Prime Minister, Hungary
FULL SPEECH: Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán Addresses Supporters on War, Economy & National Unity | AC1N
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addresses a large campaign rally in Győr, urging voters to support Fidesz ahead of the upcoming elections. Orbán highlights Hungary’s economic growth, job creation, and family policies while emphasizing the need to stay out of war and maintain national sovereignty. He also criticizes opposition forces and calls for unity, experience, and strong leadership to navigate global challenges.
Viktor Orban, Hungary elections 2026, Orban speech Győr, Fidesz rally, Hungary politics, Orban campaign rally, Hungary economy, Ukraine war Hungary stance, European politi...
About Orbán Viktor
Viktor Orbán lost the April 2026 Hungarian parliamentary election, with his Fidesz party receiving approximately 2.5 million votes. Orbán described the result as "painful" and "unequivocal," congratulated the winning party, and said his movement would continue to serve Hungary from the opposition. He stated that he would "never give up" and urged his supporters to remain engaged. In the weeks before the election, Orbán hosted U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Budapest for Hungarian-American Friendship Day. Orbán said that with the election of President Donald Trump a "golden era" had begun in bilateral relations, citing a 50% increase in trade turnover and 30 American companies announcing foreign direct investment worth 100 billion Hungarian forints. He also told Vance that Hungary was experiencing "very harsh and very open interference by foreign security services" in its elections and welcomed the U.S. decision to close "financial taps" that he said supported such interference. Orbán warned of energy shortages and price hikes, and said energy cooperation with the U.S. was essential for Hungary to cap utility prices. He also stated that the European strategy of supporting Ukraine had "failed," described the Russia-Ukraine war as a conflict between "two Christian countries" that must be stopped, and said Hungary remained ready to host a U.S.-Russia peace summit in Budapest.
Transcript (32 segments)
✨ AI-enhanced transcript with speaker attribution
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Viktor Orbán0:05
First of all, I fulfill my obligation to convey the greetings of the people of Mezőfalva. The agricultural world of Hungary gathered there today, and they send a message to the people of Győr: they will all win. They wish that Győr also wins.
Then I was in Veszprém today, and I came here to you from there. Veszprém is a very difficult constituency, just like this one. It is very hard to gain people's trust there, and even harder to keep it. It's not easy in Győr either, but the people of Veszprém send word that they will win there, and Győr should do its part and win as well.
First of all, allow me to ask you to honor Szabolcs Szeles and Dávid Fekete with your trust. I see there are local government debates, but that is not important now. Let's put that aside. Győr's fate will be decided in the election on April 12, so vote for the candidates of Fidesz and KDNP.
And now let me recall how we once stood in this square. If you remember, in April 2002, we stood here with Chancellor Helmut Kohl. We asked for your trust, and we received it. Thank you that there are still those here who were with us then. God bless you all.
And now, first, let's clarify the situation. In this square, there are three types of people. There are us, who share a common passion. That's why we gathered today. Our common passion is Hungary.
There are us, for whom Hungary is important. So there are us, for whom it is important that Hungary be a free, independent, and sovereign state. And surely there are some curious people at the edge of the crowd who haven't decided yet, who don't know which foot to stand on—on April 12, the left or the right foot. Thank you for coming. I will help them tonight to make a good decision. And there is a third type of person here in the square. Somewhere back there in the twilight, they are making noise, whistling, drumming. They didn't come because they share a common passion with us. They didn't even come because they don't know which foot to stand on. They came to ruin our evening. But we won't let that happen. Our evening cannot be ruined. We won't let it.
But it's okay that they are here. I hope the whole country sees them. Such provocateurs come to other rallies too. We usually show them to the public afterward. It's important for us to see the difference between them and us. To see that difference: they are people who take joy in ruining others' joy. We take joy in being together and agreeing on important things.
They are the people of anger, hatred, and destruction. We are the people of love and unity. Let us be proud that we believe in the power of love and unity. And we wish that one day the Tisza party people will also have such joy and experience that loving and uniting is a good thing. For them to experience that, I suggest that even though there is a political campaign now, do not harden your hearts, because there is no way back from there.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here with me in the city of Győr. Győr is a fantastic and strong city. Without Győr, there is no strong government. Against Győr, Hungary cannot be governed, and without Győr, Hungary cannot be governed. But we want to govern, and we ask that the city of Győr also be part of the emerging government majority.
I don't want to turn our time together into a production report, but I will tell you that Győr is such a fantastic center of power in Hungary that it was able to triple its economic performance in 10 years. Be proud that without your city, there is no Hungarian industry and no Hungarian economy.
And let us be proud that you have built such an economy here in the city and its surroundings that everyone who wants to work has a job. Unemployment is below 2%. This is the essence of the work-based society. I undertook back in 2010, when we inherited the ruined Hungarian economy from the socialists, that we would build an economic system in which every Hungarian person finds work and can make a living. In 2010, 3.6 million people worked in Hungary; now it is 4.7 million. And if we receive trust, if I receive trust, by the end of the next term, 5 million people will work in Hungary, and the average income will be over 1 million forints.
Cheer, because otherwise the bitter cold will get us. Dear people of Győr, since we have gathered here, I must speak briefly about the past four years. It was an extremely unfair four years. There were troubles in Hungary that we did not cause, difficulties that we did not create. Hungary had to face crises caused outside Hungary. In February 2022, the Russian-Ukrainian war broke out, and that's when our four-year term began. We spent all four years with the cloud of war over our heads. We had to get through the four years in the shadow of war. War slows down the economy, blocks economic performance. If there had been no war, with all the work you have done, and we all have done, Hungary could have progressed two or three times faster, but the wind was blowing against us.
Ladies and gentlemen! But when the wind blew against us, the Hungarian government did not choose to make excuses about why things couldn't be done. Instead, we fought, and even in difficult circumstances, we set goals and tried to achieve them. First, I promised you in 2022 that if you support me, no matter what happens, I will keep Hungary out of the war. We undertook it and we did it.
I also undertook that no matter what economic troubles come, we will not do what the left did—make pensioners pay the price of the economic crisis. We undertook to preserve the value of pensions, and in the shadow of war, we not only preserved them but also restored the 13th month pension taken by the left, and began introducing the 14th month pension. Respect to Hungary's pensioners!
And dear people of Győr, we did not let anyone force us to give up the work-based economy, whose essence is that we all believe it is not right for us to work instead of able-bodied people and support them with our money, because everyone who wants to get ahead in Hungary must work. That's why we continuously created investments and created more and more jobs. For this, thanks, recognition, and first tip of the hat go to Szijjártó Péter, your son. Thank you, Péter.
And dear people of Győr, we also did not give up the idea that in Hungary, there will only be a happy, peaceful, and balanced life if families receive the recognition they deserve. Therefore, first of all, we did not allow families to be mocked. The Hungarian constitution speaks clearly. Marriage is between a man and a woman. The father is a man, the mother is a woman, and moreover, tax-free.
And I saw our bishop from Pápa somewhere in the crowd. It reminded me that I heard from him that according to scripture, man does not live by bread alone, but we must not forget that this also means that without bread, one cannot live. That is, families need livelihood and bread. That's why I never gave up our plan that those who have children should not live worse than those who do not. Even in the shadow of war, we did not give it up. We work so that the unfair situation that we had to live with for so long—that if someone has a child, their standard of living automatically decreases compared to those who do not—does not persist. Because a child is of course a private matter, but it is also a common matter for all of us, because if there are no children, there is no future; if there are children, there is a future. That's why we supported families even in the shadow of war.
And with due modesty, I tell you that we doubled the tax allowance for children, and we did something that the Tisza party people can whistle at in vain—no one can deny it. We set a world record, dear Tisza party people, because in the whole world, only in Hungary is it the case that women, mothers who have at least two children are tax-exempt for life.
And of course, we men have our own role in the family, but we all know that it is actually the women and mothers who hold the family together. That's why we must protect them and their children first and foremost. And this will be the case in the next four years. I undertake this, dear people of Győr.
And ladies and gentlemen! Since the Tisza party people are here, let their presence have some meaning. There are surely many young people among them. I will tell them, so they can hear too, that in the shadow of war, despite the constant obstruction of Tisza, we created the first home creation opportunity for young people: the fixed 3% loan. In Hungary today, dear Tisza party people, young Hungarians get housing the easiest in all of Europe.
And if it weren't so cold and I didn't feel sorry for you, I could speak at length now about the situation with the Ukrainians. But Péter Szijjártó has said a lot. Since we are in a Christian city, I only want to say one thing. We must help people in trouble. And ladies and gentlemen, when the war broke out and Ukraine was attacked, Hungary let in all fleeing Ukrainians. We gave them shelter, food, work, and we set up schools, and we still pay for these schools today so that Ukrainian children in Hungary can study in their own language, while they close Hungarian-language schools for Hungarians in Transcarpathia. We did everything we could for the Ukrainians. Our Christian conscience is clear in this regard.
And we don't take offense that meanwhile they are ungrateful, demanding, and want things that would ruin Hungary. We don't shake our fists at a person in trouble, even if they threaten us. But we clearly say, dear Ukrainians, we will not ruin Hungary for your sake. We will not give our children, our sons, our weapons, nor our money.
And I see that the Ukrainians have turned Hungary into an intelligence operation area. Their agents go around here. To journalists, to the Tisza Party—good evening to you. They go around like others go to a brothel. Ladies and gentlemen! The Ukrainians give money, support, property benefits, IT systems, and political support to Tisza so that a Ukrainian-friendly government can be formed in Hungary. Whistle at that back there, dear Tisza party people. Whistle at that! You are pushing the Ukrainians' cart, and you are not standing with the Hungarians. You want a Ukrainian-friendly government and you want to take Hungarians' money to Ukraine. That is the truth.
Since they came, let's tell them. And finally, ladies and gentlemen, I suggest we renew the alliance we made in 2022. Then we created a great anti-war alliance. Now we will need exactly the same, because the past four years were unfair, but the coming ones don't promise to be easy either. The Russian-Ukrainian war continues. A Middle Eastern war has broken out. Energy prices are sky-high. A million-strong migration wave threatens Hungary. We must face all this in the next four years. And these troubles don't come one by one like in a Bud Spencer film, where you can punch everyone; they come all at once. We need a government that can protect Hungary's interests even in such circumstances.
And I can tell you, dear people of Győr, that staying out of war doesn't just mean you don't want war. There is no sane person in all of Hungary who wants war. I think not one, not even over there. The question is who is capable of saying no to war, because we must say no to war against Europe.
Thank you very much that my name comes to mind in this regard. With due modesty, I just want to remind you that Fidesz, KDNP, and I myself will not have to say no for the first time. I think there are some here who have known me since 1989. Remember: we were able to say no to the Soviets in 1989. And remember that in 2015-16, during the migration crisis, we were able to say no to the Germans, and we didn't let in a single migrant, despite the Germans demanding it. And in 2022, we were able to say no to Brussels on the war. That's why I tell you that in 2026, we, and only we, are capable of saying no to the Ukrainians, to preserve Hungary's peace, security, and the possibility of economic development.
My friends, two things are needed for Hungary to stay out of war. The first thing we need is national unity. There have been times when Hungary wanted to stay out of war but failed. In World War I, István Tisza, who was a larger-than-life leader than us, did not want war, yet we were pushed into it and lost. And in World War II, greater, more talented people stood at the head of the country, but Miklós Horthy still failed to keep Hungary out of the war, even though he wanted to. It didn't succeed, dear people of Győr, because the country was not united. They were stabbed in the back. We need great national unity. We don't simply need a two-thirds majority; we need at least 3 million votes to create a strong anti-war coalition and keep Hungary out of war.
And there is one more thing we need. Here, admittedly, my hand bends a little towards myself. My friends, we need experience. That's right. That's right. I understand the Tisza party people whistling in the back. They want to come to power. We won't let them, we won't let them. Ambition is a fine thing. We live in a free world. I understand. They want to be mayors, ministers. They want state positions, state money. I understand all that. I even understand if a young person wakes up one day wanting to be prime minister. That happens too. The question is what the country needs. And dear friends, the situation is that today we don't need change, adventure, experimentation, or the ambition of young people; we need experience and security. And I undertake that if you support this, I will give it to Hungary.
What is needed here is a clear head, cold blood, and a steady hand. And I tell you that today, the safe choice is Fidesz. Ladies and gentlemen, the Tisza party people can wait. Life is not two days.
Well, dear people of Győr and those who came from the surrounding areas—Gyirmót, Kismegyer, Tényő, Töltéstava, Bakonyszentlászló, Táp, Nagyszentjános, Nyúl, Gönyű, Újváros, Rétalap, Iván, Tét, Bácsa, Kajárpéc, Bakonypér—thank you very much for coming and for sticking with us even in this unfriendly weather, so we can be together this evening. We had a fantastic evening. Thank you. The truth is, I didn't come to encourage you, but for you to encourage me. And I received that. Thank you.
There are still two weeks ahead of us, and I promise you that I will plow the country. I will go everywhere and convince everyone to come on April 12, vote for security, and renew our anti-war alliance. Thank you for the beautiful evening I received from you today. To the Tisza party people, thank you for the musical accompaniment. To the curious and undecided, thank you for listening to us. We placed some thoughts in your hearts. Consider them. And I say goodbye to you by giving thanks that I have spent the past 36 years with many of you, that I thank you for the past 16 years and the past four years. I also tell you, I am grateful to those with whom I have been fighting for a free and independent Hungary for 36 years. I am grateful that you have put up with me every evening in your living rooms, on your TV screens. I am grateful that for the past 16 years, from 2010 to today, you have stood by us, and I am personally grateful for every kind word and good wish. We are boys, or men; we don't usually get emotional in public, and there is no place for that. Moreover, the prime minister must make it clear that he can handle everything. Not even a bullet will stop him. The Tisza party people make noise in vain, Zelenskyy threatens in vain, but I will tell you, since we are together like this: the prime minister is also human. It matters whether you support me. Every kind word, pat on the back, prayer, and good wish matters. Not only do I thank you, but I am also grateful to you for this.
And dear people of Győr, there are many of us, but surely there are many who couldn't come from their families. Please go home and convey my good wishes to your family members. May the good God give you all much strength and good health. May the good God give you a happy family, abundant children, an understanding partner, good neighbors, and work that has profit, meaning, and fruit. God above us all, Hungary above all. Go Hungary, go Hungarians, go Győr, to victory!