BUDAPEST - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday warned that the European Union (EU) faces decline unless it undertakes an urgent change of course, while also stressing Hungary's positions on Ukraine, migration, and energy security in his opening speech to parliament's autumn session.

This is the Hungarian Parliament's last autumn session with the current party structures, as Hungary's general elections will be held next spring, presumably in April 2026.

"If the Union does not carry out an urgent and sharp turn, its story will come to an end," Orban said, comparing the EU's trajectory to that of the Roman Empire.

He criticized the bloc's current structure as unable to deliver economic success for member states, pointing to what he described as ineffective policies on migration, climate, sanctions, and green transition. "So many attempts, so few results."

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The Hungarian leader also said he did not see the "EU's ability to renew itself."

Reviewing international developments over the summer, Orban said the United States was reshaping the world trade order and noted that China and India were strengthening cooperation with Russia.

He described the EU as weaker than expected and reiterated Hungary's opposition to Ukraine's membership bid, arguing it could draw the conflict into the bloc.

Hungary, he said, "has given no one a mandate to wage war on its behalf" and sees diplomacy as the only solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Orban also spoke about the migration pact of the EU, which he said Hungary will not implement, and about the related financial sanctions on his country.

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He argued that while Western states face security challenges linked to migration, Hungary "remains an island of peace." While several Western European countries suffer the results of migration with "bombings, shootings, and riots."

Turning to domestic issues, Orban highlighted the launch of the "Home Start" housing program on Sept 1, which aims to broaden the middle class and support the construction of 50,000 homes within five years. He also cited supplementary pension payments and measures to shield families from inflation.

On trade and industry, Orban said Hungary would launch an action plan to support small and medium-sized firms and protect jobs, while also stressing recent progress in higher education.