Orbán: The EU will fall apart on its own

For several years, there has only been one international press conference each year when the Hungarian Prime Minister is available to answer questions coming from a wide range of journalists, i.e. including the non-government friendly press. In recent years, this has happened at the end of the year, but this time, the event was organized on the first Monday of 2026. Unusually, instead of opening it up for questions right away, the Prime Minister spent the first 20 minutes of the planned two-hour briefing reading out a summary he said he put together of the year 2025 (thus leaving only 100 minutes for the 63 journalists’ questions).

"2025 was a year when it became clear to everyone that an era in international politics has come to an end". According to him, it was Donald Trump who delivered the "coup de grâce" to this era. "We (Fidesz) call the era that ended in 2025 the liberal world order, and the era we have now entered the era of nations," he said. According to him, his party and government have been representing this since 2010.

Looking to the future, especially in light of the upcoming Hungarian parliamentary elections, he said that

“The choice facing the country is simple: either we will take the path of Brussels, which would bring war and austerity for Hungary, or we will choose the Hungarian path, which would bring peace and development".

He then listed the economic measures, benefits, and welfare programs his government has introduced in recent months and still plans to introduce this year.

Only hostile moves from Brussels – nevertheless, we envision Hungary’s future in the EU

ATV asked the Prime Minister when it was that he realized that the Hungarian economy was fragile and needed protection, and why he chose to ask the President of the United States for such a protective shield. They also asked whether he believed this would be needed in 2026, and whether the commitment was made to him or to Hungary. Would this also be available if there's a new government in Hungary after the elections?

Orbán responded by pointing out that the US is a presidential system, and every decision is made personally by the president. "As long as the president wants it to happen, it will," he said. He added that he was confident that they will be able to maintain the current good relationship with the United States even after Trump leaves office.

He said that ever since it lost World War I, Hungary has always been in need of some kind of a protective shield. As he explained, "we currently need a protective shield because

only hostile moves can be expected from Brussels".

I asked for such a protective shield, but one that would have been good for both Hungary and the United States was not available at the time, he said, adding that this is why they agreed with Trump that their teams would work out a solution that would suit everyone, which is what is going on right now.

In line with its philosophy of connectivity, Hungary must maintain the best possible relations with all economies, Orbán said after the Financial Times asked whether Hungary would remain in the Western alliance. In his view, it is only worthwhile to pursue politics in Brussels as an EU member if you are sovereign.

"We envision our future in the EU, under the safety shield of NATO, pursuing sovereign politics."

He said that the American intervention in Venezuela was a "powerful manifestation" of the new world that is coming. He believes that, in conjunction with Venezuela, the United States is capable of controlling 40-50 percent of the world's oil reserves, which is a force that can influence the price of oil on the world market. The Prime Minister believes there is a serious chance that the situation in Venezuela could put Hungary in a more favorable economic position in terms of energy supplies.

“Europe has already decided to go to war”

When answering a question from TV2 about "already ongoing conscriptions in some Western European countries", Orbán said that " Hungarians have no reason to be nervous; what is needed is to remain calm and make a purposeful decision at the elections. Hungarians have nothing to worry about, because there is a pro-peace alternative here," said Viktor Orbán.

He then went on to explain that in Europe, a decision has already been made about the war. Referring to his meetings in Brussels, he said: "We are holding councils of war. They ARE going to go to war," he said. In his opinion, the war is already underway, the question is how quickly Europe will become embroiled in it. "It is no exaggeration to say that the 2026 election will be the last election we have before the war," he said. According to him, the only way to avoid war is for Russia and the United States to reach an agreement.

“The EU will fall apart on its own"

A journalist from the British magazine The Spectator asked Orbán whether he thought it conceivable for Hungary to leave the European Union, similarly to the UK's Brexit. He said that it would not be a sensible decision for Hungary to leave the EU. "If we were as big as you are, if we had nuclear weapons and resources of the same scale, then it might be worth considering, but without these, it is not a viable option for us."

However, he added that he believed there is no need to leave, as "it will fall apart on its own." He believes that

the EU is in a state of leadership chaos and disintegration, citing the green transition as an example.

The EU's demise will not be a dramatic collapse, but if it is not reorganized, there will be more and more stories like this one, and slowly but surely, the whole thing will fall apart, he said. In his opinion, if it were reorganized, this process could be stopped, but the countries interested in reorganization are preoccupied with their own problems.

The BBC asked Viktor Orbán to name three things he admires about Péter Magyar. "He left Fidesz, and that's good for us," was Orbán's brief reply.

When Telex asked whether it was normal for the prime minister's family to become wealthy as quickly as they did, Viktor Orbán answered: " You know my position on Hungarian businesses, regardless of who their owners are. I have three expectations: that they obey the law, pay their taxes, and provide jobs for Hungarian people."

We also asked the PM about the huge amount of funds that had disappeared from the Hungarian National Bank's asset management foundation. "I would be in an easier position to answer this if the National Bank were under the government's control, but it is completely independent of the government.

All we can do is to intervene with the power of the authorities if something goes wrong," said the Prime Minister. According to Orbán, even though the Central Bank is not under the government's control, if money has indeed gone missing, even if it is only a single forint, they will recover everything, and there will be legal consequences.

Hungary was right on migration

Is the fact that the EU has been forced to the sidelines in recent world events also a sign of the end of the liberal world order? Will there be a comeback for the Patriots? the reporter of GB News asked.

According to Orbán, Hungary is very fortunate to have been able to stay out of the migration issue, for example, at a time when population replacement has already begun elsewhere. We had something to preserve, he said. In his opinion, Western Europe did not suffer the same shock that Hungary did when immigrants appeared at Budapest's Keleti Railway Station (in 2015). This is something they have already come to terms with in Western Europe by then. So he is grateful to God for keeping Hungary out of this.

It took strength to stand by the decision in the face of the pressure coming from Brussels on this matter. He said that there was a price to pay, as Hungary was punished and criticized because of it, but in his opinion, it has now become clear that "we were right."

He believes that if a referendum was held in Germany or France on whether they want a migrant-free country this position would receive majority support. But it is too late for them.

There is one more courageous decision Hungary still has to make in his opinion. He thinks it is absurd that we have to pay €1 million a day for not letting migrants in. "That's €365 million a year, it's a lot of money," Orbán said, but added that he had done a calculation, and this is still cheaper than letting them in.

Orbán expects that over the next 10-15 years, there will be an increasing demand for "indigenous Europeans" to work in Hungary. "We won't have migrants, we'll have the Germans and the French coming. Our only request is that they come without weapons," Orbán said, adding that he believed that this will also solve Hungary's demographic problems.

“I wish Venezuela every success!”

Orbán also received a few questions about his thoughts on the United States' recent military intervention in Venezuela. The Prime Minister stated that Hungary has welcomed many refugees from Venezuela in recent years. Those who fled here -including families of Hungarian descent – are happy about the recent developments, he said, adding that it is the opinions of the families who fled here that he listens to. "I wish Venezuela every success!"

Is there time for international law in this new era of nations? podcaster Winston Marshall asked in relation to the recent events in Venezuela.

The Hungarian position is that we do not want to take a position on the action. It has happened, and what we are looking at is whether it is good or bad for Hungary. "And it is good for Hungary," said Orbán, who believes that the fight against narcotics must be stepped up everywhere. The fall of every narco-state is good news, and I will not shed a single tear over any of them. Those who have the means to do so should clean them out, Orbán said, adding that Hungary does not have the power to do so.

Hungary vetoed the EU statement on the Venezuelan intervention, Orbán said, then corrected himself, saying that they did not veto it, they just do not want a common foreign policy and do not have a common position. Since they disagree both on this issue and, for example, on the war in Ukraine, they do not understand why there should be a common foreign policy. He concluded by saying that his government has taken note of the facts about the US attack and is expecting positive developments.

“The situation is clear: Russia attacked Ukraine”

In response to a question about his recent statement about the war in Ukraine, when he said that “it is not even clear who attacked whom”, he answered: "The situation is clear: in February 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine. I don't understand what all the uncertainty is about".

Parameter.sk asked Orbán about Slovakia's recent decision relating to the Beneš Decrees. How will he use his influence and personal connections to ensure that something is done on this issue, and what can Hungarians living in Slovakia expect from him?

Orbán responded by saying that he supports the ethnic Hungarians living in Slovakia in every way. He added that he is trying to understand the legislation, which he says is not simple, but that he expects the legal situation to become clear and the new aspects of the law to be clarified. He said that once he has a clear understanding of the situation, he will discuss it in depth with the Slovak president. Until that happens, he can confirm two things: that Hungarians in Slovakia will continue to have Hungary's support, and that he condemns all expressions of collective guilt.

After a bit more than two hours, the press briefing concluded, even though less than half of the 63 reporters present had been able to ask their questions.