Even PM Orbán considers losing the 2026 elections a possibility — Trump allegedly urged him to leave the EU
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made an unexpected appearance at a Fidesz forum the day before yesterday in Pilisvörösvár, a town near Budapest. During the event, he addressed his supporters and included several noteworthy elements in his speech. Notably, he claimed that US President Donald Trump had urged him to leave the European Union. He also mentioned secret agreements with other EU member states, aimed at preventing Hungary from being excluded from the bloc’s decision-making processes. Additionally, he commented on the Tisza party and acknowledged that Fidesz is underperforming, though he offered a peculiar explanation for it.
Orbán: 2026 elections will be difficult
According to 444.hu, Orbán’s surprise forum in Pilisvörösvár featured revealing insights into his perspective on upcoming political challenges. The event was live-streamed on Facebook and appeared to signal a shift in his communication strategy, suggesting he sees value in speaking more informally with his base.
Orbán stated that the 2026 elections would be a tough battle, even in constituencies where Fidesz had previously secured victories. He cited the example of Bavaria’s CSU party, which is currently facing difficulties despite having been in power for 70 years.
He did not acknowledge any policy errors by Fidesz, nor did he mention the luxurious lifestyles of business figures close to the party, or the scandal involving the National Bank. Instead, he attributed the party’s weak polling performance to changes in communication trends, pointing out that fewer people now read print media or watch television, opting instead to engage online by writing and reading comments. In this realm, he said, Tisza currently outperforms Fidesz. “If we continue with traditional politics, it’s not certain we will win,” he concluded.
Agreements protect Hungary within the EU
Orbán linked migration to the war in Ukraine, criticising Brussels by claiming that the EU supports allowing migrants in while simultaneously backing a war in which Christians are fighting one another.
Regarding the possibility of Hungary being stripped of its voting rights in the EU Council due to rule-of-law concerns, Orbán said he has multiple, undisclosed agreements with EU member states that would protect Hungary from such consequences.
Trump urged Hungary to leave the EU
At one point, Orbán claimed that Donald Trump had encouraged him to withdraw Hungary from the European Union. When an RTL Klub journalist asked whether such a suggestion threatened Hungary’s sovereignty—a key theme in Fidesz’s communications—Orbán was dismissive, stating only that it depended on whether Trump had been joking.
Fidesz has even established an office dedicated to “sovereignty protection”, which recently began scrutinising media outlets such as Átlátszó.
In an interview last week, Orbán labelled Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party a foreign-funded EU project—an accusation with serious implications. Under a recent amendment to the Hungarian Penal Code passed by Fidesz’s parliamentary supermajority, politicians who accept foreign funding can face up to three years in prison. 444.hu speculated in THIS article whether this is Orbán’s strategy for neutralising his main rival in the 2026 elections, Péter Magyar, who denies ever receiving foreign funds for his political activities.
Was Trump just joking?
Orbán remarked in the interview that unlike in Romania—where the results of the first round of a presidential election were invalidated—Hungary would not seek to eliminate political opponents. Regarding Trump’s EU remark, Orbán simply noted that whether it affects Hungarian sovereignty depends on whether it was meant as a joke.
The Pilisvörösvár forum was originally convened to discuss Ukraine’s potential EU membership, as Fidesz has called for a national referendum on the matter. (Read more about that initiative HERE.)
Meanwhile, Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party has been leading in independent and left-leaning opinion polls for several months. In Fidesz-aligned polls, Orbán’s party still leads, though the gap between the two parties is steadily narrowing.
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I totally agree with Trump, Victor should leave the EU, perhaps buy a nice house in Moscow or the U.S. As to Hu Gary leaving the EU, that is neither Victor or Donny’s decision, it is for actual Hungarians, living in Hungary (not the recipients of Victor’s passport giveaway to those living outside).
How does Orban’s tiny brain work when he talks about a war between Christians as somehow different than other wars? They are all bad no matter who is fighting. He also made the distinction about Ukrainians being Slavs stating that Europe should exclude itself from taking a side in such a war between two Slavic peoples. Well Poles and Slovakians are Slavs too so if those countries are ever invaded by Russia Hungary would stand back. Orban is engaging in defamation which he repeats his lie that the EU supports allowing migrants in. No one promotes such a thing. It is is Russia and Belarus that actively engage in pushing migrants into the EU which has caused border states on the eastern flank to fortify their borders and close border crossings. Not a peep from Russian stooge Orban about that.