Hungarian Conservative

The Hungarian Defence Forces demand unwavering loyalty, exemplary behaviour worthy of their vocation, courageous commitment, high readiness, and discipline from the soldiers who perform active service, a statement from the Ministry of Defence wrote about the war-time increasement of training routines for active-duty soldiers.

During his recent talks in Tbilisi, the Hungarian Defence Minister stressed that Hungary strongly supports Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, and highlighted the importance of Hungarian-Georgian military cooperation.

During the meeting held at the Carmelite Monastery earlier today, Viktor Orbán emphasised that although a ceasefire and peace would be paramount, intense fighting erupted in the Russo-Ukrainian war on Wednesday night. The security of Hungary remains the top priority of the government, the Prime Minister stressed.

‘Despite their injuries, the Hungarian soldiers have shown brave commitment, and many of those who were able to do so have already returned to their posts,’ the Hungarian defence minister said after the clashes between KFOR troops and local Serbs in North Kosovo. The minister stressed that the stability of the Western Balkans is very important to Hungary, which is why it is present in the region not only diplomatically and economically, but also militarily in the framework of the KFOR mission.

The clashes began on Friday and continued on Monday morning as a result of ongoing unrest following the recent elections, where ethnic Albanian politicians won mayorships. Confrontations broke out between ethnic Serbian protesters taking to the street and the police near the municipal offices of three towns. 20 Hungarian soldiers were injured.

‘As a volunteer reserve captain, I have seen the internal state of the armed forces from the bottom up, and as a minister, from the top down. From both perspectives, it is clear that a profound organisational culture change is needed,’ Defence Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted in a recent interview.

Minister of Defence Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky drew attention to the fundamental change in the security situation in Europe and stressed that the military must demonstrate appropriate deterrence to ensure the safety of the Hungarian people. He emphasised that defence is something that concerns all Hungarians, and reiterated that the Hungarian Defence Forces welcome young people who want to join in the armed defence of the homeland.

Lt General Gábor Böröndi is the ‘right man in the right place at the right time’ to lead the Hungarian Defence Forces from the combat level to the operational level, the Hungarian Defence Minister stressed at the Lt General’s hearing in parliament.

In the CEE region, only Romania and the Czech Republic are ahead of Hungary in terms of the strength of their military. This is a quite notable achievement given that in 2010, the Hungarian Defence Forces were still lagging behind the Serbian, Austrian, and even the Slovak and Croatian armed forces.

‘The Hungarian people help both domestically and abroad, as we saw during the coronavirus pandemic, in the case of refugees from Ukraine, and now in Turkey,’ Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said.

Austria’s Chancellor was the first Western leader to meet with Putin after the invasion. Now, despite strong criticism, Russian representatives were granted visas to Austria to attend the OSCE summit in Vienna in February.

‘Hungary and Austria are good neighbours and maintain very close cooperation in almost all areas, including the field of the military and defence,’ the Hungarian Minister of Defence underlined after meeting with his Austrian counterpart in Budapest.

Encouraged internationally but rejected locally—will the Union of Serbian Municipalities be established in Kosovo?

The Hungarian force development programme must not slow down: cooperation between Rheinmetall and the Hungarian state will continue uninterrupted, Viktor Orbán nailed down.

‘The huge potential of the Hungarian defence industry can unfold at the best possible time, as one of the recurring themes of EU defence ministerial discussions is that stocks are being depleted and there is insufficient capacity for after-market production.’

Despite the tensions with Serbia, in December 2022 Kosovo formally applied to join the EU. But unless relations between Serbia and Kosovo are normalized, accession of either of the countries is unlikely.

Protests, roadblocks, police officers being injured and imprisoned in North Kosovo have again escalated the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia.

‘Hungary is not only an ally but a friend to Israel,’ stressed Acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid in his meeting with the Hungarian President.

The Hungarian force development programme essentially aims at acquiring NATO-compatible equipment, increasing troops levels, and building a national defence industry.

Regarding the war in Hungary’s neighbourhood, Hungary’s Minister of Defence reiterated that the country’s position has been clear from the beginning: to stay out of the war and pursue Hungary’s national interests.