Orbán: ‘Don’t let others decide unless you want millions of Ukrainian guest workers’
“If there is work, there is everything and there will be young people wishing to work,” the prime minister told the opening of a festival on Monday.
Millions of Ukrainian guest workers in Hungary?
Speaking at the Star of the Trade Festival, Viktor Orbán warned, however, that “the cause of Ukraine’s European Union entry will determine the next 20 years of Hungarian youth”. “Young people today don’t want to lead phony lives, they don’t want sham jobs and they don’t want to live on their parents’ money … they want a meaningful life, valuable skills and success in meeting serious challenges,” Orbán said.
“They are capable of doing that and you want to become capable, too,” he told the young audience, and added “the country will be in good hands.” Orbán said they were “students of a hopeful country with good reason to be confident”, adding that Hungary offered one million more jobs than in 2010, and “people don’t need to be on the lookout for a state job to make a living”. The prime minister told participants they should be proud of their parents because “we owe it to them that the future is in trades”.
In 2010, when Fidesz formed a “national government”, Hungary was “mostly bankrupt” with most people thinking that they could not make a living and “millions lived on benefits, from illegal work, or getting around the rules,” the prime minister said. He also added that children typically had aimed to go onto a secondary school and sought to study in higher education. “Many trusted more a certificate than their own skills, hard work and determination,” he said, adding that “a country like that does not have a future … and will perish sooner or later.” “Our generation would not live with that … and would not see their children and grandchildren grow up in a faltering, hopeless country,” he said.
“You can be proud of your parents who worked hard to help lift Hungary out of its bankrupt state and restored its confidence,” Orbán said. “Work has been given back its reputation and most young people now seek safe skills … it was owing to them that we developed the most modern vocational training system in Hungary, spending 140 billion forints on new schools, classrooms, and equipment,” Orbán said. “A good carpenter today could make a net monthly 800,000 forints, an electrician one million, and you could make even more if you work hard,” he added.
Orbán warned, however, in view of “fast changes and new threats” Hungarians “not only individually, but together as a nation need to stand their ground”. He said that the bloody war in neighbouring Ukraine, the tariffs war, the migration of people across the continent’s borders, energy poverty in once-rich Western countries, climate change in nature, and “war preparations in the salons of Brussels” all pose a threat. “We have our own scenario for Hungary’s future, but the worst scenarios are also on the table.”
The prime minister highlighted the importance of the government’s ongoing referendum on Ukraine’s EU accession which he said “will determine your next 20 years”, and he encouraged participants to vote if they wanted a “migrant-free Hungary in future”. He warned that “millions of Ukrainian labourers” could flood the country, “taking your jobs and depressing your salaries” and called on his young audience not to let anybody “make decisions above your head”.
Read here for more news about Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
the campaign about fear has just started. no one wants to work in Hungary for low wages. all the people who is immigrant wants to move to rich countries, not to the backyard of Europe. Hungarian should not worry about immigrants, but about its corrupted politicians
Lies and lies again.
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 8 million Ukrainians fled to the EU, but Hungary was not a primary destination. Most refugees moved further west to countries like Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic due to better economic opportunities and existing diaspora networks .
Even when Hungary hosted Ukrainian refugees temporarily, few stayed long-term. For example, in 2022, Hungary recorded ~35,000 temporary protections granted, a fraction compared to Poland’s 1.5 million 11. This underscores Hungary’s lack of appeal as a labor market for Ukrainians.
so better for this government to fix the corruption that create lies!
In 2004, the EU saw its largest single expansion with the accession of 10 countries, including Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania).
In 2007, Romania and Bulgaria joined.
Fears Among Existing Member States:
Increased Migration and Job Competition:
Many citizens in older EU countries (e.g., Germany, France, UK) feared that workers from the new, poorer member states would flood their labor markets, driving down wages or taking jobs, especially in low-skilled sectors.
“Benefit Tourism”:
Concerns were raised that migrants might move west not primarily for work, but to exploit more generous welfare systems, including unemployment benefits, housing, and healthcare.
Strain on Public Services:
There were fears that large numbers of migrants would put pressure on public services such as schools, hospitals, and housing.
Cultural and Social Integration:
Skepticism existed about how well these new migrants would integrate socially and culturally, with fears of ethnic tensions or rising xenophobia.
Political Populism:
These fears were often exploited by populist and far-right parties, which warned of a “flood” of Eastern European workers undermining national identity and economic security.
Policy Response:
As a result, many Western EU countries imposed “transitional controls”—temporary restrictions on the free movement of workers from the new member states. These could last up to 7 years.
For instance, the UK, Ireland, and Sweden opened their labor markets immediately in 2004, while others (like Germany and Austria) delayed until 2011.