Reflecting on Hungary’s past and the shifting global landscape, the prime minister called for unity, courage, and vision to confront the challenges ahead.
“We thought one great upheaval would be enough,” said Prime Minister Orbán, referencing the fall of communism and Hungary’s peaceful transition in 1990. But instead of a stable, prosperous era, Hungary has faced one global crisis after another—financial collapse, mass migration, a pandemic, and now war in its neighborhood. "We believed a single great maneuver would suffice—but now we know: man plans, God decides.”
Framing Hungary’s path as a struggle between imposed fate and self-determined future, the prime minister emphasized that national victory in peacetime means rewriting the story others have drafted for us. "If you're born Hungarian, victory means reshaping the fate imposed on you by others,” he said. In the 20th century, Hungary’s enemies wanted it to remain “small and poor forever.” But in the 21st, Hungary must be “great and prosperous.”
To achieve this, the prime minister stressed the need for three types of courage: intellectual, political, and personal. "We must say it plainly—Western Europe is in deep crisis," he declared, pointing to soaring debt, energy prices, and eroding competitiveness. "The European Union is taking on water. It is not just struggling—it is capsizing."
Rejecting Brussels’ path, Prime Minister Orbán called for Hungary to continue charting its own course. "We don't need burnt-out Brussels recipes. We have our own ambitious plans—tax cuts, family support, and the continent's most attractive home-building program."
As Hungary approaches a key moment in its future—choosing between Brussels’ vision and its own—PM Orbán warned of the costs of surrendering sovereignty. “Brussels wants higher taxes, more migration, and war. We want jobs, children, and peace.” He underscored Hungary’s firm stance: no to conscription, no to forced migrant resettlement, and no to war.
The prime minister also paid tribute to the generations who endured loss and turmoil in the last century, recalling how earlier eras were marked by war and occupation. “I imagined I was born in a losing country but would die in a winning one,” he said. “That’s what I believed as a boy—reading Toldi and János vitéz at bedtime.”
As the crowd responded with applause, Prime Minister Orbán ended on a note of resolve: “Hungary is our homeland. Europe is our home. But the future—that will be decided by us.”