Hungary's new leader Peter Magyar attends EU summit amid Orban's absence

Hungary's Magyar Joins EU Summit as Orban Meets Far-Right Allies in Brussels

For the first time in 16 years, European Union leaders convened in Brussels on Thursday without Hungary's Viktor Orban, marking a significant shift in the bloc's political landscape. Orban, who had been a steadfast presence in EU summits since his tenure as Hungary's prime minister began, lost his position following a pivotal election in April. His absence signals the end of an era where he championed nationalist populism and steered Europe's drift to the right, a movement admired by the U.S. Make America Great Again faction.

Orban's successor, Peter Magyar of Hungary's center-right Tisza party, joined prominent EU leaders such as Spain's Pedro Sanchez, France's Emmanuel Macron, and Germany's Friedrich Merz at the summit. The leaders are advancing policies that are likely to diverge sharply from Orban’s vision, particularly on issues like Ukraine's EU accession and broader cooperation within the bloc.

As the EU summit focused on ramping up support for Ukraine, Orban found himself outside the halls of power he once dominated. Instead, he attended a meeting of his Patriots for Europe party group, a coalition of far-right parties that forms the third-largest caucus in the European Parliament. Despite his election loss, Orban remains resolute in his belief that far-right movements in Europe are poised for significant gains.

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday, Orban asserted that his defeat would not halt the "rise of patriotic political organizations, communities, and parties across Europe." He expressed confidence that anti-migration and sovereigntist forces would continue to grow stronger, potentially reshaping the EU to align with his vision. This includes reducing the bloc’s authority over rule of law and democracy, adopting a zero-tolerance stance on immigration, and fostering closer ties with Russia and China.

Hungary’s new government, however, appears to be charting a different course. Magyar’s administration recently lifted Hungary’s veto on Ukraine's EU accession process after negotiations with Kyiv over minority rights for ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine. This move has been welcomed by EU leaders and signals a more cooperative approach from Budapest.

Meanwhile, Europe’s far-right parties have been gaining momentum. France's National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, made strides in municipal elections, and Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) is polling strongly. Within the Patriots for Europe group, Czech populist leader Andrej Babis remains the only member currently leading an EU-member nation. The coalition, in partnership with the center-right European People’s Party, recently succeeded in overhauling the EU’s migration policy. However, the reforms have drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations for increasing surveillance, ramping up deportations, and establishing detention centers outside the EU, referred to as "return hubs."

Despite these successes, fractures have emerged within the far-right bloc over issues such as U.S. and Israeli actions in Iran and former U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to annex Greenland. With Orban no longer able to wield veto power at EU summits, Ukraine's path to EU membership has been cleared of one of its main obstacles.