Orbán was interviewed on the YouTube channel of Dopeman (László Pityinger), a Hungarian rapper and producer who is a prominent figure in the Hungarian hip-hop scene and gained recognition alongside Ganxsta Zolee before establishing himself independently.
Orbán said that as a result of his administration, HUF 15 trillion (about EUR 42 bln) had been taken from banks and multinational corporations and given to Hungarian families. He warned that powerful forces were working to recover that money. “There is a tradition of national resistance here, but let us trust that this will not be necessary,” he added.
Of the state assets that he said had been doubled under Fidesz, or the central bank’s gold reserves that had been raised thirtyfold, Orbán said, “We must not allow the new government to sell this off or raise taxes.”
Talking about the reasons for their election defeat, he said the Tisza Party had done particularly well among those under 40. He interpreted this to mean that voters rejected not only what the ruling parties had offered but also him personally. He said a cultural shift that may have taken place in Hungary and that Fidesz’s leadership must be rejuvenated. “We must understand this cultural shift; otherwise, we cannot speak with them,” he said of the younger voters.
No Economic Growth
He also attributed the election defeat to the fact that there had been no visible economic growth for three years, which he once again blamed on the Russian-Ukrainian war and EU sanctions against Moscow. If Hungary had achieved 2-4% economic growth, he claimed that Fidesz would have won the election.
Orbán added that Fidesz had expected a voter turnout of no more than 70%, but an additional 10% turned out, almost all of whom voted against his party. “We should have sensed this,” he said.
On the subject of whether he should be investigated for his past 16 years in power, Orbán said he was ready to face any investigation, as he is an honest man who has done his job with integrity, complied with the law, and ensured others did the same, and said it might even be a good thing.
“It’s not the end of the world to take a close look at the politicians of the past 20 years, including those currently in office, and scrutinize them properly,” MTI quoted him as saying.
He also warned about Tisza’s plans for a reset of the relationship with the European Union. “One cannot compromise with Brussels; one must negotiate only from a position of strength.”
Parliament will sit for the start of its new term today, Saturday, and Péter Magyár will become the country’s next prime minister. The Budapest Business Journal will bring more as it happens.
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