Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has criticized the EU’s proposed 2028–2034 budget, calling it “fundamentally flawed” and warning it won’t survive the coming year. Speaking on Kossuth Radio, he said the plan should either be withdrawn or radically revised.
Orbán pointed out that 20–25% of the budget is allocated to Ukraine—despite its non-member status—and another 10–12% to repaying debts. He argued that over 30% of the funds are directed toward goals outside the EU’s traditional scope.
He also condemned the lack of an economic strategy, claiming that key sectors like agriculture are being stripped of support without explanation. “We don’t know what the Commission envisions for Europe’s economy,” he warned.
Opposing Ukraine’s EU membership under current conditions, Orbán said, “We must cooperate with Ukraine, but not grant them the same rights as us,” warning that once admitted, Ukraine’s economic problems would burden the entire Union.
He also raised concerns about human rights in Ukraine, citing the death of József Sebestyén, a Hungarian citizen, during alleged forced conscription.
In closing, Orbán labeled the EU’s financial plan as “the budget of hopelessness,” insisting it represents stagnation and unfair redistribution: “While this is being presented as solidarity, it is actually redistribution that punishes the responsible and rewards uncertainty.”
