Orbán congratulates on German elections—but not Friedrich Merz

The German elections always impact the whole of Europe. As predicted by the odds, the Christian conservative CDU won, but Orbán, who has similar political slogans, did not congratulate the next chancellor. And yet, the relationship between the government and the new German government is not unimportant, as it is Hungary’s number one trading partner.

Provisional results confirmed that the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its leader, Friedrich Merz, were the big winners of Sunday’s German federal elections, with 28% of the votes. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) came in second. This was the best result for a far-right party in the country since World War II.

The twist is that Fidesz and CDU/CSU are in different party families in the EU, so Orbán ignored the winner, as the AfD, with whom Viktor Orbán and Fidesz have become closer in recent weeks and months, achieved the most significant success in history in the early federal elections in Germany. After the election results, the Hungarian prime minister did not congratulate the next chancellor and his party, but the AfD (which is in opposition), and sent a message to Germany.

The far-right Alternativa für Deutschland (AfD) has doubled its share of the votes compared to the 2021 poll, and they achieved the most significant increase of all parties compared to the last German elections. The Hungarian Prime Minister congratulated the party on his X-page:

The people of Germany voted for change in immense numbers. I want to congratulate @Alice_Weidel on doubling @AfD’s share of the votes. Good luck and God bless Germany!

— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) February 24, 2025

As we reported, two weeks before the German elections, the prime minister received Alice Weidel, the AfD’s candidate for chancellor, in Budapest, whom he and his party see as the future of Germany. Viktor Orbán used the meeting to break down the firewall that has been erected around the AfD, not only in Germany but also across Europe. The Hungarian prime minister has not yet met the leader of the extremist party, who have often been called neo-Nazis by their opponents, but Elon Musk’s support for AfD may have played a role in Orbán’s softening and his now seeing the German radicals as a negotiating partner. Far-right AfD co-leader: Hungary and Orbán model for Germany

The situation is further complicated by the fact that the president of the extremist Mi Hazánk party in Hungary, László Toroczkai, has come from Berlin, from the AfD results waiting room, posting joint photos with the co-chairs of the German party. Toroczkai also sent a message to Fidesz. “We are here, not them. Our European group is staying”, the President of Mi Hazánk pointed out, referring to the fact that the AfD is a member of the Europe of Sovereign Nations Group in the European Parliament.

The question is what will happen to the future relationship between the Hungarian and German governments? Will it improve? Or will the Orbán government continue its strident policy of ignoring the importance of Germany and clearly start to antagonise the German government and support the AfD against them, just as they were at war with the previous US administration for a decade, even though Joe Biden led the strongest economy in the world? We’ll soon find out, and we’ll be sure to keep our readers updated on the most interesting developments, but you can read about German-Hungarian relations and affairs HERE.

• Read also: Fidesz parliamentary group leader sent harsh message to German Antifa activists, details HERE.