As an inflated fish. Orbán is using Patriots for Europe like once V4, Hungarian investigative journalist claims

According to Panyi, everything what Orbán does at the European and international level has to do with situation in Hungary and prime minister's efforts to keep his power at home. Part of this is also joining of far-right and nationalist parties in the EU into the new Patriots for Europe group.

Szabolcs Panyi|foto:Kateřina Cibulka, Český rozhlas Plus

„Orbán is hoping if there is a far right breakthrough in Europe then European Union will not criticize Hungary as much for the violation of the rule of law and will not withhold cohesion funds from the country,“ Panyi describes.

„His long-term goal is to help create an environment in the EU where these outside forces will not pressure him to give up his authoritarian tendencies,“ he adds the motives that led Orbán to join forces with former Czech PM Andrej Babiš, leader of French far right Marine Le Pen and others, even though his original plans were different. „“

An inflated substitute for the V4

According to Hungarian journalist, Patriots for Europe currently serve Orbán as a substitute for the Visegrad group. An alliance of the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary ceased to function at the highest level due to the different attitudes of its members towards Ukraine and Russia. For the Hungarian Prime Minister, V4 was a way to speak into European politics.

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„Orbán's ambitions are much bigger than what a small country such as Hungary with 9,7 million people, failing economy, geopolitically unimportant should have. He needs to inflate himself like certain fishes do when you take them out of the water and they suddenly become like a big ball. That's what Viktor Orbán is doing,“ Panyi explains Orbán's behaviour on the European stage.

„He’s trying to pose as he’s the one who is representing Patriots for Europe as he used to pose as he’s the one who represents whole Visegrad group, when in reality it was much more diverse,“ adds renowned investigative journalist.

According to him, this is how Orbán appropriated the V4 in the past and now the Patriots for Europe group, although the Hungarian Fidesz is not the strongest party in it. But Orbán presents himself as the main ideologue and leader of the group.

Sacrifices for Kremlin

Patriots for Europe bring together parties that either openly support Russia, or at least are unwilling to sufficiently support Ukraine, which has been facing Russian military aggression for almost three years. According to the author of the investigative projects Direkt36 and VSquare, Orbán ranks among the supporters of Moscow and has sacrificed a lot for it.

Maďarský investigativní novinář Szabolcs Panyi s Filipem Neradem ve studiu po natáčení Bruselských chlebíčků|foto:Filip Nerad, Český rozhlas

„Basically he broke up the Visegrad group as a coherent regional political alliance by going against the Polish position. He also marginalized Hungary with his pro-Russian rhetoric. It didn’t gain anything not even to Hungary, but not even to his power. It seems that he is willing to sacrifice parts of his influence rather than going against Vladimir Putin,“ Panyi claims.

Why is Orbán pro-Russian? What role does Hungarian money play in ties with European far-right parties and how is EU money misused in Hungary? And what is it like to be a journalist in this country where Orbán's government and party control most of the media? You will find out in this special English edition of Brussels Bites podcast.