Leaked speech: Orbán said when Hungary should consider leaving the EU
For Hungary’s ruling party Fidesz, the current autumn political season started on 10 September this year. The meeting was held in the village of Kötcse. Viktor Orbán gave a speech on a wide range of topics that day.
The Prime Minister spoke about Ukraine, the war, the cooperation of the V4 countries, the future of the Fidesz government and Hungary’s EU membership, among other topics, in Kötcse on Saturday, 10 September. The Fidesz season-opening meeting was closed to the public, but Szabad Európa asked several participants what the Prime Minister talked about.
Ukraine
The war in Ukraine was one of the main topics of the speech. According to Orbán, this war could be around until 2030, and Ukraine could lose a third to even a half of its territory. He was sure the war would have been local, but the “West stepped in, making it global”, and now we are shooting ourselves in the foot in Europe with sanctions. According to Orbán, 40 percent of European industry could shut down this winter because of these sanctions.
European Union and the V4 cooperation
The Prime Minister still thinks that by 2030, the European Union could fall apart. However, the V4 (Visegrád Cooperation, Visegrádi Együttműködés) will be a strong centre of power by then. Orbán acknowledged that cooperation is in crisis because of the war, but that this can be overcome.
Thoughts about leaving the European Union?
By 2030, the V4 will become net contributors, and Orbán said that at that time, we must reflect on the meaning of EU membership, and what this membership gives us under these circumstances. If we cannot find a positive answer, we must draw conclusions, he said.
New family support measures to come
On Hungary, he said he would not concede under any circumstances to four strategic objectives. The first is demography: everything must be done to increase the population, so new family support measures will be announced in two weeks. He did not give details, Szabad Európa writes.
The second is to maintain full employment and protect the value of incomes. The third is the continued modernisation of the economy and the last is national unification. Here, according to our sources, the Prime Minister was thinking primarily of Hungarians beyond the borders, not of the need to ease the political divisions in Hungary.
The future of the Fidesz government
Finally, referring to his own political camp, the Prime Minister said that in recent times he has been consciously training a new generation in Fidesz who are well-educated, capable of governing. He said they should be able to lead the country from 2030 until 2060.