Orbán election win vital for Europe and fight against “German neo-imperialism”, says Kaczyński

Polish opposition leader Jarosław Kaczyński says it is vital for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to win re-election this month so that right-wing parties across Europe can prevent the European Union from becoming a tool for “German neo-imperialism”.

Kaczyński also defended Orbán’s ties with Russia, saying that he “has no choice” because of Hungary’s dependence on Russian energy. And he drew comparisons between Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who came to power only thanks to “external influence”.

Kaczyński, leader of the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS), which is Poland’s main opposition party, made his remarks in an interview with Mandiner, a Hungarian media group aligned with Orbán’s Fidesz party.

The Polish politician said that he “would really like the mandate of Viktor Orbán and of Fidesz to be extended” at parliamentary elections taking place on 12 April. This “would be very important for Hungary and also for Europe, because…[it] could provide the first opportunity for a big change”.

“If Fidesz wins in Hungary, if we win in Poland [at next year’s elections] and the right wins in France, and [Giorgia] Meloni is already in power in Italy, a force could emerge that will change Europe, and this would be greatly needed,” said Kaczyński.

They could together ensure that the European Union is not a group of “states constantly under the control of Brussels or Berlin”, but is instead “a coordinating mechanism for the policies of sovereign states”.

Kaczyński also drew parallels between PiS and Fidesz’s main rivals, saying that Magyar and Tusk are “the same type of person”. Tusk’s coalition “would not have won the elections [in 2023] without external influence”, and now there is “similar pressure” on Hungary’s elections.

He pointed to the fact that Tusk and Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski have recently regularly criticised Hungary’s government. That is because they “represent German, not Polish, interests” and are “continuously implementing German plans” to take control of Europe.

Kaczyński identified European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as one of the primary forces in this “German neo-imperialism”, which seeks “dominance and the deprivation of all [EU member] states, except Germany and France, of their sovereignty”.

PiS is ardently anti-Russian, as is Polish society more broadly, and that has at times caused tensions with Fidesz, notably in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Kaczyński criticised Orbán’s approach to Ukraine. However, they have since reconciled.

In his interview with Mandiner, Kaczyński said that “Hungary has no other choice but to maintain its energy dependence, so they have good relations with Russia”. Hungary relies heavily on Russian oil and gas.

Kaczyński also criticised Ukraine’s approach towards Hungary amid a recent dispute over energy supplies and EU support for Kyiv. At one stage, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to threaten to give Orbán’s address to Ukraine’s armed forces.

“I really want Ukraine to win the war,” said Kaczyński, “but I absolutely do not understand such steps [as Zelensky’s threat]. I think these are harmful to Ukraine, harmful to Europe…So I am absolutely shocked by this.”

Last week, PiS-aligned Polish President Karol Nawrocki visited Orbán in Budapest amid celebrations of Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day. However, Nawrocki did not publicly endorse Orbán, and indeed has made no comments at all about the meeting, which took place without any media access.

The president’s visit was strongly criticised by the Polish government, with Sikorski asking “what Poland’s interest is in supporting the most corrupt and pro-Putin politician in Europe”.

In response to Kaczyński’s interview with Mandiner, Sikorski wrote on social media that “whoever supports Orbán today is helping Putin”.

Last month, Tusk met Magyar on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Afterwards, Magyar said that, if he comes to power, one of his first actions will be to extradite two former PiS government ministers who were granted political asylum in Hungary after fleeing criminal charges in Poland.

Daniel Tilles

Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.