Orban Launches Renewed Assault on EU Leadership with Trump’s Inauguration

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán asserts that the EU is controlled by a liberal transatlantic oligarchy and requires liberation.

Orbán believes US President Donald Trump’s inauguration presents an opportunity to replace what he terms the self-serving, pseudo-capitalist bureaucrats in Brussels. He contends the EU needs competent leadership to adapt to a shifting global order.

Speaking in Budapest on Monday, shortly before Trump’s swearing-in, Orbán predicted a significant shift in Brussels’ political landscape, reiterating his criticisms of EU policies.

He described the EU as under the control of a left-wing, transatlantic oligarchy, while dismissing accusations of democratic backsliding as attacks orchestrated by a George Soros-funded liberal coalition. Orbán has previously accused the Hungarian-born billionaire of meddling in EU politics.

Orbán highlighted the economic power shift towards Asia, arguing that European nations must adapt. He criticized Brussels and liberal politicians for ignoring these changes and undermining EU members through what he called “woke capitalism,” which prioritizes ideology over competitiveness.

”The European Union is currently in a state of decline,” he declared, accusing Brussels of failing to address crucial issues such as the migration crisis, pressures on EU farmers, and national security threats.
Urging like-minded individuals to intensify their efforts to change the EU’s leadership, Orbán declared: “I am initiating the second phase of our effort to influence Brussels’ decision-making.”

Orbán’s Fidesz party is part of the Patriots for Europe coalition, a group that challenged centrist parties in last year’s European Parliament elections. This alliance became the third-largest in the EU Parliament, following the EPP Group, led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D).