Orbán: 'The money they want to spend on Ukraine could also be spent on Hungary'

Budapest Times

05-05-2025

In an interview on Kossuth Radio, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán laid out the government's position on Ukraine's fast-tracked accession to the European Union, presenting it as not only an economic threat to Hungary but also a broader strategic mistake for Europe.
'Ukraine's EU membership would bankrupt the Hungarian economy,' the prime minister declared. 'This is a national interest issue, and it's also a European one. If this goes forward, we are heading into a collective economic trap.'
He warned that the EU's plan to accept Ukraine by 2030—an objective recently confirmed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the European People's Party—poses significant risks. 'We know when they want to bring them in. It's not some vague future; it's here, knocking at our door,' PM Orbán said. He dismissed claims that conditions for accession are still undecided, arguing instead that the process is already underway. 'Forget the fairy tales about when and how. They want to do it now, as fast as possible.'
The prime minister linked the EU's economic stagnation directly to the war in Ukraine and the financial support being funneled out of Europe. 'These unfortunate European leaders have already sent €140 billion to Ukraine. If that money were in the European economy, there would be growth instead of stagnation,' he stated. For Hungary alone, the loss has been enormous: 'In three years, Hungary has lost €20 billion because of the war,' PM Orbán said. 'We're a country of 10 million. If we lost that much, how much did the Germans, with their 84 million people, lose?'
Despite these conditions, the government has chosen to push forward with what the prime minister called 'Europe's largest tax cut program.' This includes lifetime income tax exemptions for mothers with two or more children under the age of 40, as well as the continued roll-out of support schemes for small and medium-sized businesses. 'We're expanding the program from 100 to 150 new factories, and the Sándor Demján program alone will distribute HUF 1.4 trillion. We will not retreat.'
PM Orbán made it clear that the government would not allow Hungary to be saddled with shared EU debt in order to finance Ukraine's integration. 'The Brussels elite want to take out massive loans together. But debt leads to bankruptcy. If we borrow as we are now, when Europe is uncompetitive, our children and grandchildren will inherit a mountain of debt. That's the road to a giant collapse.'
He warned that the majority of EU funds sent to Ukraine would benefit Western corporations already invested there. 'Just like what happened to us when we joined. Most of the money went back to the countries it came from,' he explained. 'We've changed that now. Today, we make sure that EU funds strengthen the Hungarian-Hungarian economy, not the foreign-Hungarian one.'
Speaking on the domestic front, PM Orbán criticized the Tisza Party and MEP Kinga Kollár, saying that they are actively working to block Hungary's access to EU funds. 'They admitted it themselves. Kollár said they are the reason we've only recovered half the funds we are entitled to. She openly stated they want to stop hospital renovations. That's why I signed the National Resistance Movement's petition,' he said.
'The money we're owed isn't a gift—it's ours. We allow Western firms to make serious profits here. That return is not generosity. It's justice.'
Addressing Ukraine's own demands, the prime minister described a moment from an EU Council meeting where President Zelensky personally requested full EU funding for Ukraine's one-million-strong army. 'He didn't ask—he demanded. They want us to pay, even if the Americans don't. And they think this is their right,' Orbán recounted. 'That's an incredible amount of money. Instead of building up our own armies, we'd be paying to maintain theirs.'
In his call to action, PM Orbán emphasized the importance of the ongoing 'Voks 2025' public consultation. 'This isn't some distant debate. We are voting now. Everyone needs to participate,' he said. 'The most important thing in the Ukraine matter is to remain firm and not to abandon our own goals. We must protect jobs, implement the tax cuts, and resist war politics.'
Looking ahead to next year, the prime minister expressed confidence that Hungary would navigate these challenges. 'We're preparing a peace-oriented, war-opposing 2026 budget that stands on its own two feet. If we do everything right, 2025 will be okay,' he concluded.
In PM Orbán's view, Hungary's path must remain sovereign, economically rational, and focused on national interest—not on Brussels' ambitions or war-driven agendas. 'This is Hungary. We know our strengths, our weaknesses, and we know what we need to do,' he said. 'These are big, ambitious goals, but if we stay the course, we'll reach them.'