Balázs Orbán - The Uncomfortable Truth about the Ukraine War, “Remigration” & The New Era Of Nations

Jan 13, 2026

Balázs Orbán, Hungary's political director and adviser to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, dives into pressing issues like nationalism and migration. He critiques the liberal global order, arguing for a resurgence of national sovereignty. The conversation highlights Hungary's rejection of mass migration as a threat to social cohesion and explores the implications of Ukraine being a NATO-Russia proxy conflict. Orbán advocates for a more direct dialogue with Russia to seek peace, emphasizing Hungary's unique position within the EU's evolving landscape.

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INSIGHT

Era Of Competing Power Centers

The post-Cold War liberal global order has fractured into competing power centers and cultural models.
Hungary argues nations must craft independent strategies rather than copy a declining Western model.

ANECDOTE

Hungary's Survival Story Shapes Policy

Hungary's history is framed as constant struggle for survival and sovereignty across centuries.
Balázs Orbán links that memory to Hungary's modern foreign-policy pragmatism and multiple partnerships.

INSIGHT

Migration Seen As Existential Threat

Hungary treats mass migration as an existential threat to social cohesion and national survival.
The government prioritizes strict border control and rejects Western Europe's integration approach.

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In this episode of The Winston Marshall Show, I sit down with Hungarian political director Balázs Orbán for an in-depth conversation on nationalism, migration, the European Union, and the war in Ukraine.

We discuss Hungary’s vision of an emerging era of nations, the collapse of the liberal global order, and why national sovereignty has returned as the central political question of the twenty-first century. Orbán explains Hungary’s historical experience, its defence of Christian culture, and why mass migration has been rejected as a threat to social cohesion and national survival.

The conversation explores Europe’s migration crisis, parallel societies, border control, deportation, and why Hungary believes Western Europe made irreversible mistakes. We also examine the growing backlash against Brussels, the democratic deficit within the European Union, and why Hungary sees itself as leading a continental revolt against supranational elites.

We then turn to Ukraine, Russia, and the future of European security. Orbán argues that the war has become a NATO-Russia proxy conflict, criticises European leaders for pursuing escalation, and explains why Hungary believes that both sides are lying.

A wide-ranging and controversial conversation about power, sovereignty, war, and whether Europe can still reclaim democratic legitimacy in a rapidly changing world.

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Chapters

0:00 Introduction

2:04 Era of the Nations and European Politics

7:14 Hungary's Geopolitical Position and Historical Context

14:28 Migration and Integration in Europe

25:29 Radical Islam and Antifa in Hungary

29:55 Hungary's Relationship with the EU and NATO

36:18 The Ukraine-Russia Conflict and Peace Efforts

45:57 Hungary's View on Putin's Ambitions

52:18 Hungary's NATO Membership and Military Presence

59:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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