Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in Brussels on Thursday that 95 percent of voters who took part in the government’s Vote 2025 referendum rejected Ukraine’s European Union accession.
Speaking ahead of a summit of EU leaders, the prime minister said a total of 2,284,732 votes were cast, of which 2,168,431 opposed Ukraine’s accession to the bloc. This means 95 percent were against giving Ukraine EU membership and 5 percent were in favour, he added.
PM Orbán said he had arrived at the summit "with a strong mandate". "I can speak with a firmer, manlier voice, because after all, I will be representing more than 2 million Hungarians at the talks when I say that Hungary is not in favour of Ukraine’s EU accession," he said.
Asked if he believed it was possible that the other member states may ignore Hungary, with 25 or 26 of them adopting a statement in connection with Ukraine’s EU membership, Orban said Hungary could not be ignored because a unanimous decision would be needed at the end of and during the accession process.
But right now, he said, there was no consensus on Ukraine, and the EU could not approve a decision that had a legal effect on Ukraine’s membership. "There can be statements and discussions, but the European Union will not adopt a joint position because Hungary doesn’t support it," the prime minister said. "But those that disagree with us … can say whatever they want because they have the freedom to do that here as well."
In response to another question, PM Orbán said that if the EU admitted Ukraine, it would also "integrate the war", adding that "we would not like to be together in one community with a country that is at war".
Meanwhile, he said, Hungary had received "very good offers" in connection with the EU’s 18th sanctions package, but "there’s a bit more work to do".
Asked about the trade war between the EU and the United States, Orban said he was "rather pessimistic" because EU negotiators were outmatched by the "heavyweight deal maker" that was the US president.
Asked about migration, the prime minister said "the Hungarian position is rebellion." He said European leaders had "discussed 100 times" how to make migration regulations more effective, "and nothing happens". The only solution, he added, was to adopt the policy that has been implemented in Hungary, where those who do not receive permission from the Hungarian authorities are denied entry.
"So what I suggest to all my colleagues: rebellion, rebellion, rebellion -- that’s what Hungarians do," PM Orbán said, noting that Hungary had to pay a daily fine of 1 million euros because it had stopped migrants. "This is the price of rebellion," he added.
Asked whether the authorities should disperse crowds at the Budapest Pride parade to enforce the law banning the event, PM Orbán said Hungary was a "civilised country where everyone has the constitutional right to assembly and to express their opinion".
He added, at the same time, that "when constitutional rights clash, no right can supersede the right to child protection" because the constitution declared that this right took precedence over all other freedoms.
"We ask everyone not to do such a thing, but if someone does, there’s a clear system of laws that has to be enforced in such a case," he said, emphasising that "Hungary is a civilised country where we don’t hurt each other."
"This is a country that hasn’t ever had a civil war -- perhaps a little bit in 1956 -- so even if we disagree with each other, we don’t hurt each other," he said. "This isn’t part of Hungarian politics."
Asked what he would say if one of his five children wanted to attend Budapest Pride, PM Orbán said they are all adults so they all make their own choices.