Politico names five European leaders who could follow Orbán in blocking EU decisions

15 April, 10:33 AM

Europe

Five EU leaders could follow Orbán’s lead in blocking key decisions. (Photo: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo)

Politico said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen moved quickly after Orbán’s defeat to propose changes to EU voting rules aimed at preventing similar deadlock in the future. For years, Orbán used Hungary’s veto power to hold up key initiatives, including measures tied to EU support for Ukraine.

“I got the feeling that the political business model that consisted of systematically and structurally undermining stability collapsed after the crushing electoral defeat of [Orbán’s party] Fidesz,” an EU diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

But Politico said Orbán’s defeat does not mean von der Leyen or Kyiv can relax. The European Council, where all 27 EU leaders meet to make major decisions, still includes several of Orbán’s allies and several “potential new wreckers.”

Politico named five leaders it said could emerge as the next obstacles to consensus inside the bloc.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico

Fico has often been Orbán’s “loyal partner” in using veto threats to block sanctions on Moscow and demanded that Slovakia be exempted from the EU’s 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine. With Orbán gone, Politico wrote, Fico may now be the Kremlin’s closest ally inside the EU.

Last month, Fico warned that he could veto a tranche for Kyiv if Hungary’s government lost the election. Péter Magyar, by contrast, signaled that he would not stand in the EU’s way.

“I think they [Fico and other leaders] will be acutely aware of the risks and consequences of choosing a somewhat similar path to his [Orbán’s],” the diplomat said.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš

The 71-year-old billionaire, often described as the “Czech Trump,” has led the country since December in coalition with the far right and has already shown what Politico called “Orbán-style tendencies.” Alongside Orbán and Fico, Babiš was the only leader to demand that the Czech Republic be excluded from the EU loan for Ukraine.

He has also called for reducing support for Kyiv, although he ultimately stopped short of scrapping the Czech-led ammunition initiative that supports Ukraine’s defense.

Another EU diplomat, also speaking anonymously, said right-wing leaders in the bloc were unlikely to block every decision, but would instead take a “hard line on individual issues,” especially when “compared with the dominant views of other European leaders.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

Since taking office, Meloni has tried to balance her right-wing nationalist politics with a pragmatic relationship with Brussels. While backing Europe on international issues, she has also worked with other leaders, including Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, to push for tougher EU migration rules through negotiation rather than confrontation.

One EU diplomat said Meloni had proved to be a politician “of a completely different kind” from Orbán. Another warned, however, that she comes from the same political camp as the Hungarian leader and “should not be discounted.”

“At the last European Council meeting, the only person who agreed with Orbán was Meloni,” a second EU diplomat said.

The diplomat was referring to Meloni’s acknowledgment to other leaders that she understood Orbán’s position on the Ukraine loan at the March summit.

“You can see there is an ideological connection between them,” the diplomat said.

Former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša

Slovenia’s former prime minister, a right-wing populist known for feuding with journalists, finished second in a closely watched election last month. Janša, sometimes described as “mini-Trump,” would join the EU’s growing populist camp if he returns to power.

But his position on Ukraine differs from Orbán’s and Fico’s. While he aligns with Orbán on other issues, Janša supports Ukraine’s accession to the EU. In 2022, at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he traveled to Kyiv to show support.

Former Bulgarian President Rumen Radev

Radev stepped down in January to launch a new party and run in parliamentary elections. According to a Politico poll, he is “on track to win.”

That could create problems for Ukraine and its European allies. In 2025, Radev said Ukraine was “doomed” in its war against Russia and argued that increasing EU military aid, or “giving more weapons” to Kyiv, was not the answer.

He also accused European leaders of encouraging Kyiv’s counteroffensive, saying it had led to “hundreds of thousands of casualties” in Ukraine.

Hungary held parliamentary elections on April 12. Péter Magyar’s party is projected to win 136 seats with 52.44% of the vote, while Orbán’s Fidesz is projected to win 56 seats with 39.15%. The far-right Mi Hazánk, or Our Homeland, is projected to win six seats with 5.77%.

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