Speech by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the inauguration of the Soltvadkert bypass section of the Expressway 53

Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Honourable Member of Parliament, Mr. Mayor, Dear Citizens of Soltvadkert and the surrounding area,

It is true that I have been here on several occasions, this being the second time this year. And you have always brought up - indeed with diminishing patience - the question of what will happen in relation to the bypass. This spring I was able to tell you that the bypass section of Expressway 53 would be completed by the end of the year. The word "promise" is a fine one if that promise is kept. Well, the road is finished. Many people deserve credit for this, but among them I must mention Mr. Font for his perseverance, and Mayor Temerini - whom I congratulate on his election victory in June.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It was a busy time when we met in the spring. We were in the middle of an election campaign, war was raging in our neighbourhood and there seemed to be no prospect of peace. From across the pond, from the United States, Hungary was under enormous pressure for its pro-peace stance, and we were being pummelled by pro-war bureaucrats in Brussels. That was in June. By all human reckoning we had little reason for optimism; but in Hungary, as you know, every match lasts until we have won it. This also proved to be the case this time. We won the European elections by a landslide, we founded the Patriots for Europe party, and we have become an inescapable factor in Brussels, in the European Parliament. Then our brother-in-arms Donald Trump became President. And in six months the world has changed dramatically: as we had hoped, pro-peace, anti-migration and pro-family forces have formed a majority in the Western world. We can thank God for this! We are now living through Advent, and we have good reason to be grateful; because even in the midst of so many difficulties, Hungarians have been able to build and develop. On Saturday we opened the last section of the M85 expressway, which runs to the Hungarian border, and now the bypass section of Expressway 53. In the same way, Soltvadkert has also developed in recent years, the area around Lake Vadkert has been upgraded, and roads and cycle paths have been built not only outside the town but also inside it. With due modesty we can say that we have done our utmost.

It is no secret, Ladies and Gentlemen, that what is happening here in Soltvadkert is part of a larger, more comprehensive national development plan. Because in most places in the world development also means that people in rural areas are leaving their hometowns and moving to the cities. This is what we have seen in Hungary, which is why many rural areas have become increasingly depopulated. In Hungary we have seen the emergence of ever more internal enclaves: areas next to each other, but seemingly a world apart. In 2010 we decided to put an end to the internal emigration from the Hungarian countryside. We wanted Hungary to develop so that the prosperity of some parts of the country did not occur at the expense of other parts, and did not drain resources from them. It is unfair that Budapest's development is 158 per cent of the EU average, while all the other areas are below the average. We have set our sights on making the Hungarian countryside an attractive place to live: a place where it is worth living because there is work, where there are high-quality services, and where everything is accessible within a reasonable time. We are building a strong countryside, because without a strong countryside there is no strong Hungary.

Dear Friends,

As a result of the national government's work, Soltvadkert and Bács-Kiskun County are among the winners. In 2010 the county still had an employment rate of 56 per cent: 56 people in every 100 were in work. Today this figure is 74 per cent. Here more people are working today than ever before. Unemployment, once 10 per cent, is now 4 per cent. Back then the average wage was 160,000 forints, while today it is 490,000 forints. And this is not the end of the story, which will only go upward - because Hungary is going forward, not back. In the future the role of your region will become even more important. We are creating a new economic zone in the southern regions of Hungary. The fact that the minister responsible for development is from Hódmezővásárhely also gives us a good chance of this. Major investments are currently under way in Kecskemét and Szeged, a bypass will also be built in Baja, and Pécs is getting ready. The entire southern Hungarian region must be made strong, resilient and independent. We have earmarked 330 billion forints for this in next year's budget.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Whether or not there are difficulties, Hungary is implementing its largest ever agricultural and food industry programme. We are also continuing with the Hungarian Villages Programme, with the renewal of 4,000 kilometres of roads leading to small villages. This is equivalent to travelling between Soltvadkert and Pest thirty times - although you may have to calculate that differently now, because of this bypass.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Here in front of you in Soltvadkert we pledged to build the bypass, and we have done so. And now we are pledging that 2025 will be a fantastic year for the Hungarian economy. Please do not believe the defeatists, the eternal doubters and the notorious loudmouths. Hungary is a viable and strong country. We will emerge stronger from the shadow of three years of war. In the coming year huge factories will start production, thousands of new jobs will be created, wages will rise, and support for families will increase. Remember that Hungary can always do what we think we can do. Over the last ten years Soltvadkert has proved that it has a future.

Your town has always been a strong pillar of national, Christian government. I would like to thank you for your support for the Government's work, and also for the support you have given me personally for many years. And now, in the weeks before Christmas, I wish you and your families a happy, peaceful and blessed New Year, full of strength, health and success.

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