Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has thrown his support behind Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), calling the party “the future” and praising its policies on migration and energy as beneficial for Hungary. His endorsement came after meeting AfD co-leader Alice Weidel in Budapest on February 12.
Orbán, who previously kept his distance from the AfD, now sees the party as a key player in Germany’s future. “A strong German economy is vital for Hungary, and good relations with Berlin matter—no matter who’s in charge,” he explained. However, he now believes the AfD is rising because mainstream elites have failed to represent the people’s interests.
The AfD, currently polling second ahead of Germany’s February 23 election, has gained traction for its hardline stance against mass migration, opposition to woke ideologies, and rejection of radical climate policies. Despite its growing support, establishment parties refuse to cooperate with the AfD, dismissing it as “far-right” and “extremist.” Weidel, however, pushed back against those labels, arguing that the government and state-funded media have unfairly stigmatised her party, making political competition anything but fair.
At the press conference, Weidel blamed former Chancellor Angela Merkel for Germany’s decline, citing weak leadership, open-border policies that fueled migrant-related crime, and reckless green policies that crippled the country’s energy security. She emphasized that the AfD and Hungary’s conservative government share common ground in resisting illegal migration.
Orbán, in turn, blasted the European Union for punishing Hungary with hefty fines for refusing to accept illegal migrants. “There’s no compromise on this. Protecting our borders isn’t optional—it’s the law. If Brussels had its way, Hungary would look like Germany today, and we don’t want that,” he said.
He also noted that the AfD recently backed a German parliamentary motion to crack down on illegal migration, calling it a “rebellion against Brussels rules” that aligns with Hungary’s approach.
Both leaders expressed frustration with the EU’s growing power, accusing Brussels of forcing policies onto member states against the will of their citizens. Weidel argued that the EU institutions must be reformed, stripped of excessive powers, and dismantled in their current bureaucratic, wasteful, and corrupt form.
Orbán took direct aim at the European Green Deal, blaming it for surging energy prices and Europe’s declining competitiveness. He urged the EU to drop energy sanctions against Russia, reopen shuttered energy sources, and stop discriminating against nuclear power.
He also warned that Brussels has a democracy problem. “Europeans reject mass migration, yet Brussels forces it through. People want peace, but the EU fuels war, pushing for victory against Russia,” he said, cautioning that continued defiance of voters’ wishes could threaten the EU’s future.
Looking ahead, Orbán expressed hope that Donald Trump’s return to the White House would bring a shift in Western policy—one that prioritizes national sovereignty, opposes mass migration, respects Christian values, and promotes free speech.
