Visegrád Leaders to Meet Next Week — Is Cooperation Back on Track After Estrangement?

The first V4 summit of the year is scheduled for 27 February, with a focus on illegal migration, energy security, and the EU’s strategic objectives. After the estrangement caused by the war in Ukraine, cooperation seems to be back on track, but its future will largely depend on the willingness and ability of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to collaborate.

ECR Co-Chair Nicola Procaccini addresses the European Parliament in Strasbourg in the debate on the frozen EU funds for Hungary on 17 January 2024.

European Reformers and Conservatives Get Stronger as Elections Approach

According to Italian press reports, on the margins of the latest EU summit Viktor Orbán indicated that Fidesz is ready to join the ECR after the elections. The move would significantly swell the ranks of the ECR, considering that Fidesz is projected to win 14 seats (of Hungary’s 21), sending quite a sizable delegation to the European Parliament.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (L) and Viktor Orbán at the extraordinary summit of the EU heads of state and government in Brussels on 1 February 2024.

Liberals Recruit for a ‘Coalition of Pressure’ against Hungary

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has confirmed in several forums and personally to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that Hungary supports Sweden’s NATO accession. At the same time, the Hungarian ruling party also made it clear that the Swedish ratification of NATO may take place early in the regular parliamentary session, but this would first require a meeting between the two prime ministers in Budapest.

Brussels Wants ‘Armageddon’ in Hungary?

Brussels is allegedly considering economic retaliation against Hungary should Viktor Orbán vetoe further funding for Ukraine, as indicated by a leaked document. However, the conflicting statements surrounding the purported plan suggest only one thing: there is chaos in Brussels, with EU funds having long been viewed as a tool for political blackmail.

Now Zelenskyy Wants to Talk

With Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressing a desire to negotiate with two pro-peace leaders on the right, Donald Trump and Viktor Orbán, it appears that the Ukrainian president is anticipating a potentially unfavourable scenario for Ukraine: a right-wing shift in both Europe and overseas.

Economist Sven R. Larson: ‘Hungary deserves respect, not critique’ from EU

‘Since Viktor Orbán became prime minister, his country has had one of the strongest economies in Europe. While the economies of Germany and France have been sputtering and stumbling, Hungary has continued to set an example of economic prowess and strength that much of the rest of Europe would be wise to follow,’ Larson wrote in his analysis published by The European Conservative.