European Union leaders sharply criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during the recent summit in Brussels. However, this public confrontation may inadvertently help him secure victory in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Orban effectively uses Western pressure to present himself as the sole defender of Hungary’s national interests against foreign interference.
Politico reported this, citing analysts who fear Brussels has fallen into a strategic trap. The publication notes that public conflict allows the Hungarian leader to mobilize his base by framing the EU as a hostile external force. French MEP Chloé Ridel suggested that European leaders should have avoided confrontation before the vote. She noted that Orban’s current polling numbers are weak, making him desperate for a conflict to rally supporters.
Election tactics and external enemies
For years, Viktor Orban has built his political success on fighting perceived “enemies” like international financial magnates or Brussels bureaucrats. After leaving the summit, he appeared confident and told reporters that EU threats simply do not work. Former Canadian politician Michael Ignatieff warned about this strategy, stating:
“There’s always a risk of falling into a trap with Orbán. He’s fighting for his political life.”
The Hungarian government currently tries to portray the main opposition leader, Peter Magyar, as a puppet of the EU or Ukraine. Despite Magyar’s party, Tisza, actually voting against certain EU financial measures for Kyiv, the pro-government media continues this narrative. Peter Kreko, director of the Political Capital Institute, believes an Orban victory under these circumstances would be a “Pyrrhic victory.”
“Orbán can use this in his campaign to show his fight against Brussels at home, but if he stays in power, the Council will act tougher. Right now it’s bad for the EU, but in the mid-to-long term, it will be much worse for Hungary — if Orbán stays in power,” he stated.
Blocking aid to Ukraine
During the summit on March 19, EU leaders failed to convince Hungary to unblock a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine. Budapest insists that aid approval is linked to the restoration of Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline. Currently, Hungary remains the only member state preventing the final adoption of these crucial financial documents during the ongoing full-scale invasion.
Previously, The Ukrainian Review reported that Russian intelligence proposed to Orban to stage an assassination attempt against himself to influence election outcomes.
