Hungary intends to join forces with the Czech Republic and Slovakia to form an EU alliance skeptical towards Ukraine, reported Politico, the chief political advisor to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Orban hopes to unite with Andrej Babis, whose right-wing populist party won the recent parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic, as well as with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, to coordinate positions ahead of EU leaders' meetings. As the publication notes, the creation of such an alliance could significantly hinder the EU's efforts to provide financial and military support to Ukraine.
Fico and Babis share Orban's viewpoint on Ukraine. Babis has faced criticism for his public skepticism towards further European aid to Kyiv, and the current Czech Foreign Minister warned in an interview with Politico that Babis would act as Orban's "puppet" at the European Council table.
The political advisor to the Hungarian Prime Minister, Balazs Orban, cited the example of the "Visegrad Four" alliance, which included Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland, at a time when the eurosceptic "Law and Justice" party was in power in Warsaw after 2015. The "V4" group promoted strong external borders for the EU and opposed any relocation of migrants between member countries.
The alliance dissolved after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as Poland advocated a tough stance towards Moscow, while Hungary took the opposite position. Therefore, the new "Visegrad Alliance" will consist of three rather than four members.
Meanwhile, the Hungarian Prime Minister, who has been in power for the past 15 years, will face a re-election battle next year. According to a Politico poll, the opposition party "Tisza" is currently more popular than Orban's "Fidesz" party.
Photo: Reuters