Speech by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at a ceremony marking the 130th anniversary of the opening of the Mária Valéria Bridge

Good afternoon everyone.

First of all, let me welcome Prime Minister Robert Fico, the Mayor of Štúrovo/Párkány, and our Slovak friends who have come from across the Danube. I welcome the locals and the Hungarians who have come from Štúrovo/Párkány. Thank you very much for inviting me and allowing me to be here with you today. Thank you, Robert, for the opportunity to stand here with you today. Robert can do something that only he in Europe can - when Slovakia somehow veers off course, he returns and puts things right. This is the case now too. I do not know how many times he has done this, but I am sure he will succeed again. We wish you every success, Dear Robert! And congratulations on the constitutional amendment! It is good that we are not alone. It is good to have a normal neighbour, and it increases the value of one's own property. Robert did not mention it, but I will say that they also wrote into the Constitution that men and women are equal. Congratulations on that too! You know, Robert, here in Hungary we men have been fighting for that for a long time. The Prime Minister also mentioned that we belong to different political camps in international politics - we are on the Right, and he is on the Left. Whenever I meet him, I always think that this is what we need too: a Left based on national principles. That would immediately make Hungarian public life more peaceful.

Dear People of Esztergom,

Your city has a special place in the hearts of Hungarians. On Friday I was in Debrecen, where we handed over a huge factory. I told the locals that I would be coming to Esztergom, and they asked me to convey greetings from the people of Debrecen. Yesterday I was in Becsehely. It is a village to the west, in Zala County, with a population of two thousand, where I took part in a national meeting of master distillers who produce pálinka that is not sold commercially. I told them that I would be coming here today, and they said that I should definitely pass on the people of Becsehely's good wishes to Esztergom. This clearly shows that Esztergom is held in high esteem throughout Hungary. I am also proud to have been made an honorary citizen of your city. This means a great deal to me, because my alma mater - my high school alma mater - is in Székesfehérvár. There is a great debate about which was Hungary's first capital: Esztergom or Székesfehérvár. I can settle the matter by saying that it is certain that Esztergom was Hungary's first city. After all, it was here that King Saint Stephen founded the Hungary of which we are still citizens today.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is the third time I have had the opportunity to speak here at the approach to the Mária Valéria Bridge. The first time was in 2001, when its reconstruction was completed, if you remember. What a historic event that was! Then in 2021, on the twentieth anniversary of its reconstruction. And now, on its 130th anniversary. But on none of those previous occasions was I able to stand here with Robert Fico. Yet he is the longest-serving prime minister in Slovakia's history, tireless and indestructible. Thank you for being here, Robert, and setting this to rights today. On behalf of all Hungarians and the Hungarian government, I would like to say that we all welcome you among us with respect. Anyone who follows and understands European politics can see that we are connected not only by our shared history and similar culture, but also by international political challenges. Slovaks and Hungarians, Slovakia and Hungary, have interests in international politics that are in alignment with each other. The history of this bridge teaches us that when Hungarians and Slovaks join forces, they are stronger together than they are when apart. When we work together, we both benefit. And now let us talk about the fact that it is no coincidence that this bridge has been destroyed twice - after the First and Second World Wars.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We did not want either war. Neither the Hungarians nor the Slovaks wanted to take part in either world war. Yet we were sent to the front, and our lives turned upside down in the name of imperial interests. By rebuilding the bridge, both peoples expressed their desire for an end to wars that destroy bridges in Europe. When I first stood here, Commissioner Verheugen was also present, and we - Slovaks, Hungarians and a representative from the Union - expressed our desire to join the European Union, committed to guaranteeing peace on the continent. I suggest we savour these words: "the European Union, committed to guaranteeing peace on the continent". But the world has changed a great deal since then. Just like the old empires that oppressed us, the European Union has now turned into a war project. In Brussels they openly state that their task over the next decade is to defeat Russia on the eastern front - which means that, if they belong to the Union, every European citizen, every European economic actor, and every European nation state should serve this goal. We Hungarians do not want this, yet they want to force us into it. This, my dear friends, is called oppression. We are not surprised by this - we have seen it before. I remember that during the communist era they talked about freedom, even giving the newspaper that name - but of course it meant oppression. Now, when Brussels talks about European peace, it actually means war. Hungarians and Slovaks know what war means: young people are taken to the front; sooner or later our possessions are taken away and used for war purposes; then economic hardship sets in, and we can just pray that the front line does not reach us - because then not one stone will remain upon another. Nothing remained of this bridge after either the First or Second World War. For me, this bridge means that we do not want Europe to make this mistake again.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As the Slovak prime minister mentioned, representatives of Brussels' war policy are present in every Central European country. It is not my place to speak about Slovakia. From here, it is easy to see what is happening over there. But I can say that they are causing turmoil in Serbia. And they are also carrying out operations here in Hungary. They are easy to recognise. They are aggressive, violent and threatening. Here, Dear Robert, they carry guns at public forums. They threaten decent people with execution, and even insult elderly priests at church doors. Here, Robert, all these are Brussels' people. With fake news manufacture, slander and whisper campaigns, their goal is destabilisation - but you know that better than I do. We live in times when we need sobriety, calmness and cool heads - and again and again we must say that we believe in the power of love and unity.

Dear Robert, Honourable Prime Minister, Dear people of Párkány/Štúrovo and Esztergom,

Those who learn from the past protect the future. On behalf of all of us, I want to assure our Slovak friends that we Hungarians are working to ensure that this bridge will never have to be rebuilt again. But we are happy to do what you suggested: let us build another bridge between Esztergom and Párkány/Štúrovo. A freight bridge would be really useful. I can tell you that the preparatory work has begun, the plans are already on the table, and we will find a way to raise the money somehow. And I hope that we will be able to meet again at the opening of that bridge. Thank you for your attention.

God above us all, Hungary before all else! Go Hungary, go Hungarians!