Orbán: We will leave the EU when it's better to be outside than to be in

"We have opponents who I would not say are not Hungarians (...), because those whose opinions differ from ours are also part of the Hungarian nation," Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said, when he unexpectedly appeared at a forum in Pilisvörösvár alongside Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó and Fidesz' Communications Director Tamás Menczer. The Prime Minister's speech was live-streamed on his Facebook page.

He began by commenting on the emergence of what he called "the politics of commenting", which he said has completely changed the political space, as it is all about commenting now, about politicians speaking up on things immediately and consistently. He was likely referring to Péter Magyar, who is much more active on social media than he is.

He then turned to the conflict between the government and the opposition, the main point of which, in his view, is the question of national sovereignty. He said that the objective of Fidesz and the KDNP is to defend sovereignty, because if we do not defend it, and this country, this nation, disappears, it will never come to exist again. But this is not how their opponents see it: "they don't believe that the common destiny of us all hinges on national sovereignty".

Unusually for him, the Prime Minister was quite permissive, he even said that the opposition and those who disagree with the government "are also part of the nation, "just like adversity is part of the national anthem" (a reference to a line in the Hungarian anthem – TN). Admittedly, shortly afterwards he said – probably referring to Péter Magyar – that these people "sometimes deceptively call themselves Hungarians (Magyar), but in reality they are the people of Brussels". For this he received a round of applause.

According to Orbán, the opposition thinks that "On their own, Hungarians aren't enough, they always need an external point of reference". He tried to equate the opposition parties DK (Demokratikus Koalíció) and Tisza, but concluded that "those from the DK speak more boldly than those from the Tisza", because they openly declare that "we should be dissolved in the United States of Europe".

The Prime Minsiter said that

when they were in opposition, they held to the principle that "the homeland cannot be in opposition", because even in opposition they worked for their homeland, but today's opposition, according to him, does not think that way.

On two occasions, he pretended not to know the name of TISZA MEP Kinga Kollár, and asked the audience what her surname was on both occasions. (Speaking recently at a committee meeting in Brussels, Ms Kollár said that she believed that the withholding of EU funds from Hungary has been effective and the conditionality mechanism is working well because it has halted the development of the Hungarian economy and has delayed investments and hospital renovations, which she believed have strengthened the opposition.)

Orbán did so after Fidesz spent several millions of forints in recent weeks to mount a country-wide media campaign built around Kinga Kollár's remarks in which they accused her of being a traitor working against her homeland. According to the Prime Minister, Kinga Kollár and her colleagues are "working to make things bad for us, to ensure that we don't succeed".

Before taking questions, Orbán quickly listed the dangers Hungarians would face if Fidesz were not in government. These are: Ukraine's accession to the EU, the reduction of the cuts in utility bills, the elimination of the 13th month pension, banks and big companies would not be taxed, and immigrants would be allowed in. In this context, he repeatedly stated that "although one should not really use this term", "Hungary is a migrant-free country". Orbán said that "if Hungary did not have a national government, things here would be the same as they are in Vienna or France". He claimed that even in Brussels, people often tell him that they would give half an arm to have their country migrant-free again.

At this point, Tamás Menczer interjected that "Kinga Kollár is supposedly relaxing in her luxurious house in Madeira".

Answering questions, Orbán also spoke at length about the EU, and said that "if in 2004, the EU had been the way it is now, we would not have applied", but at the moment it is not worth leaving the EU, simply because it isn't more advantageous to be outside than to be in. Responding to a question from an audience member, he said that one must decide at what point it is worth taking the initiative to leave, but that this must be determined through careful consideration. According to Orbán, the point to leave should be when there are more disadvantages than advantages to membership, but he said that this point had not yet been reached.

He added that President Trump regularly asks him when we will leave the EU, but he always says that 85 percent of our products are sold within the EU, so it would not be worth it. Perhaps if there was some kind of counter offer…

In response to questions, he even softened his tone on Ukraine, saying that the Ukrainians have been fighting heroically and many of the people of the embattled country have died, but "one thing is certain, it will never be in Europe's interest to be involved in a war against Russia alongside Ukraine". He argued that we must not join the war alongside the Ukrainians, that there must remain an openness to negotiation and that the conflict must be contained as much as possible.