Viktor Orbán: Ukraine must be kept in a state of limbo
About the retail energy subsidy regime and three difficult negotiations
The reporter first asked Viktor Orbán about the 30% discount on January utility bills. According to Orbán, without this system, many people would have been unable to pay their bills. This system has sparked much debate among international companies and energy providers. "It was extremely cold, and we were faced with a big dilemma because winters can be cold. We weren't sure whether to help everyone or only those in need," he said.
Some read their meters themselves, some pay a flat rate and some pay based on a characteristic curve. We have found that if we did not establish a general rule, many would consider the system unfair,
he added. "That is why they decided on a 30% reduction, so that everyone would feel their burden had been reduced fairly"' Orbán said.
"I had to conduct three difficult negotiations," the PM continued. First, I had to convince Trump that Hungary should not be sanctioned by the US because we rely on pipeline transport. Then I had to agree with the Russian president that they would deliver what they had committed to in the contract. Finally, I had to reach an agreement with the Turkish president to maintain the gas transport route through their country to Hungary.
Orbán reiterated his warning ahead of the election that a new government led by the Tisza Party would be puppeteered from Brussels and would certainly do away with the current system of retail energy subsidies. He claimed that bills would double or triple if the purchase of Russian gas were banned, a claim that has been debunked time and again.
According to Orbán, NATO's borders should be strengthened
Orbán believes that the defence of Europe does not begin at Ukraine's borders. It is NATO's eastern borders that need to be defended, not Ukraine, he says. He believes that "Ukraine should be kept in a state of limbo through agreements," acting as a kind of buffer zone. Europe must develop its army.
He added that an agreement must be reached with the Russians that also ensures our security, and that Russian soldiers cannot be stationed there.
Six months' worth of 'firearms money'
Three or four years ago, we paid them a 'firearms money', and our plan was to pay them again in three or four years' time, if possible.
"While others also serve in Hungary, what distinguishes the armed forces is that their oath states they will perform their duties even at the cost of risking or sacrificing their lives. They deserve extra recognition — they have done their job well," Orbán said.
This allowance is not only for soldiers, but also for police officers and all other professional members of the armed forces. Professionals receive the allowance every three years, but since the payment was brought forward by one year (in the 2022 election year), it will be paid in 2026 (again in an election year) instead of 2025. In 2022, the police alone paid out 91 billion forints in this way, with an average of 2.7 million per person.
According to the attached impact assessment sheet from November, the total amount of the weapons fund will exceed HUF 432 billion. However, interpretation is complicated by the fact that, despite the issue being the 2026 military budget, the impact assessment sheet indicates HUF 432,991,468,295 as the budget-balancing effect for the next four years.
