The development of rural areas in Hungary is impossible without implementing the concept of Central European unity, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban said on Tuesday at the inauguration of the M30 motorway connecting Hungary's northeastern city of Miskolc and Kosice, Slovakia.

Hungary’s prime minister stressed that rural areas in Hungary can only prosper if there is co-operation in Central Europe.

What we want is “not just a thriving rural Hungary, but a strong Central Europe,” one that is strong enough to defend itself against unnatural interventions, whose consequences can be felt to this day, Mr Orban said.

He went on to explain that in order to achieve this goal, roads must be built that connect different parts of the countryside, bringing rural people into the major cities, connecting Hungarians on both sides of the border, as well as all the peoples of the region. The road currently handed over also serves this purpose, Mr Orban said.

Historically, the main hub for trade with Poland was Kosice. This was a very important route making possible the operation of a major international roadway without transiting the capital. After the Trianon Peace Treaty [and the loss of territories], we, Hungarians, are having a hard time imagining this, PM Orban said, adding that he believes we must rearrange our mindset in order to realise that routes shouldn’t necessarily be planned starting from Budapest, because we still have our old and naturally cohesive regions that are worth connecting.

This was a thriving region until it was torn apart by the great powers after the First World War, PM Orban said. The mission of our generation is to try to pool together what the foreigners and the great powers tore apart, he said, adding that if we do not do this, the endowments of the Hungarian countryside will not reach their full potential. He pointed out, however, that boundaries are a limiting factor everywhere, so

the prosperity of rural Hungary can only be envisioned if areas, now belonging to different states, are connected. This means that developing the Hungarian countryside is impossible without realizing the notion of ​​Central European unity.

Mr Orban recalled that three goals were set in 2010, the first of which was to connect all cities of county rank to the motorway network. The second was to ensure that every citizen of Hungary living in any settlements, no matter how small, could reach the motorway network from their place of residence within no more than half an hour. And the third goal was to ensure that all motorways reached the border and connected Hungary with its neighbours, he said.

He emphasized that huge efforts and a lot of money had been mobilised to achieve these goals. Since May 2010, 33 motorway and other express way sections have been opened, 600 kilometres in total. There are only three cities of county rank left that are not directly connected to the motorway network, while in 2010 there were nine, he said, adding that road works are underway to connect these three cities (Zalaegerszeg, Kaposvar and Bekescsaba). He pointed out that now some 87 per cent of Hungarians can reach the motorway network within 30 minutes, although this figure was 60 per cent in 2010. As for motorways reaching the border, before 2010 there were only three, today there are nine, and by 2025 there will be eleven.

Hungary’s premier also noted that the completed investment project will shorten the route from Kosice (Slovakia) to Miskolc (Hungary) by half an hour, with an investment worth 200 billion forints (547 million euros). Between 2014 and 2020, the county received 700 billion forints (1.9 billion euros) in investments, and if they win the next election, he said, then this figure will likely be dwarfed by the developments to be implemented here.

He believes that the newly unveiled roadway will make it easier for investments and goods to come here, as well as for tourists.

Mr Orban emphasized, that

no one knows what will happen in the world, the situation is rather confusing everywhere, and since Hungary cannot influence the game of major nations in merit, the only thing that is certain, that makes sense and is beneficial for us, is that we are building and strengthening Central Europe.

With such developments, borders become mere political facts, while everyday life can go on unhindered, he explained, adding that this is not only in the interest of Hungarians, but also of other nations in the region. With the opening of the motorway, we made an important step towards developing Hungary’s rural areas, and strengthening Central Europe, Mr Orban said.