World

Orbán Slams EU Leadership: How Brussels’ Policies Are Isolating Europe and Straining Global Relations

Orbán: EU’s centralized mgmt worsens challenges, isolates Europe. Criticized immigration, energy, & fund allocation.

September 19, 2025, 11:18 AM

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán speaks to reporters

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán speaks to the press while attending a meeting with European Union leaders in Brussels, Belgium, on June 28, 2018. By Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.com.

Executive Summary

Balázs Orbán asserted that the European Union’s centralized management has failed to resolve and has actively worsened the continent’s challenges, leading to Europe’s isolation and strained international relations.

Orbán criticized the EU’s immigration policy, emphasizing national sovereignty and highlighting Hungary’s daily €1 million fine for its border protection measures.

Orbán also critiqued the EU’s energy supply strategy and the allocation of EU funds, suggesting they are predominantly used to finance the conflict in Ukraine rather than addressing the fundamental needs of young Europeans.

The Story So Far

Hungary, through figures like Balázs Orbán, consistently voices strong criticism against the European Union’s centralized management, arguing that it has worsened key challenges such as immigration, energy supply, and international relations, rather than solving them. This stance underscores a persistent tension within the EU regarding national sovereignty—seen in Hungary’s opposition to EU immigration policies and its direct procurement of Russian energy—and a disagreement over the strategic allocation of EU funds, which Hungary believes are misdirected towards external conflicts instead of internal European needs.

Why This Matters

Balázs Orbán’s strong criticism of the EU’s centralized management reflects a deepening internal rift within the bloc, suggesting that continued clashes over national sovereignty versus Brussels’ authority could hinder the EU’s ability to forge unified policies on critical issues like immigration, energy, and foreign relations, potentially exacerbating Europe’s perceived isolation and misallocation of resources.

Who Thinks What?

Balázs Orbán, Hungary’s Prime Minister’s political director, asserted that the European Union’s centralized management has failed to resolve and has actively worsened the continent’s challenges, leading to Europe’s increasing isolation and strained international relations.

Orbán further contended that the current EU leadership is “part of the problem” due to its mismanagement of critical issues, arguing that immigration is a matter of national sovereignty and that EU funds are primarily used to finance the conflict in Ukraine rather than addressing the fundamental needs of young Europeans.

Balázs Orbán, Hungary’s Prime Minister’s political director, asserted on Thursday that the European Union’s centralized management has not only failed to resolve the continent’s challenges but has actively worsened them, leading to Europe’s increasing isolation and strained international relations. Speaking at the Brain Bar festival, where he debated former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, Orbán critically assessed the current EU leadership’s approach to key issues ranging from immigration to energy supply.

EU Leadership Under Scrutiny

According to Orbán, the current leadership in Brussels has become “part of the problem, not the solution,” hindering the EU’s ability to respond effectively to ongoing crises. He argued that this perceived faltering leadership has resulted in Europe becoming isolated on the global stage, with relations with major powers like Russia, China, and the United States becoming increasingly strained.

Immigration Policy and National Sovereignty

Orbán highlighted immigration as a critical example of the EU’s mismanagement, emphasizing that it is a matter of national sovereignty. He stated that the Hungarian government’s duty is to represent its citizens’ will, which he believes opposes illegal immigration. He pointed out that Hungary currently faces a daily EU fine of €1 million for its border protection measures, reinforcing his view on the importance of national control over such policies.

Energy Supply and Fund Allocation

The political director also addressed the EU’s energy supply, noting that while Hungary openly procures affordable Russian energy, other Member States reportedly obtain the same energy through intermediaries. Furthermore, Orbán criticized the allocation of EU funds, suggesting they are predominantly used to finance the conflict in Ukraine, rather than addressing the fundamental needs of young Europeans, such as job creation, security, and a predictable future.

Key Takeaways

Balázs Orbán’s remarks underscore a growing sentiment within certain Member States regarding the efficacy and direction of the European Union’s governance. His critiques center on the perceived failures of centralized management to address core challenges, leading to accusations of European isolation and a misallocation of resources, particularly concerning immigration, energy strategy, and geopolitical positioning.