“Worsening” Living Standards in Hungary “Positive Development” for Opposition, Tisza MEP Says

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has harshly criticised a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from the main opposition centrist Tisza Party for saying that the withholding of EU funds is a “positive development” because it benefits her party.

Speaking in the European Parliament earlier this week, Kinga Kollár said that by withholding billions of euros of funds, the EU had deprived Hungary of the chance to invest in public infrastructure, to provide money for social services, and for hospitals to be renovated.

There’s a positive side to this: the deteriorating standard of living of Hungarians has strengthened the opposition. And because of this I’m very positive about the 2026 elections.

In an interview on Friday, April 11th Viktor Orbán slammed the Tisza Party for betraying Hungary’s interests. “They’re not ashamed of working against their own country—they’re proud of it,” he said, accusing them of rooting for failure at home to help the opposition.

@PM_ViktorOrban slammed the Tisza Party for betraying Hungary’s interests. "They’re not ashamed of working against their own country—they’re proud of it," he said on Kossuth Radio, accusing them of rooting for failure at home to help the opposition.

He emphasized that MEPs… pic.twitter.com/8P1ww4PYJe

— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) April 11, 2025

Under the pretext of ‘rule of law violations,’ the European Commission has withheld billions of euros from Hungary. The truth, however, is that it is punishing the Central European country for pursuing a sovereignist foreign policy, being tough on migration, and espousing conservative social policies, such as combatting LGBT propaganda.The prime minister has accused Brussels of plotting to get rid of the current conservative government and to impose “a Brusselite puppet government on the country.”