Orbán floats EU departure as future possibility, calls for internal change

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has acknowledged the theoretical possibility of Hungary exiting the European Union, pointing to the bloc’s evolution from an economic to a political union. However, he emphasised that, for now, it remains in the country’s best interest to remain a member and advocate for change from within.

Speaking in an interview published on the Ultrahang YouTube channel on July 17, Orbán said, “If I see that it [EU membership] is no longer worth it, I will speak out... But if such a point exists, I don't even see it on the horizon yet... Today, it is much more advantageous for Hungary to be inside the European Union and fight for change from within than to leave it.”

Orbán explained that when Hungary joined the EU in 2004, the nature of the union was fundamentally different. “We joined an economic union, and now we are in a political union. That is why the British left. So this European Union is not the same European Union,” he said, adding that Brussels did not originally interfere in national matters such as migration, gender education for minors, or participation in military conflicts.

He argued that the EU, in its current form, is incapable of delivering prosperity across the continent. “It is simply disappearing, evaporating, decaying, it is finished,” Orbán stated bluntly.

At the end of May, the Hungarian prime minister presented a “patriotic plan” aimed at countering what he described as the dominance of “globalists in Brussels” and called for bringing Europe “back on track.” The plan includes rejecting Ukraine’s accession to the EU, reinforcing national sovereignty, protecting freedom of speech, and preserving identity rooted in “Christian culture, safe streets, proud nations.”

Hungary has consistently voiced opposition to several major EU policies, particularly concerning the war in Ukraine. Budapest regularly criticises the bloc’s military support to Kyiv, denounces EU sanctions imposed on Russia, and advocates for a swift peace settlement. It also firmly opposes Ukraine’s membership in both the European Union and NATO.

By Tamilla Hasanova