for mothers and additional payments for uniformed personnel. If organized differently, he argued, these funds would return to multinational corporations rather than supporting Hungarian families.
“The family budget is at stake,” Prime Minister Orbán said, warning that abandoning the national model in favor of a “Brussels model” would redirect resources toward large corporations. Prime Minister Orbán said the United States appears increasingly weary of the war and may reduce its involvement. Without American engagement, he argued, peace efforts would become even more difficult.
He mentioned that significant developments could occur by the end of March, including a planned U.S.–China summit, which he said could influence several global flashpoints. However, regarding the Russia–Ukraine war, Prime Minister Orbán expressed pessimism, stating that without an external actor capable of imposing peace, the conflict is unlikely to end soon. “The upcoming election will be the last election before the war reaches Europe more directly,” Prime Minister Orbán said, calling for national unity to ensure Hungary remains outside the conflict.
He concluded by urging voters to support a national government capable of safeguarding Hungary’s sovereignty and keeping the country out of war.