Hungary arms while talking about peace; Viktor Orban's secret plan

The government in Budapest seems to be quietly preparing for a possible military confrontation, despite the official peaceful discourse promoted by Prime Minister Viktor Orban. While the leader in Budapest talks incessantly about the need to restore peace in Europe and publicly positions himself as a defender of neutrality, behind the scenes information is emerging that outlines a completely different reality: the accelerated militarization of Hungary and the adoption of a war mentality.

A telling example of this is the statements captured in a video recording released yesterday by Magyar Peter, the leader of the Tisza Party. In the video, Hungarian Defense Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky speaks bluntly about the fact that the Orban government has decided to build a "truly combat-capable" army and that it is time to "break with the peace mentality." It is a shocking statement, in complete contrast to the official rhetoric. Moreover, the Defense Minister clearly states that Hungary has entered "phase zero of the road to war," designating Lieutenant General Gabor Borondi as responsible for implementing this plan. This paradigm shift, from promoting peace to open preparation for conflict, is not accidental, according to the Budapest press. Magyar Peter claims that the document demonstrates the government's constant lies in recent years. He claims that while the authorities are scaring the population with the specter of nuclear war, they are actually systematically acting to arm and prepare for a conflict.

Immediately after the video appeared, Defense Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky reacted, according to index.hu, on his social media page: "I am building an army capable of defending Hungary with weapons! Because peace requires strength".

In light of these new revelations, the sudden dismissal of the former Chief of the Defense Staff, Ruszin-Szendi Romulusz, takes on a different meaning. He publicly reacted to the information that emerged, accusing the authorities of "preaching water but drinking wine" and that behind the "renewal" of the army by removing professional personnel is, in fact, a well-defined militaristic agenda. According to him, what is needed is no longer professionals who truly want peace, but people willing to follow the direction imposed by the current leadership: that of confrontation.

This rupture between public discourse and the real actions of the Hungarian government raises serious questions about the direction in which the country is heading. While Viktor Orban maintains his image as a balanced and pacifist leader internationally, internally, Hungary is undergoing a profound military reform.

• What are the risks for the region?

If what emerges from the Hungarian Minister of Defense's statements is true, then the implications for the Central and Eastern European region are profound and worrying. In a geopolitical context already tense by the war in Ukraine, the escalation of the discourse and military capabilities in a member state of the European Union and NATO generates risks of destabilization and fueling distrust between neighbors.

Hungary shares borders with seven states: Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. Several of these countries have significant Hungarian communities, especially Slovakia, Romania and Serbia. Budapest has in the past been accused of using the issue of Hungarian minorities to influence the domestic politics of other states, and Viktor Orban's nationalist rhetoric has generated suspicions in neighboring capitals. Hungary's militarization may be perceived by these states as an indirect threat, especially in the context of Hungary's massive investment in the defense industry and its promotion of the idea of a "combat-capable" army. In this context, neighboring countries will be watching these developments closely, especially if Budapest continues to combine a revisionist foreign policy with the consolidation of a modern armed force.

Hungary is also a NATO member, but its increasingly ambivalent stance on support for Ukraine has already created friction within the alliance. While NATO cannot prevent a member state from developing its own defense capabilities, the fact that Hungary is preparing "for war" in an opaque manner, without consulting its allies, could fuel suspicions about Budapest's real intentions.

If Hungary does not publicly clarify these initiatives, it risks being perceived as a "Trojan horse" within NATO - a country taking advantage of the alliance's security umbrella to pursue its own, potentially destabilizing, agenda.

We recall that the Budapest government has a tense relationship with the Kiev authorities, especially due to language policies in the Transcarpathia region, where a strong Hungarian community lives. With Ukraine already facing Russian aggression, any sign that another neighbor is aggressively arming itself and could take advantage of the weakening of the Ukrainian state is a source of instability. A more militarized and unpredictable Hungary will also further complicate Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration process, both politically and in terms of regional military cooperation. Hungary's accelerated military preparations could trigger a domino-like reaction: neighboring countries, especially those with historical conflicts or suspicions of Budapest, could decide to step up their own armament efforts. The region could thus enter a spiral of militarization, fueled by a lack of transparency and mutual distrust. Romania, Slovakia, and Serbia are already engaged in modernizing their own armies, but a Hungary perceived as a direct threat could accelerate these programs. In such a climate, the risk of military incidents, diplomatic mishaps or even deliberate provocations increases.

Hungary's preparation for a possible conflict, despite the official peaceful discourse, is a wake-up call for the entire region. At a time when Europe needs stability, transparency and cooperation, the transformation of a NATO and EU member state into an unpredictable, armed and confrontation-ready actor risks undermining the regional geopolitical balance and even the European security architecture. If the signals sent by the political opposition in the neighboring country are correct, then Europe must take Budapest's double language seriously and reflect on the long-term implications of a Hungary that abandons the "peace mentality" in favor of "war preparation".