Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has claimed in a recent speech that the European Union (EU) is trying to overthrow his government and install a puppet regime in the Central European country.
Orbán’s remarks were made during a speech to thousands of supporters in Budapest on Wednesday, marking a significant increase in tensions between the EU and one of its most controversial member states.
What Orbán Said
Orbán, who has long been at odds with the EU over issues ranging from rule-of-law violations to his close relationship with Putin, used the speech—delivered on Hungary’s national holiday commemorating the 1956 anti-Soviet uprising—to draw bold parallels between historical foreign occupations and modern-day EU policies.
“Independent Hungarian politics are unacceptable to Brussels,” Orbán told the crowd, referring to the EU headquarters in Belgium. “That is why they announced in Brussels that they will get rid of Hungary’s national government. They also announced that they wanted to hang a Brussels puppet government around the country’s neck.”
The Hungarian leader did not give evidence to support his claims, and the EU has not responded publicly to the accusations.
“Do we bow to foreign will, this time to the will of Brussels, or do we resist it?” Orbán continued. “I propose that our answer be as clear and unambiguous as it was in 1956.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán speaks during an event at Millenaris Park in Budapest, Hungary, on October 23, 2024. Orbán claimed in his speech that the European Union is trying to overthrow his government.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán speaks during an event at Millenaris Park in Budapest, Hungary, on October 23, 2024. Orbán claimed in his speech that the European Union is trying to overthrow his government.
Szilard Koszticsak/AP
The Broader Conflict
Relations between Hungary and the EU have been fraught for years, particularly over Orbán’s handling of democratic institutions and his stance on the war in Ukraine. Hungary has repeatedly blocked or delayed EU measures to assist Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia, leading critics to accuse Orbán of favoring Russian interests over those of his EU and NATO allies.
Orbán has also broken with other EU leaders by arguing for an immediate cease-fire and peace talks in Ukraine, leading critics to suggest that he is advocating for Russian interests and turning his back on his EU and NATO partners.
“The Brussels bureaucrats have led the West into a hopeless war,” said Orbán. “In their minds, dizzy with the hope of victory, this war is the war of the West against Russia … Now they want to openly push the entire European Union into the war in Ukraine.”
Without providing details, Orbán also claimed that the EU plans to station Ukrainian soldiers in Hungary after a future victory “to guarantee the security of the whole of Europe.”
He added: “We Hungarians would wake up one morning to find that Slavic soldiers from the east were again stationed on the territory of Hungary. We do not want that, but the pressure from Brussels is getting stronger every day.”
Meanwhile, the EU has withheld billions in financial support from Hungary over its alleged breaches of rule of law, while some of the bloc’s lawmakers have repeatedly proposed stripping Hungary of its voting rights over democratic backsliding. In addition, in 2022 the EU parliament declared that Hungary can no longer be considered a democracy.
Pressure in Hungarian Politics
Orbán’s increasing rhetoric against the EU has been seen as part of his broader strategy to rally nationalist sentiment at home, particularly as his Fidesz party faces increasing pressure from an emerging opposition led by Péter Magyar and the Tisza party.
Orbán’s populist government has suffered setbacks due to inflation, scandals and the growing popularity of Magyar’s opposition movement. With national elections looming in 2026, Orbán appears keen to strengthen his base by portraying the EU as a foreign adversary.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.