PM Orbán argued that proponents of a “Brussels war policy” are present across Central Europe, saying that they seek destabilization through “fake news, slander and whispering campaigns.” He said those forces are visible in Serbia and Hungary alike, and accused them of stoking aggression and intimidation. The prime minister maintained that, for those who follow European politics, Hungarians and Slovaks are linked not only by shared history and culture but also by common geopolitical challenges, adding that the nations’ interests “point in the same direction.”
Recalling that the bridge was twice destroyed after the world wars and later rebuilt, PM Orbán said its story symbolizes a joint rejection of war and a commitment to cooperation. He drew a contrast between the EU accession-era aspirations for peace and what he described as the Union having become a “war project,” claiming Brussels now openly frames the next decade as a bid to defeat Russia. He reiterated that Hungary rejects such aims and “will not be forced” into them, likening the pressure to past systems of oppression.
PM Orbán warned that the reality of war for countries like Hungary and Slovakia is conscription, confiscation of resources and economic hardship, and said those who “learn from the past” will protect the future. He pledged that Hungary would work so that the bridge “never has to be rebuilt” again. The two leaders also agreed to advance plans for a second bridge between Esztergom and Párkány (Štúrovo) to handle freight traffic; PM Orbán said preparatory work has begun.
Addressing domestic debates in Slovakia, PM Orbán congratulated the Slovak government on its recent constitutional changes defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman and recognizing only two sexes, remarking that “it is good not to be alone” on such questions. He praised PM Fico as “indestructible” for his longevity in office and quipped about Slovakia’s constitutional language on gender equality. While noting they belong to different political families internationally, PM Orbán said a “nationally grounded left” would also make Hungary’s public life calmer.
The prime minister closed with a nod to Esztergom’s special place in Hungarian history, calling it “Hungary’s first city,” and said the bridge’s anniversary underlines that Hungarians and Slovaks are “stronger together than apart.”