19/03/2026
Előd Novák on X:
Once again, Viktor Orbán — or rather, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, who became a billionaire through casino concessions awarded to him — is throwing such a meaningless answer in our faces. They won’t even tell the public how many shelters there are or where they are…
Can someone count how many of my questions went unanswered? “Hungary stands with Israel not only in words, but by manufacturing mobile and tactical shelters, thereby ensuring the safety of thousands of Israelis,” said Péter Szijjártó at a press conference held in Petach Tikva back in 2021. But what about the safety of Hungarians? What is known about the Hungarian production of Israeli shelters? How many shelters and how many shelter spaces have we provided? Who financed this? Has this program already concluded, or are there any further plans?—I asked these questions in vain; the shameful figures are effectively being kept secret.
Dear Prime Minister,
The Ukrainian and EU attacks against our country have intensified in recent months, so I would like to address the government with the following proposals and questions, and I also ask that Hungarian society be informed, for example, about the shelters available for use.
For years, I have warned the National Assembly countless times to no avail: due to the war in Ukraine and the chauvinistic Ukrainian threats, it is crucial that our soldiers not be stationed on the other side of the world, but rather be rapidly deployable to help ensure our country’s security. Since 2014–2015, the greatest security challenge for Hungary has been chauvinist Ukraine, which in recent years has increasingly restricted the rights of the Hungarian ethnic group in Transcarpathia, oppressing and intimidating the Hungarian community. In recent years, Hungary has faced numerous verbal threats from the Ukrainian side; indeed, Ukraine has declared Hungary its second-greatest enemy. There is a danger that, should Ukraine survive, the Ukrainian armed forces—armed by the West—will take out their frustration over their military defeat on the Hungarians of Transcarpathia and on Hungary itself. Unfortunately, the weakness of the Hungarian armed forces makes our country an easy target, and it is highly doubtful that our “allies” would come to our aid. This is why, in the opinion of Mi Hazánk, our soldiers should be stationed and training at home rather than in Iraq or Chad—I have often criticized the government for this in recent years, even in writing, but I have not received a substantive response.
Given that the Ukrainian threat to the country’s territorial security and sovereignty has now become a weekly occurrence, and that this is accompanied by a rejection of constructive negotiations, what defensive measures has the government implemented? Since, absurdly, Mi Hazánk is not allowed to attend the closed-door meetings of the National Security Committee of the National Assembly (as a parliamentary party, we are not even permitted to view the documents of a parliamentary committee), please present the non-public responses at a closed session of the Committee on National Defense and Law Enforcement, where I asked the State Secretary for National Defense about this in vain during this week’s closed deliberations.
Has there been any consultation with NATO and EU leaders regarding cooperation in the event of a Ukrainian military attack on our country? Which side would they provide assistance to, if any?
What preventive defense measures has the Hungarian government taken to protect our country and minimize potential losses and damage? We do not observe any reinforcement of the defense structure along the Ukrainian-Hungarian border. We do not see any preparations or training within the ranks of the armed forces. We do not observe any preparations by healthcare institutions to receive and treat large numbers of wounded. This is all the more puzzling because such preparations are already underway in several Western European countries that do not share a border with the countries involved in the conflict.
We have not seen any efforts to inform and prepare the civilian population on what to do in the event of such a conflict breaking out. Nor do we see any preparation of civil defense facilities (shelters) for the population seeking safety and refuge. When do you intend to make these public? After an airstrike and the resulting deaths and injuries?
If there is a threat of war, why are there no shelters? – I submitted a written question to you with this title last year, but the response did not disclose the number of domestic shelters or their capacity due to a lack of development, even though there are significant expansions taking place across Europe at the international level.
“Hungary stands with Israel not only in words, but will also promote the safety of thousands of Israelis by manufacturing mobile and tactical shelters,” said Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, at a press conference held in Petach Tikva back in 2021. But what about the safety of Hungarians? What is known about the Hungarian production of Israeli shelters? How many shelters and how many shelter spaces have we provided? Who financed this? Has this program already concluded, or are there further plans?—I asked you these questions in vain; the shameful figures are effectively being kept secret.
You try to portray yourselves as a responsible and capable government, but in these critical times, we are seeing exactly the opposite. Following the shutdown of the Druzhba oil pipeline, we see a leadership that is hesitant, inactive, and engaged solely in government propaganda. The oil pipeline itself was not hit; one of the oil tanks located next to it caught fire. This is further evidenced by the fact that oil transport continued uninterrupted for hours after the drone attack. The fact of deliberate Ukrainian sabotage can be taken as certain.
It is therefore incomprehensible why the Hungarian government did not join Slovak President Robert Fico in disconnecting the high-voltage power grid supplying Ukraine. Yet it is well known that the electricity supply provided by us and Slovakia accounted for approximately 58% of Ukraine’s needs and cannot really be replaced by involving other countries. It is unacceptable that our country, through MAVIR, even made up for the shortfall in electricity caused by the Slovak side’s decision. Who benefits from this, or what is going on behind the scenes?
We consider it unacceptable to use the Hungarians of Transcarpathia as a shield, since no matter how much Hungary has supported the Ukrainian government and people—who have been hostile toward us from the very beginning—it has not helped preserve the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia, or their living conditions, nor did it prevent their forced conscription and their being sent to the meat grinder.
Sincerely:
Előd Novák
Member of Parliament for Mi Hazánk

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