The fourth wave is closing in on the country, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Hungary's public radio (MR1) on Friday.

In response to the „alarming” situation in the neighbouring country, Hungarian hospitals near the border have admitted fifty patients from Romania for treatment, the Hungarian prime minister said and pointed out that the difference in the severity of the epidemic situation in the two countries stems from differing vaccination rates; Hungary’s is twice that of Romania’s.

The Delta variant of the virus is unstoppable, PM Orban noted, stressing that transmission rates of this variant are far more aggressive than the previous ones, posing a much higher risk.

„I am telling everyone, a third jab is tantamount to life insurance,” he said.

Mask-wearing in crowded places should be considered, he said, warning, however, that it is not the mask, but the vaccine that ensures protection against the disease. The country is prepared with plenty of vaccines, hospital beds, doctors, nurses, medicines and ventilators at the ready, he added.

Hungary has high hopes of finishing development of its own vaccine against the coronavirus, PM Orban highlighted.

The Hungarian premier will be receiving the third dose of the coronavirus vaccine this weekend.

Speaking about the deteriorating migration situation, he said that Western Europeans do not seem to be confident that they can overcome the demographic crisis within their countries, which is one of the reasons why they want to make up for the gap with migrants. However, this is incompatible with the Hungarian approach, he stated, adding that it is impossible to defend the border with flowers while police officers and soldiers are being attacked.

The reasons for migration must not only be explained, but prevented, he said.

PM Orban recalled that one of Hungary’s first clashes with Brussels after 2010 was the battle over utility prices. Left-wing governments allowed service providers to raise utility prices, causing them to skyrocket, he said. Leftists are demanding market prices, which would mean 380-400 thousand forints (around 1100 euros) higher annual utility costs for Hungarian families. Not only the price of electricity, but that of fuels are to be increased in the name of climate protection, the premier said. The Hungarian position, however, is that these additional costs should not be borne by the population, but by the “climate-damaging companies.”

At next week’s EU summit, the V4 states will also, make proposals to thwart price increases, PM Orban added.