Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán delivered a fiery speech in Budapest on 23 October, marking the anniversary of the 1956 Revolution with fierce criticism of Brussels and renewed calls for Hungary to remain a ‘lone voice for peace’ in Europe.
Addressing tens of thousands of supporters gathered in Kossuth Square after the so-called Peace March, organized by the Civil Solidarity Forum, Orbán described the demonstration as ‘Europe’s largest patriotic movement’, declaring that it could defend Hungary ‘against the liberal zeitgeist and Brussels oppressors’.
He thanked supporters for keeping ‘Hungary’s Christian, conservative, and national government in power for 16 years’, praising them for maintaining the country as ‘Europe’s only migrant-free nation’ and for ‘protecting children from ideologies that go against the order of nature and creation.’ The prime minister said that ‘people from Portugal to Lithuania envy us’ for standing firm in defence of traditional values, adding that Hungarians had ‘woken up in time’ and ‘held their ground.’
Drawing a historical parallel to the 1956 uprising, Orbán described it as ‘a turning point not just for Hungary, but for the world’. He argued that the revolution inspired later movements such as the Prague Spring, the Polish Solidarity, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. ‘The whole world heard the heartbeat of the Hungarian soul,’ he said. ‘1956 is the celebration of human dignity. Every nation has the right to live in freedom, dignity, and peace.’
Orbán contrasted Hungary’s current stance with what he called Western submission to destructive ideologies, asserting that ‘freedom is not a gift or a grace, but a right to be won.’ He reiterated that Hungary would continue to resist ‘the colonial logic of Brussels’, which he accused of seeking to profit from Ukraine’s destruction while undermining national sovereignty.
Turning to foreign policy, the prime minister accused the European Union of ‘dragging Europe into war’ and forming a ‘Coalition of the Willing—willing to send others to die.’ ‘This is not our war, but it ruins our lives,’ he declared, blaming EU policies for prolonging the conflict. ‘Everyone knows that if Donald Trump had been president, this war would never have broken out,’ Orbán said, claiming that Brussels had ‘turned the war in Ukraine into its own war’ and spent €185 billion ‘on a hopeless conflict’.
‘We are the only country in Europe where peace can be brokered—and we are ready to do so’
He warned that the EU intended to ‘extract billions more from taxpayers’ and to make Hungarians ‘pay war reparations’. ‘Ukraine is no longer sovereign, independent, or autonomous; its fate is already in others’ hands,’ he stated, rejecting any move to integrate Hungary into ‘a war coalition’. ‘Christian morals and common sense demand peace,’ he added. ‘Hungary will not be part of any war coalition. We are the only country in Europe where peace can be brokered—and we are ready to do so.’
At the same time, Orbán drew a red line regarding Ukraine’s EU accession, saying: ‘We want Ukraine to be a partner of the EU, but we will not belong to the same alliance.’ He warned that deepening economic integration would harm Hungary’s interests and reiterated that Budapest would oppose the move ‘in its current form’.
The prime minister framed next year’s European and domestic elections as a historic choice between ‘war or peace’. He argued that ‘Brussels and its Hungarian proxies are bringing war to Hungary,’ and that ‘supporting the opposition means supporting war.’
Appealing to young Hungarians, Orbán urged them to reconnect with their national roots: ‘Your grandparents died for a real Hungary and real freedom. Take pride in being Hungarian. Your homeland is waiting.’
Recalling the toll of the two world wars, he vowed that Hungary would not repeat its past mistakes. ‘We could not stay out of the first two great wars, but we will stay out of this one,’ he said. Concluding his speech, Orbán reaffirmed Hungary’s determination to defend its independence: ‘We do not kneel, and we always have a few tricks up our sleeve. The imperial commissioners are gone, the Soviets left, the IMF went home, and the pro-migration Brussels bureaucrats have retreated. None of them could swallow us.’
‘Whoever says no to war is with us,’ Orbán proclaimed to loud applause.
‘Whoever is Hungarian wants peace. Whoever is Hungarian wants to live. We will not give our money, we will not give our weapons, we will not go to war, and we will not die for Ukraine—but we will live for Hungary.’
He concluded by pledging that ‘in 2025, Budapest will be the capital of European peace,’ declaring: ‘We want the European Union—but not Brussels. We want freedom and peace.’
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