BUDAPEST - The customs war is a "tactical matter" and will be ended within a few months, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stressed on Friday on Kossuth Radio's Good Morning Hungary programme. He recalled that US President Donald Trump said before the elections that he would change the shape of world trade and improve America's position vis-à-vis all countries. Especially with countries where he believes the US is losing ground. Orbán said of Donald Trump that "the world is now surprised that he is doing what he promised" and said that there are many imbalances in world trade that the American president promises to correct by examining them one by one.
Eventually the Americans will come to an agreement with each of them and a new balance, a new situation will emerge. It will take a month or two. I don't see it as something that will be with us for a long time," Orbán added. He added that the tariff war will soon turn into a tariff peace, because once agreements are reached, we will no longer talk about a tariff war, but about a tariff peace. This is also in Hungary's interest.
"On the other hand, Ukraine's membership of the European Union will remain here, it will be on the agenda for many years, and if we fail to resist it, it will stay with us for decades to come and destroy us. That is why today our attention and energy must be focused on Ukraine's EU membership and we must leave the issue of the tariff war to the experts," Orbán said.
He stressed that we are in a period of high inflation and the main reason is the Russian-Ukrainian war. The best way to reduce inflation in the long term is peace, he said, adding that the European Union's only task is to support the US President in his peace efforts. He pointed out that prices had risen sharply in the run-up to the conflict and then after the outbreak of the war. While waiting for peace, we must also act against inflation, Viktor Orbán said, recalling that the government had introduced price ceilings at the beginning of the war to no avail and was now regulating margins. The government is working on applying the same method to retail products other than food, he added.
He mentioned that the government had successfully negotiated with telecommunications companies not to raise prices until July next year and to return them to the level of the beginning of the year. "I think we are very close, or we have already reached an agreement with the banks that the cost of banking services should not be increased in the coming period - not even because of inflation," the prime minister said, pointing out that they had tried to reach a similar agreement with food retailers but had failed.
He said that these steps made it clear to everyone that "the era of robbing Hungarians on the basis of war or inflation is over" and that the state would intervene in the pricing system "if abnormal situations arise". The government is determined, it will protect families, it will protect people," he said, adding that he was making it clear to those concerned that it was better to come to an agreement with the government. We are doing in a small way what Donald Trump is doing in a big way, he concluded.
Responding to a question about the statement by the MEP from the Tisza party, Orbán said that the Hungarian people had elected MEPs to represent Hungary's interests in Brussels and, if necessary, even to fight for Hungary. He said that he himself, as Prime Minister, is fighting for the interests of the Hungarian people, so that he has already received half of the EU funds to which Hungary is entitled, and this half is already in our account. At the same time, the members of the Tisza party 'are not ashamed of working against their own country, they are proud of it, and that is their goal, and they are even happy when things do not go well in Hungary, because (...) they say it is good for the opposition'. He said that in the last 30 years, every opposition party would like to be known the worse for the country.
But now they are "talking to our faces", not only because they are doing it, but because they are proud that the worse for the country the better for them, the sooner they will be in power, and that they are doing it in collusion with a foreign power, the Brussels bureaucrats. He added that this reminded him of the speech given by former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány on 11 July, which he said was a speech of truth. And now the Tisza party is trying to explain that it is right for a representative in Brussels to work against his own country. "I think this is the moment when the ground opens up under your feet and you disappear into the abyss," he said.
According to him, there are two ways to win an election: either you present a good programme to the people and ask them to trust you, or you cheer for the country to do badly and then sooner or later the people will want change. He added that he is not interested in people who want to be in government under the second scenario. He stressed that politics is not about power, but about the country, and that it must serve the people and Hungary. Those who are capable of anything for power and money should not be trusted, he said.
According to the Prime Minister, it is important that everyone in Hungary should be able to express his or her opinion on issues that determine the future of the country. It is not just a shouted word, but something that can be said with the necessary weight, he stressed. He also stressed that if you look back, you will see that this was also the case on the issue of migration. We are the only European country to have held a referendum on migration, he recalled. He pointed out that this was also the case with child protection, which is a big challenge for the whole of Europe, how we imagine our future, the life of our society, our families, our communities. Here too, he stressed, Hungary was the only country where people could express their opinion.
The third main topic on the table is one that will fundamentally determine the fate of Hungary in the coming decades. It is about whether Ukraine will be accepted into the European Union. If it is, it will have consequences, and if it is turned away, it will also have consequences; that is the fundamental question. Mr Orbán has stressed that he is personally convinced that the admission of Ukraine will destroy Hungary and Hungarian families and will wipe out the economic successes of the last 15 years. He also stressed that every Hungarian may have a different opinion on this, or even an opinion that coincides with his own. It is important that there is a common view and that it is clear what the Hungarian position is on this important issue, which has been at the centre of European debates for years, and that this position is then represented in Brussels.
He also pointed out that Hungarian interests are being fought for in Brussels, but not all Hungarian parties are doing so. "They have their masters in Brussels", there are Hungarian parties that are thinking about a big European state that would lead to a kind of integration of Hungary, where the decisions of the imperial centre in Brussels would have to be implemented in Hungary. That is why they also support Ukraine's membership, because Brussels wants it, he explained.
Orbán said that we have to face up to this and fight for the possibility of not losing everything we have worked for and to keep the economic opportunities open for Hungary. We must fight so that no one has to jeopardise economic performance, so that Hungarians do not have to take the risks associated with agriculture and the many risks to public security and public order that Ukraine's membership of the European Union would otherwise entail. This is the battle that is being fought in Brussels, and it will be the most important and enduring battle of the next few years, not a few months. He pointed out that there is a third fundamental issue on the table that will fundamentally determine Hungary's fate in the coming decades. It is whether Ukraine will be admitted to the European Union. If it is, there will be consequences, and if it is turned away, there will also be consequences; that is the fundamental question.
Mr Orbán stressed that he was personally convinced that accepting Ukraine would destroy Hungary and Hungarian families and wipe out the economic achievements of the last 15 years. He stressed that every Hungarian may have a different opinion on this, or even an opinion that coincides with his own. It is important that there is a common view and that it is clear what the Hungarian position is on this important issue, which has been at the centre of European debates for years, and that this position is then represented in Brussels.
He also pointed out that Hungarian interests are being fought for in Brussels, but not all Hungarian parties are doing so. "They have their masters in Brussels", there are Hungarian parties that are thinking about a big European state that would lead to a kind of integration of Hungary, where the decisions of the imperial centre in Brussels would have to be implemented in Hungary. That is why they also support Ukraine's membership, because Brussels wants it, he explained.
Orbán said that we have to face up to this and fight for the opportunity not to lose everything we have worked for and to keep economic opportunities open for Hungary. We must fight so that no one has to jeopardise economic performance, so that Hungarians do not have to take the risks associated with agriculture and the many risks to public security and public order that Ukraine's membership of the European Union would otherwise entail. This is the battle that is being fought in Brussels, and it will be the most important and enduring battle of the next few years, not a few months, he stressed.
The prime minister also said that the issue of war was still on the agenda because although the Americans had "turned to the street with a sign of peace" - where we are waiting - the people of Brussels were still "following the sign of war". Europe seems intent on continuing the war, claiming that Ukraine can win this war and that membership of the European Union can help Ukraine win it.
This is the worst possible idea, Ukraine cannot win this war, Orbán said, adding that EU membership cannot be an instrument of war. Granting membership to a new member state must serve peace, not the continuation of war. But people in Brussels think that if we involve Ukraine in the war, we can continue the war, he added.
Orbán also reminded that liberal economists regularly write that it is not reasonable to live in villages, to organise services in villages and that everything would be much more practical and cheaper if everyone moved to big cities. "This is far from our thinking, because we believe that living in the countryside is good and that you can have a really good life in the countryside," he said. He recalled that the communist system had managed to create the perception that the village was backward and the city developed, that the townspeople were educated and the villagers were not. "I come from a village of 1,800 people. I hope I am a living example of this refutation," he remarked.
He pointed out that many people who are skilled, willing to work and promising are born and live in the villages. We are close to having almost full access to urban services in the villages, and where this is not yet the case, the government is working on it. There should be shops, pubs, ATMs, highways, a road that everyone can get to within 20-30 minutes, a good school - if not in the village then a school centre should be within easy reach and then a school bus, health service, a district commissioner available in the village 24 hours a day," he said.
He added that a lot of energy is being spent on making villagers equal citizens of the country, strengthening their faith in their surroundings and in the future; in this respect, the Hungarian Village Programme is a success. "Whether we have managed to get all the services there, I cannot say a definite yes. We have got a lot there, but we still have a lot of work to do," the Prime Minister indicated.
Speaking about the importance of the family, Orbán stressed that when people start a family, they are serving not only their personal happiness but also the future of the community to which they belong. He stressed that mothers should therefore be honoured not only because they are taking on a very difficult task, but also because they are taking on something that is important for the whole community. If this is the case, then it is not fair that those who have children should be worse off than those who do not, he pointed out.
He pointed out that if you look back, you will see that this was also the case with migration. We are the only European country to have held a referendum on migration," he recalled. He pointed out that this was also the case with child protection, which is a big challenge for the whole of Europe, how we imagine our future, the life of our society, our families, our communities. Here too, he stressed, Hungary was the only country where people could express their opinion.
The third main topic on the table is one that will fundamentally determine the fate of Hungary in the coming decades. It is about whether Ukraine will be accepted into the European Union. If it is, it will have consequences, and if it is turned away, it will also have consequences; that is the fundamental question.
Mr Orbán stressed that he was personally convinced that accepting Ukraine would destroy Hungary and Hungarian families and wipe out the economic achievements of the last 15 years. He stressed that every Hungarian may have a different opinion on this, or even an opinion that coincides with his own. It is important that there is a common view and that it is clear what the Hungarian position is on this important issue, which has been at the centre of European debates for years, and that this position is then represented in Brussels.
He also pointed out that Hungarian interests are being fought for in Brussels, but not all Hungarian parties are doing so. "They have their masters in Brussels", there are Hungarian parties that are thinking about a big European state that would lead to a kind of integration of Hungary, where the decisions of the imperial centre in Brussels would have to be implemented in Hungary. That is why they also support Ukraine's membership, because Brussels wants it, he explained.
Orbán said that we have to face up to this and fight for the possibility of not losing everything we have worked for and to keep the economic opportunities open for Hungary. We must fight so that no one has to jeopardise economic performance, so that Hungarians do not have to take the risks associated with agriculture and the many risks to public security and public order that Ukraine's membership of the European Union would otherwise entail. This is the battle that is being fought in Brussels, and it will be the most important and enduring battle of the next few years, not a few months.
The prime minister also said that the issue of war was still on the agenda because although the Americans "came out on the street with a sign of peace" - where we are waiting - the people of Brussels were still "watching the signs of war". Europe is apparently going to continue the war, they say, and that Ukraine can win this war and that membership of the European Union can help Ukraine win it.
This is the worst possible idea, Ukraine cannot win this war, Orbán said, adding that EU membership cannot be an instrument of war. Granting membership to a new member state must serve peace, not the continuation of war. But people in Brussels think that if we involve Ukraine in the war, we can continue the war, he added.
Orbán also reminded that liberal economists regularly write that it is not reasonable to live in villages, to organise services in villages and that everything would be much more practical and cheaper if everyone moved to big cities. "That's way out of step with our thinking, because we think that living in the countryside is good and that a really good quality of life is probably best lived in the countryside," he said. He recalled that the communist system had managed to create the perception that the village was backward and the city developed, that the townspeople were educated and the villagers were not. "I come from a village where 1,800 people live. I hope I am a living example of this refutation," he remarked.
He stressed that even in the villages many people were born and live who are qualified, willing to work and promising. We are close to having almost full access to urban services in the villages, and where this is not yet the case, the government is working on it. There should be shops, pubs, ATMs, highways, a road that everyone can get to within 20-30 minutes, a good school - if not in the village then a school centre should be within easy reach and then a school bus, health service, a district commissioner available in the village 24 hours a day," he said.
He added that a lot of energy is invested in making villagers equal citizens of the country, in strengthening their faith in their surroundings and in the future; in this respect, the Hungarian Village Programme is a success. "Whether we have managed to get all the services there, I cannot say a definite yes. We have got a lot there, but we still have a lot of work to do," the Prime Minister indicated. Speaking about the importance of the family, Orbán stressed that when people start a family, they are serving not only their personal happiness but also the future of the community to which they belong. He stressed that mothers should therefore be honoured not only because they are taking on a very difficult task, but also because they are taking on something that is important for the whole community. If that is the case, then it is not fair that those who have children should be worse off than those who do not, he pointed out.
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