Hungary is seeking to align with the Czech Republic and Slovakia to form an EU bloc of countries skeptical about continued support for Ukraine, POLITICO reported, citing the chief political adviser to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. According to him, Budapest hopes to build closer cooperation with Andrej Babiš, whose right-wing populist party won the latest parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic, as well as with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. The idea is to coordinate positions ahead of EU leaders’ meetings, including holding informal consultations before summits. Although it is too early to speak of a formal political alliance, such coordination could seriously complicate the bloc’s efforts to provide financial and military assistance to Ukraine.
“I think it will happen—and will become increasingly visible,” said Balázs Orbán, the prime minister’s political director, when asked about the prospects for an anti-Ukraine bloc within the European Council. He recalled that similar coordination had already proved effective during the migration crisis, when the Visegrád Group—Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland—jointly opposed EU-wide migrant quotas. “It worked very well. That’s how we managed to resist,” he added.
At that time, Poland under Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki played the leading role in the “Visegrád Four”: the alliance promoted traditional values, advocated stronger EU external borders, and rejected mandatory redistribution of migrants among member states. However, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the group’s unity collapsed: Warsaw took a hard-line anti-Russian stance, while Budapest moved in the opposite direction.
The new version of the Visegrád alliance would include three countries rather than four. Poland, under centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk, maintains a firmly pro-Ukraine position and is unlikely to join Orbán. By contrast, Fico and Babiš largely share his views, advocating “dialogue with Moscow” instead of economic pressure. Babiš, in particular, has faced criticism for publicly questioning the need for continued support for Kyiv; the current Czech foreign minister even called him a potential “puppet of Orbán” in the European Council.
Still, reviving any form of the Visegrád alliance may take time. Although Fico returned to power in Slovakia in 2023, he has so far avoided open political alignment with Budapest. And Babiš, despite his party’s election victory, has yet to form a government.
Orbán Expands His Alliances in Brussels, Seeking to Boost Hungary’s Influence in the European Parliament
According to Balázs Orbán, Budapest’s drive for political alliances in Brussels extends well beyond the European Council. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party, which sits in the far-right group Patriots for Europe, aims to broaden cooperation within the European Parliament as well. Among potential partners, the adviser mentioned the right-conservative European Conservatives and Reformists, the ultranationalist Europe of Sovereign Nations group, and “some left-wing forces.”
He suggested that, over time, mainstream political forces—including the center-right European People’s Party—might turn away from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, potentially leading to the collapse of the centrist majority that backed her reappointment. “The reconstruction of the Visegrád Four continues. We have the third-largest group in the European Parliament, a network of think tanks represented here in Brussels with a transatlantic dimension. We are looking for partners and allies on all major issues,” Orbán said.
The Hungarian think tank Mathias Corvinus Collegium plays an active role in building such connections. Funded largely through sources linked to the prime minister’s inner circle, it has expanded its presence in Brussels since 2022. The institution is headed by Balázs Orbán himself.
Viktor Orbán, who has been in power for 15 years, is set to run for prime minister again next year. According to recent polls, opposition leader Péter Magyar’s Tisza party now leads Fidesz in public support.
Responding to a question about the upcoming campaign, the adviser admitted it would be “tough, as always,” and accused Brussels of “coordinated efforts to sideline the Hungarian government,” including “political support for the opposition.” The European Commission, however, maintains that withholding funds from Hungary is not politically motivated but stems from violations of EU law.
When asked about Budapest’s position on EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi—accused by the media of involvement in recruiting spies within EU institutions—Orbán replied that he was “doing an excellent job.” “These accusations are just a tool to portray Hungary as disloyal to European institutions,” he said. “We want to stay inside. We’re part of the club.”