Hungary requires a leadership that is widely accepted and able to safeguard the country’s peace, security, and economic progress, and at present, only Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is capable of fulfilling this role, said Balázs Orbán, the Prime Minister’s political director, in an appearance on the online programme Warriors’ Hour on Monday.
He warned that the coming decades may bring unpredictable local conflicts that could escalate into global crises. In such circumstances, a nation led by a disorganized or divided government could face severe consequences. He described the essence of the Fidesz political system and Viktor Orbán’s strategy as creating national unity on major civilizational issues, without which Hungary could be swept aside by greater powers. Issues such as sovereign Hungarian policy, opposition to migration, and the work-based society extend beyond party politics, he said, and enjoy broad support, except among a liberal minority of 10 to 15 percent.
According to Balázs Orbán, the government can secure long-term electoral success if it identifies major civilizational flashpoints and fosters unity on them that transcends party lines. At present, the war in Europe is the most pressing such challenge. He stressed that his political community is the only one capable of delivering what the majority of Hungarians expect: staying out of the war, avoiding alignment with either side, and preserving Hungary’s peace and security.
‘At present, the war in Europe is the most pressing such challenge’
Speaking about a planned meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, he welcomed the fact that the United States is still considering ways to end the conflict, recognizing that Russian–American negotiations are essential. He noted that Viktor Orbán had previously identified this as the only current opportunity for peace. By contrast, he criticized Germany and France for acting as Ukraine’s agents in dealings with Trump instead of pushing for talks, and accused the Hungarian opposition of supporting a Brussels-driven war policy aimed at prolonging suffering on the Russian–Ukrainian front.
Balázs Orbán argued that this stance harms Hungary’s interests and amounts to betrayal. He said Europe should adopt its own peace strategy, and if it cannot, it should support the United States’ approach. He accused the opposition of lacking the courage to defy their backers in Brussels and stated that Hungary does not want the current war policy.
The political director also criticized Tisza Party leader Péter Magyar for publicizing an incident at the Székesfehérvár hospital in which workmen entered a delivery room, calling it an unfair attack on healthcare workers and a political provocation. He insisted the visit was a routine water-quality check by a trained medical worker and described the episode as symptomatic of the Tisza Party’s decline. While the party initially sought to expose government shortcomings and offer alternatives, he claimed they now avoid debates because they have no competitive proposals for healthcare reform, resorting instead to agitation and exploiting health workers.
Balázs Orbán underlined that while free speech allows for harsh government criticism, there are boundaries, such as threats of physical violence, which public figures must not cross. He described the Tisza Party’s increasingly aggressive tone as alienating for those outside their base and contrasted it with what he sees as the Fidesz-led government’s constructive policy agenda.
‘While free speech allows for harsh government criticism, there are boundaries, such as threats of physical violence’
On housing policy, he said criticism from the liberal press of the Otthon Start Programme was unsurprising, as the left abandoned classic social issues such as home ownership in the 1990s, leaving them to the right to champion. The right’s firm position, he said, is that a strong nation and middle class can only exist if people own property, and therefore it is the government’s duty to help citizens acquire homes. He dismissed long-term rental living as less desirable and warned that the left’s policies could lead to economic tragedies like the foreign-currency mortgage crisis of the 2000s.
He added that the government’s approach is comprehensive, aiming both to boost housing demand and increase supply while curbing speculative property purchases. The programme, he noted, would only continue if Fidesz–KDNP wins next year’s election.
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