Hungary’s interest lies in Romania having a stable government, the constant development of bilateral ties and the situation of ethnic Hungarians in Transylvania improving, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said on Facebook on Monday.
Szijjarto said the strong showing in the Romanian general election by the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ) had provided an “excellent basis” for the party again to be part of the government coalition in Bucharest.
He said experience had shown that it was easier for Hungary to work with a Romanian government that included RMDSZ. “It always made it easier to achieve results that are important to both countries and both nations,” he said. “We are prepared to work together this time as well, and we wish RMDSZ and the new Romanian government coalition much success,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, Szijjártó said Barna Tánczos and Attila Cseke, who will again serve as ministers in the new government, had rightfully earned recognition during their previous tenures as ministers, adding that Hungary was “confident that they will do an excellent job this time as well”.
Marcel Ciolacu, President of the PSD, was nominated as Prime Minister on Monday by Klaus Iohannis. The head of state said that the pro-European coalition had nominated Ciolcu as head of government, and he accepted.
The coalition of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL), RMDSZ and a faction of national minorities aims to regain the trust of citizens, Hunor Kelemen said on Monday after the parties’ representatives signed the political agreement.
“We are aware that we are in a deep political crisis. This is also a crisis of trust, and the aim of this coalition is to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people, because this is the most important thing, without which we cannot get out of the political crisis and implement the necessary reforms, from which all communities, all people will benefit. That is why we have entered into this coalition, and the RMDSZ has signed the agreement,” the President of the RMDSZ said.
He added that a very well-constructed and balanced 2025 budget should be adopted as soon as possible after the winter holidays and that the elections for the president of the state should be organised as soon as possible, preferably before Easter.
The current US ambassador was recalled due to the election but has not stopped criticising the Hungarian government. One of the possible next US ambassadors, Bryan E. Leib, sent a clear message to his predecessor.
The Biden administration’s mission in Hungary is about to expire for David Pressman, who has had numerous conflicts with the Hungarian government. The ambassador has been outspoken and blunt in his criticism of Orbán. These criticisms included the excellent relationship with aggressor Russia, Beijing’s main alliance with Budapest in the EU, and the obstruction of arms aid for Ukraine’s defence.
Returned to Memento Park today – each time I have visited, from the mid-90s to today, I am struck not only by the mementos of authoritarianism it presents but by its stark reminder of what it takes to stand up for dignity and democracy and the unstoppable spirit of Hungarians to be free from tyranny and corruption.
The succession is unclear, but according to government press reports, Republican politician Bryan E. Leib will replace Pressman as ambassador to Budapest. The former US candidate, foreign policy analyst, and senior fellow at the Center for Fundamental Rights most recently spoke officially at the Pro Israel conference in Budapest on 1 October and met with Hungarian Foreign Ministry State Secretary Péter Sztáray.
Leib has responded to Pressman’s criticisms on several occasions recently, and has now sent him a new message regarding his post on Memento Park:
The Hungarians have already been freed from tyranny. David, please stop this nonsense. You have done a lot of damage to the US-Hungarian relationship, but we will make it right on 20 January 2025,” Leib wrote.
In a recent interview with The European Conservative, he said, “Pressman’s behaviour was excessively unprofessional and he has shamed us as Americans. Please allow me to apologise for this behaviour on behalf of the American people. He was simply an activist, not a diplomat.”
“When we look at the impact of the last election, of course the main beneficiaries of President Trump’s return to the White House will be the American people, but our allies around the world will also benefit, while our enemies will be filled with fear of what is to come. When people ask me which countries stand to benefit most from another 4 years of President Trump, I always answer Israel and Hungary. And as we have already alluded to, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has done a wonderful job of building a European conservative movement of like-minded friends and allies. I also believe that this is a special opportunity for the Hungarian Prime Minister to become a major point of reference in the political landscape in Europe. He will certainly enjoy the unfailing support of President-elect Trump. I think that the next four years will be really serious and exciting for the US-Hungarian alliance. For example, I would like to see direct flights between the two countries, and maybe we can achieve that.”
Other potential candidates for the US ambassadorship to Budapest
Other potential candidates for the ambassadorship to Budapest, besides Lieb, include Nancy Brinker and David Cornstein, the first ambassador under the Trump administration.
We will recover from the war, we are at arm’s length from peace,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a year-end interview broadcast on public media.
The Russians are advancing and the European Union has lost the war, Orbán said
Orbán said the past three years had been “traumatic” with a war in the neighbourhood “in which hundreds, sometimes thousands die daily, while the country is emptied, bombed, and its resources lost”. He added that the impact of the war was “inescapable”, pointing to soaring prices and ruined energy markets.
“We have lived in this for three years and now that it could be over it is like coming up from under water and you can breathe again after a long time,” he said.
Answering a question on the necessity of two peace missions, Orbán said a Christian country must help those in need, and Hungary was given the means to do so as it held the presidency of the Council of the European Union. Asked whether the peace missions were successful, he said “the whole situation makes one want to weep. It is hard to talk about results here.” At the same time, at the beginning of the Hungarian presidency it was unacceptable to talk about peace in Europe, but Hungary took the risk and after six months “we reached a point where everyone is talking about peace today,” he said. What used to be a taboo topic and a political endeavour can finally be discussed meaningfully today. “We have achieved this much but the war is not yet over,” he added.
With the inauguration of the new US president on January 20, Orbán said, “a new world begins,” but in the meantime, it is worth keeping realistic goals in mind, and he suggested a Christmas ceasefire. “I think I managed to persuade the Russian president to seriously consider this, but the Ukrainians, for some mysterious reason, are not willing,” he said, adding that Christmas was not here yet and hope should not be given up.
Orbán said there was a new reality on the front line: the Russians are advancing and the European Union has lost the war. If the Europeans join the conflict, “declare it their own war”, then an even greater defeat awaits us. “It is in our interest that this should be a small conflict,” he said.
Brussels is in a complete mistake
As a second reality, Orbán said a “well-prepared and committed” player had emerged in the United States “ready to fight for the spirit and future of the West … on the side of Patriots and life.” This, he said, would “completely change” the Western world, adding that “the government is in this reality and has prepared the 2025 budget in line with that reality.” He also added that “Brussels is in the old reality and that’s a complete mistake.”
Concerning the war in Ukraine, Orbán said that in April 2022 “the sides were just hours from an agreement, but it was made impossible by the West’s interference.” “There was an opportunity for a truce and lasting peace … but they messed it up,” he said.
Referring to ties between the US and the European Union, Orbán said he expected “major, serious disputes” and added that “we Hungarians need to participate in a way that we also benefit.” It is important that the disputes are concluded in agreements that are “acceptable for both America and Europe,” he said.
The Hungarian government would “not allow Hungary to be turned into Magdeburg”
Speaking about the relationship between the European Commission and Hungary, Orbán said the two sides saw eye to eye on certain matters but in some areas “the positions are antagonistic”. As an example for the latter, Orbán said the Hungarian government would “not allow Hungary to be turned into Magdeburg” through the EU “forcing their rules on us” under which illegal migrants should be allowed to enter. He added that the two sides were in a similarly antagonistic opposition over “issues around gender”.
Orbán said Hungary was Brussels’ opposition: “we think that if we cannot change Brussels through taking over the majority and reshaping it in a way that is good for nation states, we will all suffer … Brussels needs to be occupied; we need to acquire a majority.” That is the goal of the Patriots group, the prime minister said.
The prime minister said “in the European Union the Patriots must raise the flag and then the others will gather under it”.
The Patriots are successful and the European People’s Party is stuck in the past, Orbán said, calling the issue of war and peace the deepest fault line in EU politics.
He put EU countries into three groups: those who support the war, those who oppose the war, such as Hungary and Slovakia, and those who pursue survival tactics by “saying nothing”.
Orbán said that radical pro-war politicians believed that if they had spent more money on the war, if more weapons had been sent, it would have been won. “This is not our war”, he added in response.
Hungarian economy will be restarted
On the “ambitious” 2025 budget adopted by lawmakers, Orbán said the Hungarian economy had weathered the three years of war and had a chance for a successful restart.
In Hungary, everyone who wants to can still work, the annual pensioners’ bonus has been protected despite the higher budget deficit, wages have grown over the past three years bar one, family protection measures remain in place, including tax allowances for those raising children, and regulated household energy prices mean Hungarians pay the least in Europe for electricity and gas, he added.
Since 2010, Hungarians have shown that “we are capable of doing things we couldn’t do before”, Orbán said. This is why out of 100 people, more than 80 are working, and the country is connected by motorways and expressways, he added.
Today, the Hungarian economy is in such a state that the moment peace comes, it can take off, Orbán said. He also mentioned subsidised credit for young blue-collar workers, the Demjan Sandor Programme, and the doubling of the tax allowance for families raising children.
Hungarian economy was too focused on Western markets
On the policy of economic neutrality, Orbán said it would be an exaggeration to say that it would solve the problems caused by the difficulties of the German economy, but he said he was certain that “it can make a difference”.
The prime minister said the Hungarian economy’s ties were previously too focused on Western markets.
“If we see that there is a problem in Europe, the answer is that we need to develop economic relations in all other directions,” he said, adding that he had high hopes for US relations, but it was also important not to give up on relations with the Russians. The prime minister advised Hungarian companies to participate in the Russian economy in areas not affected by sanctions, and urged businesses to use the good political relations with the Chinese to advance economic relations.
The greater the problem in Europe, the more Hungary should “push forward” in other parts of the world, Orbán said, adding that “the political conditions are in place” for such manoeuvres. For economic neutrality it is important to have a response for the weakening of Western markets and “make up for what we lost in Europe in other directions”. He added, however, that “it will not be simple and won’t happen overnight”.
Peace, calm, good health, contentedness and love
Addressing the resignation of Katalin Novák and Judit Varga earlier in the year, Orbán acknowledged the achievements of their hard work. “Christian politicians can be expected to be perfect, but we must be fair and impose a big punishment for big mistakes and a light punishment for small ones,” he added.
“There will be scars, but we have recovered, and what you survive will make you even stronger,” Orbán said.
Ahead of Christmas and New Year, the prime minister wished everybody “peace, calm, good health, contentedness and love” and suggested that “nobody should despair … there is no problem that cannot be resolved.” He wished for “more understanding, openness, and honesty towards each other” and added that “it is the cornerstone for all, even for economic success.”
The European Commission has set out its objections to Hungary’s regulation of public interest trusts in a detailed explanatory memorandum. The laws in question are crucial as they determine whether the model universities can access funds from the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programmes, which were previously blocked due to conflict of interest issues.
Entry into force and full application of the legislation
According to the European Commission, one of the fundamental problems is that the Hungarian legislation would only enter into force if Member States revoked their earlier decision, which is contrary to EU requirements. Such legislation should come into effect as soon as it is presented in order to address the substantive issues.
According to HVG, another serious concern is that the legislation does not apply to all the institutions involved, as not all the model-changing organisations are listed in the annex to the legislation. The EU believes the rules should encompass all relevant institutions and be enforced both prior to and during the application process for EU funding.
Weaknesses in the management of conflicts of interest
The European Commission identified significant shortcomings in how conflicts of interest are managed for members of the Board of Trustees and the Supervisory Board. While Hungarian legislation mentions the importance of integrity, it does not provide adequate safeguards to ensure effective oversight and enforcement.
The Commission expects all relevant individuals to submit declarations of conflicts of interest and assets prior to their appointment and periodically during their tenure. These declarations should be transparent and verifiable. Furthermore, this requirement extends to include relatives living in the same household to minimise the risk of potential abuse.
Lack of independence of the control system
The European Commission emphasised that assessments of conflict of interest and suitability should be conducted by an independent body empowered to make binding decisions. Such evaluations must occur before appointments are made, ensuring the suitability of individuals prior to their involvement in applying for EU funds.
The European Commission also highlighted the significant role of the Integrity Agency but condemned the current regulations for not granting it adequate access to all necessary databases and information. This lack of access impedes effective monitoring, transparency, and accountability.
Additionally, the EU criticised the absence of a specific methodology and procedure for addressing breaches of conflict of interest rules. There is a lack of proper investigative mechanisms and corrective measures, including disciplinary or criminal sanctions, to ensure adherence to the regulations. Consequently, the EU considers the effective management of declarations and conflict of interest situations to be insufficient.
Following the public disclosure of these criticisms, it has become evident that Hungarian regulations do not meet EU standards. As a result, the European Commission has chosen to maintain the prohibitive measures. However, the Hungarian government still has the opportunity to address the identified shortcomings and secure the unfreezing of blocked EU funds. Achieving this will require complete compliance with EU expectations.
Hungarians have for a long time had a vested interest in Romania being part of the Schengen area and enjoying its benefits together with Hungary and “it is now happening”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday.
Orbán told a joint press conference with Romanian counterpart Ion-Marcel Ciolacu that they had agreed to follow a common plan during the Hungarian presidency of the European Union, and the goal was that Romania should join Schengen during the Hungarian presidency. He added that this had been a very difficult task and “we discussed it many times whether it was realistic at all during this year, considering that it had not happened for 13 years”. “It could have happened already 13 years ago but it has not happened since,” he added.
Orbán said a “political action” had to be taken “to transform this 13-year period from lack of success to success”.
Orbán said they had prepared a working plan and identified which countries were against the enlargement, and then convinced them that there was a historic opportunity. He added that few people had expected that Romania’s accession would happen under the Hungarian presidency, “which strongly demonstrates that the two countries share a common history and we both understand that one country’s success alone is not enough, but the neighbour’s success is also needed for the success of both”.
Economy gains impetus
He also said that “when the barriers were taken down first at the border with Austria and later with Slovakia, and Slovenia and most recently with Croatia”, not only the economy gained impetus, but the quality of life changed in the entire region. Orbán said it was not yet possible to assess precisely the significance of the changes that Romanians and Hungarians living in the border regions will experience.
There are currently 12 public road border crossing stations between Romania and Hungary, and this number would rise to 22 from January 1 because some of the crossings could only be used partially so far, Orbán said, adding that these will be freely available now. He added that when people living near the border wanted to cross to a neighbouring settlement, they had to travel an average 37 kms and this would drop to around 20 now.
Orbán said “there is an opportunity for a new era to start in relations between the two countries, the foundations for trust are now given, because we have achieved a joint success”. He referred to his Romanian counterpart saying that Hungary was an important country for Romania from an economic point of view, adding that Romania was extremely important for Hungary from the point of energy security.
Ciolacu praised Hungary’s efforts
“Last year we could buy 1.75 billion cubic metres of gas through Romania,” Orbán noted. He said that Romania was also a reliable country in terms of nuclear fuel transits, and the more energy cooperation through Ukraine got stymied , the more important cooperation with Romania became to Hungary.
Ciolacu said Orbán had a major role in bringing Romania’s Schengen accession to success, saying that “it would not have been possible had it not been Hungary holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.”
He said that the Schengen accession would result in 2 percent GDP increase for Romania, and the growth will most certainly also be reflected in Hungary because “it will be the gate through which Romanian products reach Europe”.
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Bulgaria, Romania Schengen accession one of Hungary’s greatest achievements, says official
It is “shocking and unacceptable” that fear has become a “common feeling” among those who visit Christmas markets in Europe today, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said on Saturday.
Szijjártó said on Facebook that the reports coming in from Magdeburg, where a car drove into a crowd at a Christmas market on Friday, were “becoming more and more tragic”.
“It’s truly shocking and also unacceptable that it has become common that those who visit Christmas markets in Europe today have to be afraid of when and where a madman, a terrorist or an assailant will show up and drive into the crowd,” the minister said.
“Europe should finally wake up and we should protect what we value, our way of life, our security,” he said, adding that “it will be increasingly late with each attack”.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families at Christmas,” Szijjártó said.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has officially appointed Fegyir Sándor as Ukraine’s ambassador to Hungary, ending a nearly two-year period during which the country was represented only by an acting ambassador in Budapest.
Long-delayed appointment
Sándor’s appointment had been under consideration since early 2023, but significant delays postponed the decision. One of the reasons for the holdup, as reported by HVG, was resistance within Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where some officials preferred a different candidate. Additionally, Sándor had to wait for (then-) Hungarian President Katalin Novák to issue the diplomatic accreditation, which was finalised only in August 2023, Telex reports.
András Rácz, a Russia expert, commented on Sándor’s appointment in a Facebook post, stating, “His task won’t be easy for several reasons… but I’m confident he’ll excel in this role as well.”
A multifaceted background
Born in Uzhhorod in 1975, Fegyir Sándor comes from a multicultural family—his father is of Hungarian-Slovak descent, while his mother has Ukrainian-Italian roots. Sándor studied history at Uzhhorod National University, later pursuing legal studies and earning advanced academic degrees in sociology and philosophy.
Before entering politics, he taught history and geography at an elementary school in Uzhhorod and led the Zakarpattia tourism office for a time. In 2020, he joined Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party and was elected to the regional parliament of Zakarpattia (Transcarpathia).
From the trenches to diplomacy
Sándor gained international attention during the early months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As a professor at Uzhhorod National University, he volunteered for the Ukrainian military and became known as the “professor from the trenches” after a photo emerged of him conducting online university lectures on tourism while stationed near the front lines.
In an interview with HVG, he emphasised the symbolic importance of his service as a Hungarian-speaking Ukrainian defending his homeland:
“I’m living proof that Hungarians, like other ethnic groups in Ukraine, are defending their families and homeland. We maintain close contact with the Hungarian people and are immensely grateful for the assistance from Hungarian volunteers and friends.”
Mission in Hungary
Sándor steps into a challenging diplomatic role amid tense relations between Kyiv and Budapest. Ukrainian leaders have often criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for his perceived alignment with Russian interests within the EU.
In a recent interview with 444.hu, Sándor dismissed the notion that Orbán is pro-Russia but stressed that Ukraine represents an asset to Europe. If appointed ambassador, he once said, he would suggest to Orbán that they visit Székesfehérvár together:
“There’s much to discuss.”
Hope for a new era
As Ukraine’s new ambassador to Hungary, Fegyir Sándor faces the formidable task of navigating strained bilateral relations while representing a multicultural, united Ukraine on the international stage. His appointment, coupled with his unique personal and professional background, offers a fresh opportunity to strengthen ties between the two nations.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has expressed condolences to the German chancellor over the terrorist attack carried out in Magdeburg.
“I would like to express my deepest condolences to Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz and the people of Germany upon the heinous terrorist attack committed at the Christmas market in Magdeburg,” Orbán said in an entry posted on X on Friday evening. “We pray for the families of the victims,” he said.
Orbán: Brussels wants to turn Hungary into Magdeburg
Magdeburg, 21 December 2024. Photo: MTI/EPA/Filip Singer
Viktor Orbán, addressing a year-end international press conference on Saturday, drew a connection between illegal migration and acts of terrorism, referring to the recent tragedy at the Magdeburg Christmas market in Germany and declaring that Brussels wanted to “turn Hungary into Magdeburg”, and force risky migration regulations on the country, which “must not be allowed”.
The prime minister started the press conference by expressing his condolences to Germany and the families of the victims of a terrorist attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg. He said there was “no doubt” of a connection between illegal migration and terrorist acts but many had tried to deny this, “even though it is a fact that nothing like [such attacks] had happened before” Europe’s migration crisis. He said the lesson for Hungary was that it must carry on resisting being changed into “a world where something like this can happen”.
Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen
Ártánd border crossing at the Hungarian-Romanian border. Photo: MTI/Czeglédi Zsolt
The prime minister said the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen zone benefitted the two countries as well as Hungary. But it also helped to solve the “European problem” of some member states “blocking enlargement for 13 years”, he added.
Dissolving the border with Romania will provide new opportunities for Hungary, he said, noting the prospect of more border crossings, shorter routes and improvements to the quality of life in the border region. Also, Hungary will gradually withdraw all border guards and police from the relevant border, which would benefit law enforcement now struggling with a shortage of personnel, he added.
Competitiveness
The prime minister noted that the competitiveness pact adopted at the Budapest EU summit set deadlines for the next six months for managing how to stop and reverse the deterioration of the bloc’s competitiveness. The document was unprecedented, he said, and “a serious achievement” in terms of reaching a consensus on how to boost European market efficiency, capital and investments in a period which had seen the bloc preferring to deal with social issues and moving leftwards politically.
Orbán said it was also important that the 27 agricultural ministers worked out a joint position on post-2027 agricultural policy. He said “time has proven right” Hungary’s determination to show courage and take on debates, even on issues that had seemed intractable. Before Hungary’s presidency, no one would have foreseen Schengen enlargement, the competitiveness pact, a common vision of agricultural ministers for the future of European agriculture, Orbán said. “All of this has come to pass,” he declared.
US presidential election
Photo: Facebook/Orbán Viktor
The prime minister also said that after the US presidential election, the European elite “took no notice of the new reality”. Yet the world will face massive changes when Donald Trump takes office on Jan 20, even if he puts into practice only a fraction of what he has planned, he added.
He said that If Trump’s signalling regarding the balance of US-European trade, which was beneficial to Europe and detrimental to America, were not taken seriously, then it would be “tariffs all the way”. Also, the Western world’s attitude to migration, family protection and traditional values and “the gender issue” would be “completely different”. Economic relations, war and the resulting sanctions, likewise, would be “completely different”, he added.
Orbán hails ’successful’ EU presidency
Viktor Orbán rated Hungary’s presidency of the Council of the European Union a success at an international press conference on Saturday, adding that even “their opponents” had acknowledged both the “quantity and the quality” of the work done.
He said the lesson for Hungary was that it must carry on resisting being changed into “a world where something like this can happen”. Concerning Hungary’s EU presidency and referring to suggestions that Hungary was isolated, Orbán said: “I’ve never seen isolation like it in my life; half the world was here”, adding that Hungary had organised the biggest diplomatic event in its history.
He said the Hungarian presidency had applied a policy-based, rather than a “bureaucratic” approach, noting that its focus had been on the Russia-Ukraine war, the Schengen area and competitiveness. As regards the war, he said the presidency had “no room for manoeuvre” because of the “serious and deep disagreements” in the EU over the strategy to be adopted in connection with the conflict. Despite this, he added, the gravity of the situation had warranted Hungary’s launch of a peace mission and push for peace.
“We set these apart from the EU presidency, which led to some debates, but today no one will dispute that Hungary has a right — and we believe it has a duty — to launch a peace mission,” Orbán said.
Orbán: Big changes ahead, moving from wartime to peace
Viktor Orbán, addressing an international press conference, said that in light of the US election, the world was on the verge of “a new reality” and “new things” were in the pipeline. “Very big changes are ahead of us; we’re moving from wartime to an era of peace,” he said.
Europe should wake up to the new reality, he said, adding that “new things will happen, things that were never even dreamt of, except maybe by Hungarians.” If the war in Ukraine comes to an end, sanctions “that are tormenting the European economy” can be lifted, the prime minister said, adding that Hungary’s standpoint was that sanctions should be lifted as soon as possible, and then the period of inflation “will end, and economic recovery can finally begin, and prosperity can return to Europe.”
Orbán: 1,252,000 Hungarians have returned National Consultation questionnaires
https://www.facebook.com/kormanyzat
Fully 1,252,000 Hungarians returned National Consultation questionnaires on the government’s new economic policy, Viktor Orbán noted, adding that the strong response suggested “there’s enthusiasm for” public life in Hungary.
The new economic policy, trade neutrality and the strategy of connectivity were the main topics of the public survey, Orbán noted. He said the keen response was “very important to the government”. “This is our foundation; it’s what supports us,” he added.
Policies include providing support to employers, so in turn, they can help young people to pay their rent and mortgages, while small businesses can receive capital injections. Also, the biggest programme in Hungary’s history to increase wages will take place, with a 40 percent increase in the minimum wage implemented over the space of three years, the prime minister said.
As well as university students, young employees will also receive support, he said. Further, investments “of national economic significance” will be set in motion over the next year, which he called an “important development”.
2025 will be a great year for the Hungarian economy, Orbán said. “New times are coming, which we noticed early, and started praparing in time,” he said. “We can win in the new era, an era of peace, because we will start from a good starting position. Those who are still dealing with the era of war will be left behind,” he added.
“We have good hope that 2025 will already be about Hungary winning the era of peace,” Orbán said. The government has not given up its plans to carry the migrants by buses to Brussels, he said, asking the competent minister to ensure that “the buses should keep warming up their engines”. He said the situation could arise at any moment that “they can only respond in one way to a move from Brussels,” and that is by giving migrants one-way tickets to Brussels by train or by bus.
He said this can be done legally, and this would not be provocation for its own sake but a clear sign that Hungary would defend itself. He added that the government had hired a prestigious law firm through which Hungary will sue Brussels and claim back the money that it lost.
Orbán said joining the euro zone was not in his mind among the tools to stabilise the forint’s exchange rate. Euro zone membership undoubtedly brings stability but it stifles growth, takes away the opportunity for development, he added, suggesting that Hungary retain the opportunity for faster growth, for which a national currency is needed. He said the Hungarian currency was highly sensitive to global changes, which is never good, and these fluctuations were unnatural.
On the budget deficit, he indicated that a deficit of 4.5 percent is targeted for this year, and 3.7 percent for next year, and the deficit should definitely be kept under 4 percent. He argued that it was very difficult to manage a budget deficit of over 3 percent, that would mean the country remanining on a “continuous debt path”.
He said that it should be Hungary’s strategic goal to reduce the budget deficit and the state debt and sooner or later move into a creditor position, “so that we do not go to others for money, but others come to us”. He also noted that he had never been a supporter of the kind of economic stimulus that carried financial risk, for example, of the budget deficit shooting up or the previously planned balance path being overturned.
He recalled that Fidesz had probably won every election in a way that the budget deficit in the election year was lower than in the preceding year, adding that he considered this a serious professional feat. Hungary must always avoid political and economic adventures that would lead to a collapse of financial stability. This idea is also embodied in the person of the new finance minister, he said.
The government’s job is not to deal with the opposition, that should be left to the parties, he said. The government’s job is to deal with the country, the problems, the challenges, the people. Orbán said he would not like the emergence of new political styles and tools in politics to divert the Hungarian government’s attention from its tasks and duties. This is why he would not take part in such debates, he said, adding that he would never argue with people whose masters are in Brussels because he had an argument with Brussels.
Orbán said it had been his destination for many years to have the Hungarian opposition led by Brussels’ agents. This has been so since Hungary announced that it had its own path and was willing to take on the debates with Brussels. Since then, at every election, he could see that everything was being done in Brussels to achieve a change of government in Hungary and they never denied this.
Regarding the elections, he said his experience had shown that the one who remained calm and composed and “did not burden” the electoral system for at least a year before the elections always did well. Hungary’s election laws stipulate how electoral districts should be shaped based on demographic data; “it is not up to the discretion of the parliamentary majority,” Orbán said.
Orbán said “proposals suggesting that parliament should exceed the modification stipulated by law … were removed in the debate, and only the legally necessary changes have been made.” He also added that the government was not preparing to introduce further changes to the electoral system. Answering a question, Orbán said children’s homes need to be granted sufficient financing to ensure “safe, healthy, and high quality food” to their dwellers. The government “does not economise on children”, he added.
Meanwhile, the prime minister highlighted outgoing national bank governnor Gyorgy Matolcsy as an outstanding economic policy expert, that had “always made sure that the resources to finance welfare, health, and education services were in place”. He added that the budget was “in order” in Mihaly Varga’s finance ministry, and said he hoped it would remain so under Marton Nagy, the incoming minister.
“We always have money for the areas that require it most,” Orbán said, and mentioned railway stations for example. Railway services will continue to be provided by the state, he said, adding that private capital would be involved to run cafeterias and shops at railway stations. The prime minister said the Hungarian economy was competitive, but added that it had its problems and energy was the “Achilles-heel”.
An increase in energy prices caused by the war in Ukraine and the sanctions heavily impacted Hungary’s competitiveness, he said, adding that “10 billion euros have evaporated” from the Hungarian economy. One of the most important task for the industrial policy is to ensure cheap energy resources, he said.
Answering a question concerning the exchange rate of the national currency, Orbán said the rate was affected by “innumerable factors” including speculation, government performance, the general financial situation, stability, the budget deficit and the state of other currencies.
He said fluctuations in the exchange rate were more impacted by individual factors than by the actual state of the Hungarian economy. “It is not possible that there is a 10-15 forint drop or increase, while the economy stays the same … I don’t think the structure of the Hungarian economy could change from Monday to Thursday.”
On another subject, Orbán warned that Ukraine’s possible joining the EU could destroy the Hungarian and even the European agriculture. That is why agrarian countries of the bloc are forming a “strong alliance” aimed at “rationalising” Ukraine’s approaching the EU “so that we are not killed” by imports from that country, Orban said.
Concerning guest workers in Hungary, Orbán said regulations had been made to allow for an opportunity to expel guest workers from the country, and “allowed each country sending workers to Hungary some time to pass their own legislation ensuring return”. He said Hungary would not receive guest workers from countries failing to pass such legislation or failing to sign a relevant agreement with Hungary, starting on January 1. Under the changes guest workers from “ten or so” countries will not be received in Hungary from January 1, he said.
Concerning his peace mission, Orbán said he could “hardly wait for somebody to take over”, adding that it would happen when the new US president were inaugurated. He added that the mission was above Hungary’s means and “Donald Trump’s entry will restore the correct order of things.”
On the subject of community funding and Hungary’s possible losing of 400 billion forints, Orbán said “Hungary will not lose out on any resources … one loses a handkerchief, not their resources … it is not possible.” He said the government would “secure the funds due to Hungary”. “Hungary will get all funds it is entitled to,” he added.
Referring to Poland’s Mateusz Morawiecki, the new leader of European Conservatives, Orbán said he had had a decade-long friendship with him, adding that they had had talks since Morawiecki’s election. Orbán said his Patriots group and Conservatives were “different camps” but they saw eye to eye on major issues and the two groups could even build institutional cooperation in the long run.
“When that happens we will open a bottle of champagne and overcome the Socialists in the European Parliament,” Orbán said. “When we have grown large and have greater gravity, we’ll accept parties from the European People’s Party, and we’ll be the greatest,” he added.
Concerning his visit to Bulgaria the previous day, Orbán said energy deliveries to Hungary via Ukraine were going to get more dificult and it was better to assume that nothing would come from there. With the help of Bulgaria and Romania, in cooperation with them, Hungary has the routes and the resources to ensure that Hungarian households and the economy do not suffer, he said.
Fielding another question, he said the government would not give up its energy procurement plans, it is negotiating with both the Russians and the Ukrainians. He noted that Russia’s Lukoil wanted to sell one of its refineries in an open tender, and Hungarian oil and gas company MOL is one of the seven bidders, as the only European Union company. The decision will be taken by the Bulgarians, he added.
In Romania, MVM has indeed bought out one of E.ON’s companies, he confirmed to another question, adding that there were unclear issues and the Romanian prime minister also suggested that a working group be set up to clarify these.
On the Romanian presidential election, he said he believed Romania had acquired very valuable knowledge. “They know something that we don’t, something happened there that hasn’t happened here yet,” he said. Orbán said he had asked the Romanians to hand over all the information, and he received a promise to do so from the Romanian prime minister, after the investigations were concluded.
Orbán said he did not want to raise the issue of the political asylum of former Polish justice minister Marcin Romanowski to a prime ministerial level. He said his aim was to keep Hungary’s conflicts with Poland at a manageable level, so he would not comment on the Polish rule of law situation either.
The decision on granting political asylum has a procedure that must be followed, he said. A study was prepared that fully revealed what the situation was in Poland, and the minister who has the right to decide on political asylum made a decision based on this, he added.
On Hungarian-Polish relations, he said the two countries had common interests, especially in Brussels, that neither country can enforce separately, only together. This is an interstate relationship that must be saved from the world of party relations because the latter are in a terrible state with the Polish governing party at the moment, he said.
On the fact that Hungary granted a loan to North Macedonia with very favourable conditions, the prime minister said it was Hungary’s interest that there should be political stability in the region south of it. He said the government also gave a loan to Bosnia and negotiated with Albania as well.
On the situation in Gaza, he said it was unacceptable that people should be held in cellars as hostages, and on Syria, he said that a change had begun but there was as yet no one in control of the processes. Several countries must cooperate here so that the recent developments will not lead to a second terrorist state but to consolidation, he said.
On a possible expansion of the NATO budget, Orbán said it was already tough on Hungary that defence spending had to be raised over 2 percent of GDP, adding that he would like to see conditions allowing this to be reduced but the world was moving in the opposite direction.
This 2 percent has been treated by everyone as a matter of loyalty in the recent period, he said, so Hungary had to meet this. If the 2 percent had to be increased, that would “shoot the Hungarian economy in the lungs,” he said. Even if Hungary did come under pressure to do this, Orbán said he could only conceive of a staggered increase, adding that he would like to avoid this, and he had not yet talked about the issue with President-elect Donald Trump.
Answering a question on the national consultation, Orbán said it was clear that the Hungarian public was the most interested in economic issues above anything else. He said the result of the national consultation confirmed the government’s work and made it easier and simpler, so the consultations will be continued.
The prime minister dismissed it as a rumour that under construction minister Janos Lazar’s direction, the Information Office kept the staff of the European Union’s Anti-Fraud Office under surveillance.
Fielding a question, he said the renovated building of the Finance Ministry would be handed over next February, and the Interior Ministry would move there (as the Finance Ministry would merge into the National Economy ministry from January). The government is also considering the possibility of the Ministry of Defence moving into the current building of the Interior Ministry, he added.
He noted that the state currently paid 60 billion forints a year on renting government properties, and it is unhealthy that the state should be present on this market with such weight. The aim is to have state institutions in their own state-owned properties in the long term, he said, adding that this was not as important as the issue of hospitals, education or justice, but this must also be taken care of. He said it was a financially sensible solution.
Concerning a question about his family’s assets, Orbán said his asset declarations were public, and his family had always observed the relevant law. “My life is an open book; I am always at the public’s disposal,” he said. Orbán said the prime minister was not supposed to deal with business but “with public affairs only”.
Answering another question about the ramifications of a scandal around a presidential pardon earlier this year, Orbán suggested that it had not impacted his Fidesz party’s position, with Fidesz garnering 45 percent of the votes in the European parliamentary elections.
He also suggested that a dispute that broke out within the Reformed Church after the scandal was their internal affair. He also added that decision makers must not pass responsibility for their own moves onto their advisors. He said advisors should take “spiritual responsibility” for possible incorrect advice “but that is no longer our business.”
Orbán said religious organisations operated separately from the state, without any state intervention. “The church discussed and settled this case within their own circles and the atmosphere may have calmed down,” he said.
Hungary’s foreign minister said in New York on Thursday that the international community had to make sure that no country takes unilateral steps putting the safe energy supply of another country at risk.
The foreign ministry cited Péter Szijjártó as saying at the UN General Assembly’s session focusing on sustainable energy that meeting the radically increasing global demand for electricity was one of the world’s important challenges today. He underlined that the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes guaranteed a “good platform” for East-West cooperation, noting the expansion of Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant as an excellent example of cooperation among several countries.
Hungary rejects all initiatives which are aimed at negative discrimination against nuclear energy which lack any scientific approach, any kind of fact-based approach, he said, calling them “clearly and purely ideological attacks”. He noted that Hungary was investing in increasing nuclear capacity in a way to guarantee a safe supply of electricity, ensure low energy prices, protect the environment and make Hungary independent and protected against the volatility of international energy markets.
“Hungary rejects and considers it totally unacceptable if any country makes unilateral steps to interfere in the composition of the energy mix of another country…or puts the safe energy supply of another country at risk,” he said, adding that “all countries must refrain from such steps”. “The safe supply of energy is a matter of national security, and matter of national sovereignty as well,” said the minister. Unilateral steps by any country putting the safe energy supply of another country at risk should be considered as an attack on national sovereignty,” he added.
He called it highly important that the international community makes sure that no country makes unilateral steps putting the safe energy supplies of another country at risk.
The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism in Budapest will employ further Hungarian experts under a recently signed agreement, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Friday.
In a Facebook post, the minister noted his Thursday talks with Vladimir Voronkov, UN’s under-secretary-general for counter-terrorism, and said a threat of terrorism was facing people in a number of places across the world, mentioning the Sahel in Africa, Syria in the Middle East, and Pakistan and Afghanistan in Asia. Terrorism, he added, had become a global challenge, affecting regions that had so far been considered safe. “The UN’s most important task should be a successful fight against terrorism,” Szijjártó said.
The UN centre in Budapest currently employs 28 people, including 8 Hungarians, he said, adding that the office was serving more and more functions, including monitoring the international movements of terrorists and coordinating actions to thwart such activities. Under the new agreement, one-third of the UN facility’s staff will be Hungarian, Szijjártó said.
Marcin Romanowski, the former Polish deputy justice minister, has been granted asylum by Hungary, Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said in an interview with online news portal Mandiner. He also said that there is a rule of law in Poland.
Hungary grants asylum to Marcin Romanowski
Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, confirmed the news about Marcin Romanowski’s political asylum in Hungary to Mandiner. Former Polish Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski has reportedly sought and been granted political asylum in Hungary. According to Hungarian and EU law, the asylum was granted after Romanowski faced what has been described as a breach of due process in Poland.
Photo: Facebook / Marcin Romanowski
Gulyás said there had been proof of the lack of fair procedure in the case of the former deputy justice minister who was arrested this summer despite being protected by immunity in his capacity as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Gulyás said Romanowski was released only after an official complaint had been submitted by the assembly’s president to Polish authorities. A court in Poland confirmed that the arrest had violated laws.
Serious allegations
While Marcin Romanowski faces allegations of serious crimes involving damage to state assets in Poland, his arrest occurred despite his immunity. According to Gulyás, the Hungarian state, which granted him political asylum, cannot assess the validity of the charges or access details of the Polish proceedings. He further explained that political asylum is awarded when there is significant doubt about the impartiality and independence of judicial processes in the applicant’s home country. In this instance, concerns about political influence in Poland’s legal system, particularly in Romanowski’s case, were deemed sufficient to justify the asylum, the Hungarian politician explained to Mandiner.
How will this affect the relationship between the two countries?
Gergely Gulyás underlined that Hungary did not interfere in other countries’ domestic politics but it was necessary to state that a constitutional crisis had developed in Poland since last year’s elections as a result of the Tusk government’s actions. He added that for instance, the Polish government failed to carry out the decisions of the Polish constitutional court, and “criminal law was being used as a tool against political rivals”.
The decision to grant asylum to Marcin Romanowski is unlikely to ease tensions between Hungary and Poland, but Hungarian authorities have maintained a consistent stance on asylum since 2015. They argue that individuals fleeing war or political persecution, such as former Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, should be granted refugee status regardless of any political disputes. Hungary emphasises the distinction between migration and the protection of genuine refugees.
Maintaining a “strategic calm” in times of war is of crucial importance, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told public radio on Friday.
Christmas ceasefire important
Speaking from Brussels, the prime minister noted his recent proposal of a truce and a large-scale exchange of prisoners of war in the Russia-Ukraine conflict for the time of Orthodox Christmas.
Orbán said he had started the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union with a “peace mission” and “made another round” at the end of it: he visited the president-elect of the United States, had long talks with the Russian president and met the president of Türkiye, too.
Concerning his proposal for a ceasefire, Orbán said once there was no chance for “a great, overall peace agreement and the parties are not willing to agree on a long-standing ceasefire, there should at least be truce at Christmas … even at the time of the first world war the belligerents did agree that nobody should die in the front lines for at least a few days.” He dismissed possible counter arguments, suggesting that a few days would not be sufficient for the warring parties to reorganise their troops. He also added that once a ceasefire could be achieved for Christmas time, it would raise the opportunity of negotiating a longer truce later on.
Photo: MTI
Putin considers
Orbán said he had convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin to consider his proposal, while “the Ukrainians had more of a gut reaction” but “if they sit down and think it over, they could easily change their mind, which I think would be in their interest.”
Concerning remarks by Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, Orbán said “one must not be provoked … we need to treat that with magnanimity”. He said that Zelensky was “the leader of a country in trouble, with foreign troops on its territory.” Ukraine has lost many millions of people because they left the country, hundreds of thousands have died … the country is full of injured people, widows, orphaned children, its energy infrastructure is in ruins and it is not clear how the country will make a living in future,” Orbán said. “The leader of such a country may make furious remarks,” Orbán said.
While the situation on the front lines of the war “changes by the day to the benefit of Russia and to the detriment of Ukraine … changes are happening in Washington, the headquarters of Western civilisation,” Orbán said. He added that those changes “will be good” for the West. “We’ll have a more normal life than before,” he said.
People fed up with war, sanctions, inflation
“Those two new developments should make us Hungarians cautious; if such great changes are about to happen, it is not worth insisting that irrespective of the changes we’ll keep doing what we have been doing,” he said, adding, however, that “apart from us there is hardly anybody else in Brussels that would think so.”
European leaders “feel that the war must be brought to an end” and the need to create a lasting, predictable security system that would make it possible for economic growth to resume in Europe. Orbán said the people were “fed up with the wartime situation, inflation and sanctions”.
Despite this, he added, “this past week the opposite of all of this has happened in the European Parliament and the European Commission”. He said the EP’s biggest parties had formed a pact and “put it in writing that they will continue doing what they’ve been doing: supporting migration, gender and the war”.
“So it doesn’t bother them that the world outside the Brussels bubble is changing, they want to keep moving ahead,” he said, adding that this indicated that the biggest problems today were in Brussels.
Lots of American money invested in Ukraine
Meanwhile, Orbán said he had been informed during his talks in the US that Europe and America had so far spent a combined 310 billion euros on the war in Ukraine. “This is a huge amount which would have been sufficient to do wonders” such as closing the gap between the Western Balkans and Europe or facilitating such development in the Sahel region that could help prevent illegal migration. “Those funds could have been spent on investment projects supporting Europe’s security, weapons factories or on the European economy,” Orbán said.
Concerning plans to give Ukraine fast-track EU accession, Orbán said “all countries with a strong agriculture have given an instant, negative reaction”. If Ukraine joins the EU “without resolving the situation of people making a living from agriculture”, farmers could go bankrupt and Hungary would be in a difficult position “to save its agriculture”, he said, and warned against a “hasty, ill-advised and too fast” procedure. He also added that the parties in the Patriots for Europe group included representatives of countries with a strong farming sector such as France, Italy, Austria, Poland, and Hungary.
Orbán: the Soros “network” lost the USA
Orbán also said there were global networks that had serious influence on public life, politics and the economy in several countries. One of these, he said, was the “Soros network”, which had “lost the US as one of its two headquarters”.
“The liberal philosophy and world view, a mighty network and global power embodied by the Soros empire, is being pushed out of America, it only has Brussels on its hands … but it has a grip on Brussels and it will pull back here.”
He said the “key to the future” was the European parliamentary opposition Patriots’ gaining a majority in the foreseeable future, adding that “the question is if we can retake Brussels from George Soros”.
Von der Leyen is not a fan of the Hungarian government
Asked if Europe had become stronger or weaker during the Hungarian presidency, the prime minister said: “It’s still here.”
He said the Hungarian presidency had solved some problems that had gone unsolved for “years or even decades”, which had earned the presidency broad recognition.
Orbán said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — whom he said he would “not describe as a Hungary fan” — and several European leaders “who aren’t sympathetic to Hungary” had all acknowledged the work Hungary had put into the presidency.
Among the accomplishments of the Hungarian presidency, the prime minister noted the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the bloc’s passport-free Schengen area after a 13-year wait. “We have a shared destiny with the Romanians and the Bulgarians, though our relationship with the Romanians is colourful and contradictory, Hungary’s goal is not to hinder others, but to make sure we help each other,” the prime minister said.
Orbán also welcomed the progress made when it comes to the Western Balkan countries, highlighting the progress in the case of Serbia.
European politics, he said, had come closer to the real problems thanks to the Hungarian presidency.
The presidency may have restored some faith in the importance of performance and work, Orbán said.
The Hungarian presidency’s successes
“If we want European people to have a better life or to be able to protect the standard of living they have already achieved, then competitiveness must be improved,” he said, adding that the 27 EU member states have been able to reach an agreement on the most important issues on the path towards this.
“This means that we have a working plan, an action plan to restore competitiveness, which, as a result of our work, has been accepted by everyone,” Orbán said. “This is a common base from which we can begin to restore competitiveness,” he added.
Orbán said that these days work was “talking and communication”, and less attention was given to performance and what was actually happening.
He said Brussels had “lost touch with the reality we’re living in”. “It’s very hard to have an effect on reality with the language, legal system and political forms they use here,” he added.
Meanwhile, the prime minister said “a lot of work” had gone into drafting the 2025 budget, noting that the central bank will also have a new governor from March.
Government change
He hailed the work of György Matolcsy, the outgoing governor, noting his efforts to help hundreds of thousands of troubled forex debtors and his introduction of new elements in Hungarian economic policy.
He said that with Mihály Varga, the incumbent finance minister, replacing Matolcsy, the finance ministry will be merged into the national economy ministry, creating a new economic ministry headed by Márton Nagy.
“What’s most important is to get off to a flying start,” Orbán said, adding that the government’s aim was to be able to use the budget to enact measures as early as January that will allow families, employers, employees and SMEs to feel that “the war is over and we’re at the start of a time of peace”.
Orbán said families will be able to feel the impact of most of the measures as early as the beginning of January.
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Orbán government changes from January, one ministry will cease to exist
PM Orbán says Christmas ceasefire and large-scale POW swap are realistic
The tasks of the Finance Ministry will be taken over by the National Economy Ministry from January 1, 2025, according to an amendment approved by Parliament on Friday.
The amendment was adopted with 125 votes in favour, 49 against and 7 abstentions. The Finance Ministry will be merged into the National Economy Ministry and cease to exist from December 31, 2025.
Hungary in relatively safe position regarding energy security for next few months, says PM Orbán
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday that Hungary is in a relatively safe situation regarding energy security for a few months, and it will be able to work together with the new government in Sofia to extend this positive period.
Orbán told Bulgarian journalists after talks with Boyko Borisov, leader of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party which won the early parliamentary election in October, that he was certain that Borisov would be able to stabilise the political situation in Bulgaria. He added that it was important to Hungary and for the European Union that a stable government would be set up in Sofia.
Commenting on the issue of gas supplies, he said Borisov had always been helpful in preventing the stoppage of gas supplies from Bulgaria to Hungary. Orbán added that some 7 billion of the approximately 9 billion cubic metres of gas that Hungary receives arrives through Bulgaria, so the country played a key role in Hungary’s security.
He also said that an agreement had been made with the US to suspend the sanctions against Gazprombank for three months, so the danger has been eliminated there. Additionally, an agreement has been made with Russia about an alternative method of making payments, he added.
Commenting on sanctions against Russia, Orbán said talks were ongoing in the EU, and a decision would have to be made by the end of January. In response to a question whether the community should wait until the inauguration of the new US president concerning the issue of sanctions against Moscow, Orbán said the 27 member states had to make a decision together and proposed “strategic patience” in the matter.
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PM Orbán says Christmas ceasefire and large-scale POW swap are realistic
The budget was passed with a vote of 125 for, 56 against and no abstentions. The preamble to legislation calls the 2025 budget the budget of the new economic policy. Next year, the end of the Russian-Ukrainian war will be finally within sight, and peace will allow more money to be spent on economic development, wage increases, home creation, and family support.
Tax benefits increase significantly
The preamble states that in the coming years, Hungary will be able to double the tax benefits for children, provide workers’ credit for working young people in addition to student loans and introduce new home creation and housing subsidies.
The Demján Sándor Programme will support SMEs, while the budget guarantees the payment bonus pension equal to one-month amount, family benefits, and includes the implementation of the 21 points of the new economic policy action plan.
The budget targets revenue of HUF 38,728bn and expenditures of HUF 42,851bn. The deficit target is HUF 4,122bn.
The total expenditure of the European Union development budget for 2025 was set at HUF 3,719bn, the total revenue at HUF 2,221bn, and the deficit at HUF 1,498bn.
The budget calculates with 3.4pc GDP growth and targets a 3.7pc-of-GDP fiscal deficit. It assumes inflation will be 3.2pc.
The year-end state debt-to-GDP ratio is expected to fall from 73.2pc this year to 72.6pc at the end of 2025.
Debt and utility protection
The budget allocates HUF 100bn to reserves.
Expenditures on debt servicing are set to climb from HUF 3,144bn this year to HUF 3,876bn next year.
The government continues to maintain its utility protection measures, the budget allocates HUF 880bn to Energy Ministry’s residential utility protection fund.
Expenditures on prenatal baby loans are set to climb from HUF 226bn to HUF 250bn. Local government’s spending on child nutrition tasks rise from HUF 105bn to HUF 145bn.
The budget allocates HUF 487bn for the payment of pensioner’s one-month bonus pension, up from HUF 449bn this year.
The budget of the health insurance fund exceeds HUF 4,706bn, after HUF 4,423bn this year.
The budget of the courts will increase from HUF 155bn to HUF 192bn next year.
Additional budget increases
The budget includes HUF 1,305bn of support for local governments, compared to HUF 1,049bn this year. Local governments will have to pay a solidarity contribution, the amount of which will increase from HUF 307bn to HUF 360bn. Local governments will also have an obligation to pay after the surplus of their local business tax revenue for the amount of HUF 65bn.
According to the preamble, next year’s national defence spending will exceed HUF 1,750bn and law enforcement spending will reach HUF 1,400bn. Planned spending on national defence will reach 2pc of GDP in 2025.
The preamble says education spending will near HUF 3,900bn and more than HUF 3,700bn will be available for healthcare purposes. The cabinet is providing more than HUF 3,750bn for family support, and is spending HUF 7,200bn on retirement benefits and pension-type benefits.
More than 300 new investments will be launched in 2025, with a total cost exceeding HUF 8,100bn, of which the share for 2025 is HUF 480bn.
General government deficit reaches HUF 3,284bn in November
Hungary’s cash flow-based general government deficit reached HUF 3,284.3bn at the end of November, the Finance Ministry confirmed in a detailed release of data on Friday.
The central budget had a deficit of HUF 3,257.5bn at the end of the month and the social security funds were HUF 226.8bn in the red, but separate state funds were HUF 200.0bn in the black.
Alone in November, the general government deficit came to HUF 233.8bn.
“The government has stabilised the fiscal balance this year, while closely following the development of the deficit,” the ministry said. “The government remains committed to improving balance indicators, while putting the economy on the sustainable growth path,” it added.
Interest expenditures came to HUF 3,412.7bn in January-November, climbing by HUF 798.1bn from the base period, the ministry said, noting that the fall in forint interest rates started in 2023 was showing up in cash flow-based interest expenditures with a delay.
Accrual-based interest expenditures will decline substantially in 2025, it added.
The ministry reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reducing the general government deficit: to 4.5pc in 2024, 3.7pc in 2025 and to under 3pc in 2026.
The foreign minister said that “it is a political revenge by the failed US Democratic administration” that the expansion of Hungary’s nuclear power plant at Paks had not been exempted from sanctions against Russia’s Gazprombank, but there is no reason for concern.
The foreign ministry cited Péter Szijjártó as saying in New York that the outgoing US administration’s recent one-sided steps made energy supplies for the entire region more difficult, and the sanctions against Gazprombank resulted in a difficult situation to those countries that “do not represent mainstream politics, but represent conservative, patriotic, national policies, and their policies much rather coincide with the incoming US president’s”.
“The US government obviously knew precisely well what effects these measures would have, and they knew precisely well which countries they cause problems to,” he added.
Photo: FB/Paks NPP
“But everyone can rest assured, because we are eliminating these risks. We have partly already taken the necessary legal, technical and technological steps, and will take more in the upcoming period. Hungary’s energy supplies are secure and will be secure as long as we are in government,” he said.
In an unprecedented move, Hungary’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution has forced opposition journalists from Magyar Hang to undergo polygraph tests. The investigation stems from a now-retracted false story about Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad fleeing to Hungary. Despite the pressure, the opposition journalists remain determined, vowing to stand by their work and continue reporting without fear.
Opposition journalists to take a polygraph test
As HVG reports, in an unusual move, Hungary’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution conducted investigations, including polygraph tests, on three key employees of Magyar Hang, a publication known for its critical stance towards the government. Those tested were Tamás Koncz, journalist; Csaba Lukács, the newspaper’s director; and Zsombor György, editor-in-chief. Magyar Hang revealed that this marks the first time such measures have been used against journalists in Hungary’s democratic history. Despite requesting the polygraph results, the opposition journalists have yet to receive them.
False story about Assad fleeing to Hungary
The investigation was sparked by the spread of a false story claiming that deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad had fled to Hungary on a passenger plane. Initially picked up by Magyar Hang and later amplified by journalist Péter Magyar, the misinformation created a stir before being debunked. While Magyar Hang issued an apology for publishing the erroneous report, Péter Magyar did not directly apologise, merely clarifying the story’s inaccuracy after the fact. In a statement, Magyar Hang emphasised that independent journalism poses no threat to national security even when it makes mistakes. In a press release, Magyar Hang writes:
The season of Advent is all about love and reconciliation, but the Hungarian Government is using it to discredit an independent newspaper and to harass and intimidate its journalists. Our conscience is clear, we have nothing to hide. We are not afraid and we will not give up, but we will cooperate with the authorities in any way we can. Independent journalism, even if we sometimes make mistakes, is not a threat to national security.
Commitment to truth and transparency
Despite the scrutiny, the opposition journalists have vowed to stand their ground. They expressed hope that state authorities would handle the investigation responsibly and avoid misusing private information for political propaganda. In addition, the team reaffirmed their commitment to truth and transparency, insisting they would continue their work without fear. Magyar Hang writes:
Although we asked for it, we could not get the results of the polygraph examination. We believe that there are still people working for the state who are committed to their country, and that the details of the investigation, which also touched on private matters, will not be manipulated and distorted and published in the government propaganda press.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Thursday that there was no consensus within the European Union regarding the war in Ukraine, so everything had to be done in connection with the war within the framework of bilateral diplomacy and not on behalf of the Hungarian EU presidency.
Ceasefire at Orthodox Christmas?
Orbántold a joint press conference with President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen after the EU summit in Brussels that the Ukraine war was the most important political issue but he had essentially no room for maneuvering on the matter because there was no consensus in the EU and it was therefore not possible to act on behalf of the European Council.
“So everything that could be done in the issue of the war had to be done independently from the presidency, not under the presidency’s framework. Actually under the arrangements of bilateral diplomacy,” Orbán said.
Orbán said much had been done, for instance a proposal for a Christmas ceasefire which had been presented outside the framework of the presidency.
In response to a question, he said he was aware that everyone wanted lasting peace and was thinking along the line of greater geopolitical context but Hungary had its own limits such as its size and its international influence corresponded to that.
He said he could see no obstacle to preventing the death of people in the frontline during the two or three days of Orthodox Christmas and to an agreement between the sides about the exchange of 700 prisoners from each side.
Photo: FB/Orbán
He added that this might be a small achievement compared to geopolitical goals, but if a few thousand fewer people die during Christmas, and if a few hundred or thousand fathers can return home to their families, it will be a European value.
We must take back leadership from the generals
Answering another question, Orbán said that he had seen in the past three years that there was no solution to the war on the battlefield. “I have seen some combative statements, military maneuvers, new weapons, hundreds of thousands dying, hundreds of thousands getting crippled, and who knows how many widows and orphans,” he added. Orbán said it was time for diplomacy to take back leadership from the generals, otherwise the war will not end within the foreseeable future.
In response to a question about how Donald Trump would end the Russia-Ukraine war as US president “in 24 hours”, Orbán said he had no authorisation to talk about the plans of other leaders. He said he had personally met Trump in the past two weeks, had a very long discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and also met the president of Turkiye. He added that “even if everyone has something on their mind” he could only speak about his own plans.
Assessing the Hungarian presidency coming to an end on December 31, Orbán expressed thanks to von der Leyen and the EC for their excellent cooperation, and said that they had been able to put aside all political disputes in order to advance important matters. He also expressed thanks to Costa and his predecessor Charles Michel, saying that they had also done much in the interest of success.
Hungary’s political presidency
Orbán said there had been unprecedented security challenges in the past six months, with wars in Ukraine, in the Middle East and Africa, with a permanent danger of escalation. Illegal migration and its consequences threaten with the disintegration of the Schengen area, and economic indicators show that the EU is losing its global competitiveness, falling increasingly behind the main economic competitors.
In the meantime, the other global players have ambitious plans, with “some wanting to stay great and some wanting to become great”. As a result, Orbán said it had been decided that Hungary would operate a political presidency and not a bureaucratic one. He added that a great amount of work had been invested in the past six months, with the entire Hungarian state apparatus working to ensure that progress was being made.
In terms of competitiveness, Orbán said the Budapest declaration deserved historic attention considering that it calls for “a revolutionary streamlining”, affordable energy, supporting SMEs, and sets deadlines for the fulfillment of each task.
Orbán said another important point of the Hungarian presidency was that ministers responsible for demographic challenges met for the first time in the EU’s history to discuss the future of Europe’s demographics.
He also said that progress had been made in enlargement policy in the Western Balkans which had been blocked for a long time, talks could be started with Albania, three intergovernmental conferences were held and the organisation of an intergovernmental conference with Serbia is within reach.
The Hungarian prime minister noted that a decision about the full membership of Bulgaria and Romania in the EU’s Schengen zone had been made under the Hungarian presidency. The issue he said had been on the agenda for the past thirteen years and Hungary had held talks over six months with countries that had opposed the integration of the two countries. As a result, the full integration of the two countries will take effect on January 1, he said.
The current Hungarian presidency was the first occasion that 27 agriculture ministers managed to reach an agreement on the Common Agricultural Policy’s future, he said.
Orbán said that “we have also managed to adopt a declaration on fighting anti-Semitism and promoting Jewish life”. The declaration establishes that there is an alarmingly high-level of anti-Semitism in the EU and the community has a shared responsibility to make every possible effort towards reducing it, he said.
Orbán said that he became increasingly convinced over the past six months that the only possible way to the success, even the survival, of the European Union was if the EU makes itself more ambitious and undertakes “great things”.
“The Hungarian presidency’s slogan to make Europe great again was not a joke,” the prime minister said, adding that this was the only way for the EU to regain its competitiveness and to survive.
Asked about transatlantic cooperation, Orbán said there was full agreement at the summit that the future and security of Europe depended heavily on whether transatlantic cooperation could be maintained.
As regards the inauguration of the new US president on January 20, Orbán’s advice to the EU was to have “strategic patience and calm”, suggesting that “they should do nothing that would make future strategic cooperation within transatlantic relations more difficult”.
The President of Ukraine has launched “an ugly campaign” against Hungary in the international arena in recent days, but “one should not fall for his provocations”, the foreign minister said on Thursday, prior to attending a general assembly meeting of the United Nations in New York.
According to a foreign ministry statement, Péter Szijjártó said that the Hungarian government’s position had proven right during the past one thousand days of the war in Ukraine: the war has no solution on the battlefield and the only way to settle the armed conflict is through negotiations.
He said that “after more than one thousand days there are still those who are unable to see that an overall new reality has developed: the Russians are forging ahead more and more intensively day-by-day against Ukraine, while here, in the United States a pro-peace politician has won the presidential election and his inauguration is getting closer and closer”.
Szijjártó said it was regrettable that “the American Democrats and Western European liberals have launched a bitter attack in a last-ditch effort” to thwart the efforts towards peace of the incoming president who will take office on 20 January. He noted that President-elect Donald Trump had made a clear statement in recent days promoting peace and calling for peace talks.
“It is high time for Western European leaders to understand that Donald Trump is a serious person… He made clear during his presidential campaign that he had an interest in creating peace fast, and this must be taken seriously,” Szijjártó said.
After Trump’s taking office, standpoints about migration will change around the world, the foreign minister said.