Orban calls on voters. “I will strive to keep the country out of war”

In the 2026 parliamentary elections, I will seek a mandate from the Hungarians that will allow me to keep the country out of the war in Europe, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Wednesday in an interview for M1 television.

– I am asking the nation to strengthen me in keeping Hungary out of the European war alliance, Orban said, emphasizing that the upcoming elections will clarify whether Hungary will join the coalition of the willing to help Ukraine or remain neutral.

– If we stay outside, we can maintain a peaceful economy. The alternative is a war economy, warned the Prime Minister. He added that the latter would mean “sending our money to Brussels, then to Ukraine and impoverishing Hungary.”

Parliamentary elections in Hungary are scheduled to take place in April 2026. For months, most independent polls have given the advantage to the opposition TISHA party, although in recent polls the difference in support between Peter Magyar's party and Prime Minister Orban's ruling Fidesz has slightly decreased.

In a Euronews article published on Wednesday, the Hungarian elections were placed at the top of the list of votes that will affect the functioning of Europe in the coming year. “2026 may mark the end of the longest uninterrupted period of power in the EU,” the portal noted.

“Orbán is at the center of the European national-conservative camp, closely identifying with the worldview of US President Donald Trump and openly questioning EU policy on migration, democratic standards, and in particular the war in Ukraine,” Euronews wrote.

It was emphasized that “a change of leadership (in Hungary) could reshuffle the power dynamics in the European Council at a key moment for Ukraine's future.”

Jakub Bawołek from Budapest (PAP)

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