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Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will return to Brussels next week for the first time since his election defeat, attending a summit of Patriots for Europe leaders — the far-right alliance he helped establish.
Orbán will join other Patriots leaders — including Andrej Babiš, Czechia’s prime minister—on 17 June for the group’s traditional gathering ahead of the European Council summit on 18–19 June, his spokesperson Bertalan Havasi told Euronews.
Hungary will be represented at the summit by its new prime minister, Péter Magyar, marking the country’s first participation in the meeting without Orbán in nearly two decades.
The landslide victory of Magyar’s Tisza Party in April ended Orbán’s 16 years in power. Magyar’s central campaign message was to fight corruption and restore Hungary’s ties with the European Union. He also pledged to dismantle Orbán’s political power structure.
Since his defeat, Orbán has largely withdrawn from public view and has been mostly absent from social media. He did not take up his seat in the Hungarian Parliament but retained the chairmanship of the Fidesz party. He has vowed to lead a renewal of Fidesz over the coming year.
The election loss has triggered criticism from within Fidesz, with some party members questioning both Orbán’s leadership and a campaign that focused heavily on the war in Ukraine.
During his time in power, Orbán was a frequent source of tension within the European Union. He repeatedly blocked EU support packages for Ukraine and maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The European Commission also froze portions of Hungary’s EU funding, citing concerns over corruption and the rule of law.
Since taking office, Magyar’s government has pursued intensive negotiations with the European Commission to unlock the frozen funds. Under a political agreement reached in late May, Hungary secured access to €16.4 billion of the €17 billion previously withheld.
Magyar also reversed Orbán’s veto policy within the EU, clearing the path for Ukraine to begin accession talks after reaching a bilateral agreement with Kyiv on the rights of Hungarian minorities in Ukraine.
Founded in 2024 by Orbán, the Patriots for Europe is the third-largest political group in the Parliament. During his visit in Brussels, the former Hungarian prime minister will hold a press conference.
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