Brussels: the far-right anti-EU narrative may collapse in Hungary

Following the Hungarian election, unexpectedly sharp assessments have arrived from several European countries, arguing that the anti-EU narrative built by the far-right over many years has come to an end.

Ribera: the Hungarians sent a clear message

In an interview with Euronews, Ribera described the election result as a “very clear” demand for change, arguing that the Hungarian people’s decision goes beyond a simple change of government and may also affect the anti-EU narrative present in Hungary.

According to Ribera, “Hungarian voters sent the message that they want a more European future and are ready to stand up for their rights.”

The Brussels-bashing politics has hit a wall

Ribera argued that the most important lesson of the election is that a relentless anti-European campaign cannot function indefinitely. The Vice-President stated this plainly:

“This narrative against Europe, against cooperation, cannot win in the medium term.”

This means that while anti-EU narrative can mobilise voters in the short term, it does not secure a lasting political majority over the longer term. Many therefore see the Hungarian result as demonstrating the limits of the anti-EU narrative.

Even American backing brought no breakthrough

During the campaign, Orbán received open support from the American right. US Vice President JD Vance campaigned on his behalf and praised his role in the international conservative movement. According to Ribera, however, this made no difference to the outcome.

The Vice-President suggested the election revealed the “limitations and damage” of a hardline American political approach. She argued that external influence could not override the decision of Hungarian voters — representing yet another defeat for the anti-EU narrative.

The European message of Orbán’s fall

Based on Ribera’s remarks, Brussels now regards Hungary as a turning point about its long-standing anti-EU narrative. The question is no longer whether the old playbook still works, but what might come next.

Analysts consulted by The Guardian also agree that the symbolic weight of Orbán’s defeat is undeniable — he was Europe’s longest-serving far-right leader and something of a compass for the continent’s populist movements.

Nevertheless, researchers caution against assuming an automatic domino effect.

Sarah de Lange, an expert at Leiden University, stresses that it was not the illiberal ideological model that failed, but a specific government burdened by corruption and economic failures.

In other words, where the far-right can still promise — or at least project the appearance of — an acceptable standard of living and reasonably clean governance, this result alone does not pose a threat to them.

Poland responds

Donald Tusk is already among the most enthusiastic interpreters of Orbán’s fall, framing the Hungarian result to fit his own political narrative. Yet — as an earlier ECFR analysis warned — the Polish case itself illustrates that a “democratic turn” is no guarantee on its own: the hasty unlocking of EU funds in Warsaw narrowed the new government’s room for manoeuvre rather than strengthening it.

If Brussels draws lessons from the Hungarian experience, it will proceed more cautiously this time — and that may well be felt in Poland too, where the fulfilment of rule-of-law conditions remains an ongoing process.

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