Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited France on Wednesday to meet with French president Emmanuel Macron ahead of yesterday’s emergency EU summit. Orbán also held talks with former president Nicolas Sarkozy and right-wing opposition leader Marine Le Pen, whom he described as the ‘future president’ of France—mocking Macron in a social media post. However, one particular moment from the Hungarian prime minister’s visit likely stung Macron even more.
A video that has since gone viral captures how ordinary Europeans—not their leaders—view Viktor Orbán’s policies, which are often described by Western and EU officials as authoritarian, corrupt, and anti-democratic. In the footage, a French woman in her sixties approaches Orbán on the streets of Paris and says: ‘I congratulate you for your bravery, strength, and commitment.’ She then tells the Hungarian prime minister that he is a good man. ‘God bless,’ Orbán replies as they part ways.
At the beginning of the video, viewers also see what has become Orbán’s signature gesture throughout his long political career—a hand kiss. The Hungarian prime minister frequently uses this traditional greeting, which considered a mark of respect and gentility towards women, even when meeting female leaders of the highest ranks, such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The video, originally posted by X user @HungaryBased, gained wider attention when reposted by @voivodmedia. It has already been viewed by more than 200,000 users in just over 24 hours.
The sight of an ordinary French citizen publicly praising the Hungarian prime minister on the streets of Paris is something Emmanuel Macron would likely envy. After all, the French president is rarely the subject of public admiration, to put it mildly. In the summer of 2021 Macron was even slapped by a member of the public in the town of Tain-l’Hermitage. That video also went viral, but instead of generating the kind of praise Orbán received, Macron became the subject of ridicule in the comment sections.
The man who slapped Macron while shouting ‘Down with Macronism!’ was sentenced to four months in prison.
Following his meeting with Macron, Orbán stated in an interview that Hungary maintains ‘extremely close cooperation with France, not only on political issues but also on economic matters.’ He added that he expects France to remain a major investor in Hungary. Orbán also noted that his discussions with Sarkozy, Macron, and Le Pen revealed a shared stance against the creation of a ‘United States of Europe’—a more federalist and centralized vision of the EU that would reduce the sovereignty of member states.
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