The congress will be dedicated to presenting the individual candidates, Orban said. The Fidesz-KDNP list and the leader of the list will be made public by Feb 20, he said.

"Having spent 20 years as prime minister, I am as ready for the task as ever," Orban said.

Fidesz has won a two-thirds majority four times in a row, as well as winning "every local election and all European parliamentary elections since the EU accession," he said.

Rather than the principle of not changing a winning team, Orban said he believed in "always reforming [the community] because the only thing better than Fidesz is Fidesz itself."

Fidesz Congress - Foreign politicians praise Orban and party's activities in video messages

About a dozen foreign politicians, including heads of government and state, welcomed ruling Fidesz's 31st congress held in Budapest on Saturday with video messages praising Prime Minister Viktor Orban's international and domestic political activities and the larger ruling party.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "Viktor is an outstanding statesman."

He added that "we are living in dangerous times" and facing an increasingly uncertain future. "Security is by no means a given. It must be fought for and constantly defended. This requires strong leaders with a clear-headed, strategic vision who love their country unconditionally. It requires perseverance and unwavering courage," Netanyahu said, adding: "Viktor Orban has these qualities. He has the perseverance, courage, and wisdom to defend his country and his people."

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia and Hungary had successfully renewed and strengthened their relations.

"Currently, we are experiencing the best cooperation in our entire history, and we can truly work together. And we all owe this to Viktor Orban's commitment, hard work and dedication to our relations," he said.

He added that establishing good, even the best, relations with Serbia paled in comparison to what Orban had achieved on the international political stage. Orban and Fidesz have always stuck to their convictions, and no one has been able to persuade him or the party leadership to do anything that would harm the interests of the Hungarian nation, Vucic added.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that they always knew how to understand each other because they were by higher values: "our friendship, our love for our people, and the close ties between our nations."

"Together, we stand for a Europe that respects national sovereignty, is proud of its cultural and religious roots and identity, strongly defends its borders and security, courageously supports the family as the basic unit of our society, and pragmatically protects our producers from bureaucratic overregulation and green ideological brainwashing," she said.

She added that these were fundamental values in Europe and expressed hope that they would remain fundamental values in Hungary.

Andrej Babis, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, said that Fidesz was "a great team" and that Orban was "undoubtedly one of Europe's most important politicians, with connections around the world."

Orban has had an impeccably credible career, he added. Babis said: "Viktor Orban always fights for the interests of the Hungarian nation and Hungary under all circumstances. He is a true Hungarian who always has the interests of his people at heart."

Javier Milei, President of Argentina, said that Orban "has turned Hungary into a bastion of the Western world in a Europe that is increasingly being engulfed by darkness."

"The two countries are spiritual brothers because only a country that has experienced the destruction of freedom caused by socialism is capable of defending freedom to its last breath," he said.

Alice Weidel, parliamentary group leader and co-chair of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, said that Orban is the guarantor of the sovereignty and freedom of European states.

Ten years ago, he courageously stood up against mass migration, and today he is fighting for peace in Ukraine and peace in Europe, she added. She said Europe needed Viktor Orban. All sovereigntists in Europe hope for Orban's victory in the upcoming election, she added.

Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally parliamentary group in France, wished Fidesz every success in its campaign and said that, fortunately, they could count on a leader who is "exceptional in his intelligence, perseverance, and depth of conviction."

Thanks to leaders like Orban, the camp of patriots, defenders of nations and sovereign peoples was enjoying increasing success in Europe, she said, adding "Long live Hungary, long live Fidesz, and above all: long live and triumph the Europe of nations!" In Hungary, Fidesz is the best guardian of sovereignty and the future, she said.

Santiago Abascal, president of Spain's Vox party, said that Orbán was a "true patriot" who had placed Hungary at the centre of the world.

He showed that the Europe made up of nations is very much alive and can never be replaced by "an organisation above nations controlled by elites without democratic mandate", he said. In Hungary, Fidesz is the best guardian of sovereignty and the future, he added.

Matteo Salvini, president of Italy's Lega party, said that Fidesz in Hungary, like Lega in Italy, spoke the language of peace and fought for the security of citizens and nations.

"Thus, in the face of this decisive challenge, the message is simple and powerful: if you want peace, vote for Fidesz", he said.

According to Herbert Kickl, president of the Austrian FPO, under Orban's leadership, Hungary was one of the strong nation states that pointed out wrong European decisions at all levels, especially in the area of refugee policy.

"Orban is the guarantee that Hungary will continue to follow the path of the strong and brave, from which other countries can also draw courage," he said.

Mateusz Morawiecki, president of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) party family and former Polish prime minister, said that under Orban's leadership, "Hungary is an important pillar of security, dynamic economic growth, and Europe's return to normality and development".

Fidesz congress - Orban: Young people would be 'done' under Tisza-DK govt

If a government of the opposition Tisza and Democratic Coalition (DK) side with Brussels and "enter the war", and "reorganise the economy, then, dear young people, you are done," Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the Fidesz congress on Saturday.

Referring to the Socialist win at the 2002 election, he said "many thought things can only get better; that ended in an economic collapse and eight wasted years."

Ukraine has requested 800 billion dollars for the next decade, beyond covering its security and war costs, he said. "And Brussels issued an order that Hungary also must join the European war economy," coupled with a request to scrap a number of allowances for the public, he said.

Orban also called on Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony to "stop pointing at the government and start pointing at Brussels; the EU would take the most money from Budapest inhabitants, as this is where most of [the money] is.

Fidesz congress - Orban: This is no time for 'experimental lunatics'

Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the 31st congress of the ruling Fidesz party that in an era of dangers, "only reliable, faithful and experienced governments can ensure a peaceful, safe and predictable life".

"This is no time for experimentally minded lunatics," he said.

"Now, what Hungary needs most is calm confidence," Orban said.

"At the next elections, we must defeat not only our political opponents. In reality, we will have to triumph over lies, frivolousness, cynicism, slyness and submission, and all their Hungarian representatives," he said.

Fidesz is undergoing an "orderly, carefully considered generational shift in full agreement, where everyone knows their role and does their job confidently."

"Those who belong to us can be sure that the community counts on them, and they can count on the community; if there is a quality linked to Fidesz, that is camaraderie," Orban said.

Fidesz congress - Orban: 'Whether Hungary turns into immigrant state at stake at election'

"One of the issues at stakes at the upcoming election is whether we will bow down to Brussels and turn Hungary into an immigrant country, or whether we will continue the rebellion and repel all of Brussels' migration attempts," Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Saturday.

"I propose that we continue the rebellion," Orban, who is also the head of ruling Fidesz, said at the 31st congress of the party held in Budapest.

Orban said the European Union's migration pact required Hungary to build refugee camps capable of accommodating tens of thousands of migrants and to immediately take in hundreds of migrants from Western countries that had allowed them to enter.

The migration pact is supported by opposition Tisza and the Democratic Coalition (DK), and its accelerated introduction is regularly voted on in the European Parliament, Orban added.
 

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.

Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.

XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com
 

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