Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who currently holds the rotating EU presidency, has made controversial claims that the European Union helped install Poland’s government and Prime Minister Donald Tusk as part of a strategy to oust the previous right-wing populist administration.
Tusk’s coalition came to power in the 2023 elections, which saw a remarkable voter turnout of nearly 74%.
In a recent radio interview, Orbán likened what he perceives as EU interference in domestic politics to tactics used by the former Soviet Union. “They need a puppet government,” he stated, emphasizing that “every empire operates this way. The Soviets did, didn’t they?”
Orbán’s comments follow a speech in which he alleged that Brussels is conspiring to undermine his self-described illiberal nationalist government and establish a puppet regime in Hungary.
In his interview, he specifically criticized EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party, suggesting they aimed to replicate in Hungary what they allegedly orchestrated in Poland when Tusk’s coalition defeated the ruling Law and Justice party—an organization aligned with Orbán’s views. “It’s not even a secret conspiracy against Hungary; it’s an openly announced plan,” he claimed, without providing evidence. He pointed out that Poland also pursued an independent policy on migration, gender, and economic issues.
Orbán accused von der Leyen and Weber of openly advocating for the removal of the conservative Polish government to facilitate Tusk’s rise to power, warning that a similar scenario is unfolding in Hungary.
Ongoing Tensions with the EU
Orbán’s relationship with the EU has been fraught, with the bloc withholding billions in funding due to Hungary’s alleged violations of rule-of-law and democratic standards. Poland’s previous nationalist-conservative government also faced extensive disputes with the EU over similar issues.
In response to these tensions, Orbán has adopted an increasingly confrontational stance towards the EU, rallying eurosceptic parties across the bloc to form a far-right political coalition. Additionally, he has sought closer ties with autocracies like Russia and China, looking for investment and loans as EU support dwindles due to his administration’s conduct.
Tusk’s government aims to restore Poland’s democratic institutions, which they believe were eroded under the previous administration allied with Orbán, while still upholding some conservative policies, including a stringent approach to illegal immigration.