Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with AfD leader Alice Weidel in Budapest, calling her party “the future of Germany.” At a joint press conference, Orbán lauded the AfD’s stance on key issues like migration and energy, stressing that their policies align with Hungary’s interests.
He took aim at Brussels, warning that “green politics is driving Europe off a cliff,” while sanctions against Russia only deepen the crisis.
Weidel returned the praise, hailing Orbán as a model of “reason, sovereignty, and independence.” She blasted the EU’s leadership, calling it bloated and out of touch. “They should all get real jobs, pay taxes, and maybe then they’d understand the policies people actually want,” she quipped.
Weidel criticized EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as “unelected and illegitimate.” She vowed that the AfD would shake up Germany’s political system, arguing that the country needs a reset to restore prosperity and sovereignty.
Orbán, however, offered some cautious words on the AfD. While he agreed with much of their platform—tax cuts, a tougher stance on migration, nuclear energy—he warned that the party still operates more like a movement than an institution. “Crazy people and ideas can pop up,” he noted, adding that his own party doesn’t officially align with the AfD in the European Parliament.
Unlike in Germany, where mainstream parties isolate the AfD, Orbán dismissed the concept of a “firewall” in politics. “If a party gets votes, we take them seriously,” he said. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean Hungary will collaborate with them.
On Russia, Orbán reiterated his belief that the EU’s strategy had failed. “From the start, a Ukrainian victory was impossible,” he stated, insisting that Europe should have pushed for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks instead of escalating the conflict.
Despite criticism from German political circles, Orbán appears to be positioning himself as a key ally to Europe’s rising nationalist movements—whether Germany’s establishment likes it or not.
