BRUSSELS (AP) 鈥� European Union leaders are holding a summit in Brussels on Thursday without Hungarian politician Viktor Orb谩n for the first time in 16 years.
Prime ministers, chancellors and presidents have come and gone, but Orb谩n has been a stable fixture in Brussels’ halls of power, piloting Europe’s drift to the right. He has pioneered a brand of nationalist populism that has found growing success on the continent and is idolized by the Make America Great Again movement in the U.S.
Orb谩n, who is now Hungary鈥檚 leading opposition figure, had repeatedly clashed with the EU as he vilified its institutions and leaders and as he hollowed out institutional checks and balances in Hungary.
Long a foil to EU ambitions in Ukraine and beyond, the former Hungarian prime minister, who lost a pivotal election in April, is now sitting on the sidelines for the first time in a generation 鈥� and watching as his successor P茅ter Magyar joins leaders including Spain’s Pedro Sanchez, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Friedrich Merz as they advance policies likely at odds with Orb谩n’s vision.
As the EU summit opened to discuss ramping up support for Ukraine, among other things, Orb谩n was surrounded by his far-right allies from his new position outside the halls of power he once roamed.
Orb谩n was in the Belgian capital to take part in a Thursday summit of his Patriots for Europe party group, a collection of far-right parties from across the bloc that forms the third-largest caucus in the European Parliament.
Sidelined, but among family
Orb谩n鈥檚 bruising election loss was welcomed with by many EU leaders and viewed by many observers as a rebuke of his combative approach to the EU and close ties to Russia. Even so, he has remained steadfast in his belief that far-right parties in Europe are on the verge of a breakthrough.
Orb谩n told a news conference in Brussels on Wednesday that his election defeat had not interrupted 鈥渢he rise of patriotic political organizations, communities and parties across Europe.鈥�
鈥淣o one election loss can stop this historical process,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nti-migration and sovereigntist political forces in Europe will continue to grow stronger in the coming months and years.鈥�
Orb谩n hopes the Patriots for Europe will be a vehicle for transforming the EU to his vision, for example, by decreasing the bloc鈥檚 purview in matters of rule of law and democracy, taking a zero-tolerance approach to immigration and steering toward deeper cooperation with Russia and China.
He had been the primary impediment to the EU’s efforts to draw Ukraine into the bloc. But Hungary鈥檚 new government, led by Magyar and his center-right Tisza party, has pledged more constructive cooperation with the EU.
Last week Hungary lifted its veto on beginning Ukraine鈥檚 accession process after weeks of negotiations with Kyiv on restoring minority rights for ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine.
鈥淗ungary obviously had issues that they were able to resolve to allow this to happen this week,鈥� said Thomas Byrne, Minister for European Affairs for Ireland, which will take the rotating EU presidency in July for six months. During that time, accession talks are slated to accelerate for Ukraine and Moldova, among others.
An ambitious far right
Europe鈥檚 far right has indeed scored some recent successes. France鈥檚 National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, gained ground in municipal elections earlier this year, while Alternative for Germany (AfD) is performing increasingly well in polls. The populist leader of the Czech Republic, Orb谩n ally Andrej Babis, last year and is now the only Patriots member who leads an EU-member nation.
They were able to deeply reform the EU’s migration policy, too, because of European People’s Party. Human rights groups fiercely criticized the measures for increasing the bloc’s surveillance authorities, ramping up deportations of migrants, and the setting up of detention centers outside the EU dubbed 鈥渞eturn hubs.鈥�
When the right-wing coalition won the vote to pass the migration reform on Wednesday, far-right and center-right lawmakers broke out in cheers inside the European Parliament chamber in Strasbourg, France.
鈥淪end them back,鈥� they chanted.
Geert Wilders, the firebrand Dutch ally of Orb谩n, said the victory reflects the ongoing power of the far right.
鈥淲e are still very powerful indeed,鈥� he said to reporters before the Patriots meeting. 鈥淭he influence is only growing.鈥�
Orb谩n鈥檚 loss has not curbed the right-wing populists鈥� momentum, said Gabriela Greilinger, a researcher at the University of Georgia in the U.S.
鈥淔ar-right parties remain strong in several European countries and will continue to be electorally successful, whether or not Orb谩n is in power,鈥� she said.
Still, within Europe鈥檚 far right stemming from discomfort over the United States and Israel鈥檚 war in Iran as well as U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 threats to annex Greenland, a territory held by EU member Denmark.
And now that Orb谩n can no longer veto EU decisions 鈥� a tactic that increasingly defined his role at the bloc鈥檚 summits 鈥� Ukraine鈥檚 main obstacle to beginning the process of joining the EU has been taken off the table. ___
Spike reported from Budapest, Hungary. Associated Press writer Sylvain Plazy contributed to this report from Brussels.
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