PM Orbán: Brussels wants to hurt Russia more than help European families

Budapest Times

26-05-2025

Speaking on the 'Good Morning, Hungary!' program, the prime minister criticized EU leaders for pushing forward with energy sanctions against Russia, despite the direct financial burden this imposes on households across the continent.
'Instead of lowering energy costs, Brussels is focused on punishing Russia,' said Prime Minister Orbán, calling the REPowerEU initiative 'nonsensical.' This EU strategy aims to phase out Russian oil, gas, and nuclear energy imports by the end of the year. Under these plans, member states must submit national strategies to eliminate Russian energy dependence. PM Orbán warned that for Hungary, the consequences would be severe: Annual costs would rise by HUF 800 billion if Russian gas were replaced with more expensive alternatives. According to him, this would mean that 'electricity bills would double, and heating costs would quadruple.'
He noted that Ukraine's closure of traditional gas and oil transit routes had further complicated matters. However, he credited the Hungarian government's prior efforts to construct new pipeline systems with safeguarding national energy security. 'Without those developments, Hungary would now be without affordable energy—or any energy at all,' he emphasized
Turning to the issue of Ukraine's bid for European Union membership, Prime Minister Orbán reiterated his firm opposition. He argued that Ukraine's long-term goal of sustaining a million-strong army poses a serious financial and security challenge to Europe. 'It won't be the Ukrainians paying for this army. It will be us, Europeans,' he said, cautioning that supporting Ukraine's EU accession would divert resources from strengthening Western European defense forces. He also flagged increased Ukrainian intelligence activities within Hungary, noting, 'We are prepared to neutralize these threats.'
The prime minister also warned of growing pressure from domestic opposition parties, particularly the Tisza Party, which he described as aligned with Ukrainian interests. He pointed to their internal vote in support of Ukraine's EU membership as evidence. 'They want to force Hungarians to support something that clearly goes against our national interest,' PM Orbán said.
He stressed the importance of the ongoing Voks 2025 public consultation as well, in which more than 1 million citizens have already participated. The government sees this as a referendum on the question of Ukrainian accession. 'I trust the Hungarian people will reaffirm our government's 'no',' he said.
On domestic policy, PM Orbán outlined a family-centered budget for the coming year. He pledged that from October 2025, mothers with three children will be exempt from personal income tax. This benefit will expand in stages: by January 2026 to mothers under 40 with two children, and eventually to all mothers under 50. 'This is not just a financial policy; it's a vision for strengthening the nation through families,' he explained.
The prime minister also addressed the proposed transparency law currently before Hungary's parliament. He argued that all political and media entities in Hungary should be prohibited from receiving foreign funding. 'We need to know who's speaking—whether it's the journalist, the editorial office, or the sponsor behind them,' he said. He noted that the law is particularly urgent given what he described as a surge in Ukrainian-friendly propaganda in Hungary.
Finally, PM Orbán highlighted the government's industrial investment agenda, including the '150 factories program' and the landmark BYD electric vehicle plant. He called the Chinese investment a 'major success,' with 2,000 engineers set to work on developing new vehicles in Hungary. 'Electromobility is the future, and we're securing our place in it,' he concluded.