Visegrad beyond Orbán's orbit

The Visegrad Group (V4) is experiencing significant fragmentation due to diverging responses to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and differing relationships with the European Union. While Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia generally support Ukraine and NATO expansion, Hungary has obstructed sanctions against Russia and the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO. The once-strong alliance between Poland's PiS and Hungary's Fidesz was severely shaken by Orbán's ties to Putin, though a tactical reconciliation has emerged based on mutual dependence regarding EU rule-of-law procedures and shared populist narratives. Ultimately, the author argues that Orbán's veto power in the EU has reached its limits, leading him to seek alliances with American Republicans, European far-right fundamentalists, and China to maintain domestic legitimacy and enrich his clientelist network.

• The Visegrad Group (V4) is deeply divided, particularly regarding NATO expansion; Hungary is the only NATO member besides Turkey that has not ratified the accession of Sweden and Finland, while the other three V4 members support it.
• The Russian invasion of Ukraine caused a severe rift between Poland and Hungary, as Polish society and the PiS government viewed Orbán's rhetoric and relationship with Putin as an existential threat.
• Despite ideological friction, Poland and Hungary maintain a tactical alliance in the EU Council to protect each other from the Article 7 procedure and to promote a shared Eurosceptic narrative against Brussels.
• Viktor Orbán's strategy of using vetoes to extract concessions in the EU has diminished in effectiveness, as evidenced by the unanimous EU decision to suspend funds for Hungary.
• Hungary is strengthening ties with China not for national profit, but to benefit a clientelist network supporting Orbán and to enhance his domestic legitimacy by appearing as a key global player.

APA

Zgut-Przybylska, E. (2023). Visegrad beyond Orbán's orbit. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/visegrad-beyond-orbans-orbit/

Chicago

Zgut-Przybylska, Edit. Visegrad beyond Orbán's orbit. Green European Journal, 2023. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/visegrad-beyond-orbans-orbit/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zgut-Przybylska |first1=Edit |title=Visegrad beyond Orbán's orbit |publisher=Green European Journal |date=16 January 2023 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/visegrad-beyond-orbans-orbit/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zgutprzybylska2023visegrad, author = {Zgut-Przybylska, Edit}, title = {{Visegrad beyond Orbán's orbit}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/visegrad-beyond-orbans-orbit/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }