At Hungary’s March 15 national commemoration, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán delivered a speech centered on the country’s security, sovereignty, and the coming election.
According to the prime minister, Europe is entering a dangerous period as Brussels prepares for deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine. Hungary, however, must remain on a different path. “We undertake that even in such a turbulent world we will preserve Hungary as an island of security and calm,” PM Orbán declared, stressing that the April vote will carry historic responsibility and must renew the country’s anti-war alliance.
Opening his address, Prime Minister Orbán reflected on the meaning of freedom in Hungarian history and the legacy of the 1848 revolution. “For a Hungarian, there is no need to explain what freedom is,” the prime minister said. “We breathe the air and already know where we stand.” He argued that freedom can only grow from unity and solidarity, warning that “however large the crowd may be, if hatred and anger bring it together, there will never be freedom.”
Recalling the 12 points of the “Youth of March” in 1848, PM Orbán said that these were Hungarians’ demands for their future. But today, he warned, there are competing visions. “Be careful,” he said. “Today, Brussels has also dressed up as a Hungarian. Their 12 points are the 12 points of servitude.”
Prime Minister Orbán insisted that Hungary would defend the achievements of recent years against outside pressure. “We will not allow them to sell what we have built over 16 years for 30 pieces of Brussels silver,” he said. Hungary will not give up its national and Christian constitution, the utility price reduction scheme, the 13th and 14th month pensions, or what the prime minister described as Europe’s most family-friendly policies.
Turning to international tensions, Prime Minister Orbán sharply criticized attempts to pressure Hungary over energy and political issues. Addressing Ukraine directly, he said: “This is the thousand-year-old state of the Hungarians, and you think you can intimidate us with an oil blockade and threats against our leaders.” Hungary, he added, is a peace-loving nation but will defend its interests.
The prime minister also revisited the migration crisis of 2015, warning that instability in the Middle East could trigger even larger migration waves in the future. “Iran is nine times larger than Syria,” PM Orbán noted. “Ninety million people live there.” Hungary’s decision to close its borders, he said, helped ensure that “Hungary today is the safest country in Europe.”
A central theme of the speech was the war in Ukraine and Europe’s response. According to Prime Minister Orbán, the European Union has moved toward deeper involvement in the conflict. “Brussels has taken the Ukrainian war upon itself, and now it is preparing for war,” the prime minister warned, describing the situation as a historic test for the continent.
Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Orbán said the upcoming election will be decisive. “We must not win as we did four years ago — we must win more strongly,” he stated. “We must achieve a historic victory, because the next government will bear historic responsibility.”
For Hungary, the most important objective remains staying out of the conflict. “We must stay out of the war,” the prime minister emphasized, urging supporters to renew the anti-war alliance formed at the previous election.
In his closing remarks, PM Orbán returned to the central message of his speech. Hungary, he said, must remain stable even as the world becomes more uncertain. “We undertake that even in such a turbulent world, we will preserve Hungary as the island of security and calm,” the prime minister declared.
Ending the ceremony with a traditional call for unity, Prime Minister Orbán concluded: “Let there be peace, freedom and unity. Hungary above all. Go, Hungary! Go, Hungarians!”