Orban Says Hungary Should Reject the Euro as EU Faces 'Disintegration'

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has reiterated his stance against adopting the euro, citing concerns over the European Union’s ongoing “disintegration” and warning that Budapest should avoid further entanglement with the bloc. In an interview with the economic website EconomX, Orban argued that tying Hungary’s economy more closely to the EU’s monetary framework would be unwise given the current state of the union, according to reports from Reuters.

On monetary policy, the prime minister commented on the Hungarian central bank’s key interest rate of 6.5 percent, describing it as “higher than it could be.” He noted that any interest rate cuts will likely proceed “much slower than we would like” due to the cautious approach of central bank governor Mihaly Varga.

Orban also addressed EU enlargement, specifically Ukraine’s potential accession. Speaking to public radio Kossuth, he reaffirmed his opposition, insisting that Hungary retains the right to block further EU expansion. He emphasized that Hungary does not seek a political alliance with Kyiv and instead favors a separate agreement between Ukraine and the European Union.

“From a strategic perspective, we prefer Ukraine to remain a buffer between Hungary and Russia,” Orban said, framing his position as a security consideration rather than a purely political stance. His remarks signal a continued cautious approach to EU integration and regional geopolitics.