Just days after CPAC Hungary 2026 drew conservative circles from across Europe and the United States to Budapest, the Hungarian capital hosted another significant gathering of the European right. On Monday, 23 March, leaders of the Patriots for Europe (PfE), including Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders, Matteo Salvini, and Santiago Abascal, convened for the first Patriots’ Grand Assembly—an event framed as both a show of unity and a strategic launchpad ahead of a decisive electoral cycle across the continent.
The meeting quickly took on the tone of a campaign rally for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, with speaker after speaker portraying Hungary as a frontline state in a broader ideological struggle over Europe’s future. Leader of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party (EKRE) Martin Helme described Orbán as ‘the rock on which the conservative movement relies when globalist elites attack our nations,’ warning that ‘the fate of the whole EU hinges on how Hungarians vote in the election.’ He urged voters not to be misled by opponents who, he claimed, could only gain power ‘through deception and lies’.
Similar themes were echoed by Ainārs Šlesers, former Latvian deputy prime minister and leader of the Latvia First party, who called the moment ‘decisive not only for Hungary, but for all of Europe’. He warned that migration ‘endangers European values’ and argued that patriotic forces must unite to reshape the European Union along conservative lines. Tom Van Grieken, leader of the Flemish Vlaams Belang, described Budapest as ‘a symbol for every patriot in Europe’, recalling Orbán’s stance during the 2015 migration crisis as proof that ‘it is possible to resist.’
Tom Van Grieken stressed that Budapest is symbolic for every patriot across Europe. PHOTO: Tamás Gyurkovits/Hungarian Conservative
Central European speakers placed particular emphasis on shared historical experience and sovereignty. Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka argued that Hungary’s position is rooted in its historical struggles—from 1848 to 1956 and 1989—adding that ‘today, sovereignty is a common Central European position, but without Hungary, this would not be the case.’ Krzysztof Bosak, leader of the Polish Konfederacja, linked the gathering to the Day of Polish–Hungarian Friendship, stressing that Europe ‘needs a strong and proud Hungary that speaks with its own voice.’
The rally’s most energetic speeches came from leading Western European politicians. Leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) Geert Wilders opened his speech in Hungarian—‘Szia Magyarország, hogy vagyunk?’—before praising Orbán as ‘a lion in a continent led by sheep’. He warned against what he described as external attempts to install compliant leadership in Hungary, declaring: ‘Hungary does not bow, Hungary will never bow.’ For Wilders, Hungary represents ‘a beacon of hope’ for millions across Europe seeking a leader who ‘protects and serves them’.
Santiago Abascal argued that Hungary’s security and social stability have made it an object of envy across the continent. PHOTO: Tamás Gyurkovits/Hungarian Conservative
Spain’s Santiago Abascal struck a similarly emphatic tone, portraying Orbán as ‘Europe’s true defender’ who has blocked ‘many of the European Commission’s insane proposals’, protecting not only Hungarians but the whole of Europe. He argued that Hungary’s security and social stability have made it an object of ‘envy’ across the continent, while framing the upcoming election as a matter not only of national, but European significance.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also cast the Hungarian vote as a referendum on sovereignty, warning against turning Budapest into ‘a forward outpost obedient to Brussels’. He called Orbán ‘a true hero’, adding that ‘the free choice of the Hungarian nation is worth far more than Soros’s billions or threats from Kyiv.’
Marine Le Pen, leader of the French National Rally, who arrived in Budapest after her party secured significant gains in the municipal elections held on Sunday, delivered one of the most strategic speeches of the day, situating Hungary within a broader electoral timeline that could reshape Europe by the end of the decade. She argued that Hungary has become ‘a symbol of a proud, sovereign state that resists pressure’, and described Orbán as both ‘an exceptional leader’ and a personal ally.
According to Marine Le Pen, Hungary’s election will be the first among a wave of votes that will transform Europe. PHOTO: Tamás Gyurkovits/Hungarian Conservative
Looking ahead to elections in France, Spain, Italy, and Poland next year, she predicted that the patriotic right could move from a ‘blocking minority’ to a ‘qualified majority’ in Brussels. ‘You will be the first to vote in a wave that will transform Europe,’ she told the audience, adding that the Hungarian election would send ‘a message of hope and strength to the tired technocrats of Brussels.’
Closing the event, Viktor Orbán framed the Patriots for Europe as an emerging governing force rather than a protest movement. He announced a joint declaration in defence of ‘European nations and freedom’, rejecting federalist ambitions and calling instead for ‘an alliance of sovereign, proud European states’. The Hungarian prime minister argued that the EU is currently in a ‘political stalemate’, with its policies—from migration to energy and Ukraine—representing ‘total failure’.
Orbán outlined the political strategy of the Patriots, stating that the goal is to ‘take over the European Union’ and ‘occupy and transform Brussels’. He went further, predicting that ‘those you saw here today will be Europe’s leaders in three years.’ At the same time, he cast the struggle in broader civilizational terms, declaring: ‘We are fighting for the soul of Europe—in churches, trade unions, communities, and universities.’
‘We are bound together by the conviction that the European Union can only succeed as cooperation between sovereign nations.’ PHOTO: Tamás Gyurkovits/Hungarian Conservative
Emphasizing the ideological cohesion of the movement, Orbán argued that patriotic leaders are ‘politicians who trust in their own nations and their own people.’ He acknowledged that, in the past, differences in historical experience and geography had hindered cooperation among Europe’s right, noting that ‘we once believed this divided us, that there was no point in organizing patriots at a European level.’ However, he insisted that this thinking has changed: ‘If we want to defeat the globalists, we too must organize.’
Despite national differences, Orbán stressed a shared foundational belief uniting the movement: ‘We are bound together by the conviction that the European Union can only succeed as cooperation between sovereign nations.’ While acknowledging that patriotic forces are strongest in Central and Southern Europe, he claimed their influence is growing across the continent despite what he described as ‘anti-democratic tools’ used to keep leaders like Le Pen from power.
‘By the end of the decade, the entire European Union will be coloured in national conservative shades,’ Orbán declared, predicting ‘the greatest political transformation in the EU’s history’. He concluded by tying the Hungarian election to this broader project, insisting that ‘we will win the election’ and that the patriotic camp will carry this momentum into the next European parliamentary cycle.
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