Orban and Fico lambast EU at 130th anniversary of Maria Valeria bridge

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico on Sunday lambasted the European Union over the its plan to phase out Russian oil and gas due to Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

Orbán and Fico appeared together for the 130th anniversary of the construction of the Mária Valéria Bridge, connecting their two countries. The bridge links Štúrovo, Slovakia and Esztergom, Hungary across the River Danube.

The two leaders are considered outliers in the EU for their resistance to cutting ties with Moscow, which was reflected in their speeches.

“No one should tell us where to buy oil and gas from,” Fico said in Esztergom, on the Hungarian side of the bridge. “Because under international law, it is a sovereign country that decides its energy mix.”

“And I share the views of the prime minister of Hungary that the political ideological decision to cut off Europe entirely from the Russian oil and gas will not only harm Hungary and Slovakia the most, but will significantly damage the entire European Union,” the Slovak leader added before giving the stage to Orbán.

“Just like the old empires that ruled us, now the European Union has become a war project,” said the Hungarian prime minister.

“Now, when Brussels talks about peace in Europe, it actually means war,” Orbán added.

Both prime ministers have opposed rapid moves to phase out Russian oil and gas, citing economic costs and energy security, even as most of Europe has sought to eliminate dependence on Kremlin-controlled supplies.

The stance of Orbán and Fico reflects broader political strategies built on populist and nationalist rhetoric, as well as illiberal governance, which challenges EU norms on democratic checks and balances.

Critics argue their Kremlin-friendly positions are undermining Europe’s united front against Russia’s war in Ukraine while cementing their domestic power.