The leader of Hungary so starts a lot of fights, but who is really accurately dealing with accurate blows? Politico summed up the results of these clashes and issued a judicial verdict. Here's who won.
The Hungarian Prime Minister dealt the first blow when he unexpectedly criticized Stockholm for problems related to public order in this country.
“A country that was once famous for their order and security is now falling apart: over 280 juvenile girls arrested for murder, families live in fear. It breaks the heart. The Swedes deserve something better!” – wrote the Hungarian leader last month on X.
Sweden is struggling with a wave of crime, in which children are recruited by gangs through social media, and tries to reduce the age of criminal liability.
However, the Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson reacted sharply, calling the criticism of Orban “scandalous lies” in the post on X and describing the leader as “desperate” before the April elections in Hungary, in which the polls indicate the lost party of Fidesz Orban.
“This is not surprising on the part of a man who destroys the rule of law in his own country,” added Kristersson.
Politico verdict: Kristersson 10, Orban 9.
Kristersson won this round, avoiding the blow below the Orban belt about law and order and counterattacking with a strong blow to the political problems of the Hungarian leader in his country.
Orban versus Plenković
Budapest refuses to cut off from Russian oil and gas despite the ongoing Kremlin war in Ukraine. When Croatia tried to present his energy pipeline as an alternative, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Orban, Peter Szijjarto, called Zagreb a “war speculator” in the post on X.
“Regardless of how much the Croatian government denies this, he tries to profit from the war in Ukraine,” he added in another post, while Orban himself called Croatia's export capacity in the field of energy “small” during the Wednesday summit of European leaders in Copenhagen.
The sharp statement of the Hungarian minister caused a violent reaction of the Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, who expressed his “indignation” and called Budapest “extremely naughty”.
“A war speculator is someone who receives cheap Russian gas and oil – and this is not Croatia,” said Plenković. Hungary, on the other hand, “matches this description.” He added that the Croatian gas pipeline Janaf has been tested and is able to satisfy Hungary's demand.
Both leaders met personally on the occasion of the Thursday summit of the European political community, after which Orban announced Croatia with a “historical strategic partner”, apparently trying to bury the war ax.
Politico verdict: Plenković 10, Orban 9.
Orban tried to push Croatia into the corner, but Plenković beat him, using his own insults against him, which forced the Hungarian leader to surrender.
Orban versus Tusk
After the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk gave a speech in Warsaw in which he described the war in Ukraine as “our war” and warned about the consequences for future generations in the event of Russia's victory, Orban – the most friendly Kremlin leader in the EU – could not resist the attack, accusing Tusk of “running a dangerous game”.
“Dear Donald Tusk, you may think that you are at war with Russia, but Hungary is not. The European Union is not … it's very bad!” – he wrote on social media.
Tusk replied, reminding that it was “Russia had started the war against Ukraine. They decided that we were living during the war” and asking Orban “on which side he is”.
Orban replied that he was on the side of Hungary. “You want to win a war that you consider to be yours. I want to provide peace,” he said on Thursday.
Politico verdict: draw
None of the leaders dealt a decisive blow, they both withdrew to their corners in front of Gong, preventing the political judges from selecting the winner.
