Most of Viktor Orbán’s former allies stayed quiet on Monday, while those at risk of EU sanctions tried to curry favour with the incoming Hungarian leader.
Andrew Rettman
Many political allies who had endorsed Viktor Orbán have stayed silent or voiced dismay, but some pledged to work with Hungary’s new, pro-EU leader.
The list of noisy, far-right Orbán-endorsers who stayed mute on Monday (13 April) after the outgoing Hungarian prime minister’s election drubbing included US president Donald Trump and vice-president JD Vance, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Argentinian president Xavier Milei.
Those who lost their voice also included former Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki, British nationalist MP Nigel Farage, and Italian racist MP Matteo Salvini.
The far-right Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament and the still more far-right Europe of Sovereign Nations Group did not reply to EUobserver’s requests for comment.
Some Orbán allies voiced dismay.
Russian president Vladimir Putin’s top envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, said the outcome would hasten the demise of the EU.
And Orbán’s fall put Hungary “in danger” of an “Islamist invasion”, for Spanish far-right Vox party leader Santiago Abascal.
Hungarians should feel “concern” the EU Commission would encroach on their sovereignty, said French far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
Dutch populist Geert Wilders said it was a “sad day”.
Through gritted teeth
Others were more gracious, while still using the occasion to have a dig at the EU.
“It seems that, after all, Hungary was a democracy, contrary to what the left and the Brussels bureaucrats proclaimed. May it be a peaceful transition and good for the Hungarians,” said Portuguese far-right leader André Ventura.
Austrian far-right leader Herbert Kickl also said: “The supreme duty of every democrat is to acknowledge this authoritative decision”.
Meanwhile, Czech prime minister Andrej Babiš, Slovak prime minister Robert Fico, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić, and German far-right leader Alice Weidel all congratulated and pledged to work with Hungary’s incoming, centre-right and pro-EU leader Péter Magyar, in a parade of naked political pragmatism.
“I am certain that we will continue to collaborate in a constructive spirit,” said Meloni.
Fico said: “I am ready for intensive cooperation with the new Hungarian prime minister, whom I congratulate”.
Russia and Israel had the most to lose from Orbán’s defeat, given that he had shielded them from EU sanctions.
With forked tongues
And even if the Russian and Israeli leaders scorned Magyar with their silence, their regimes were also smart enough to speak with forked tongues in the hope of salvaging relations.
