Hungary PM Orban to Form EU Alliance

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has announced the formation of a political alliance with nationalist forces in Austria and the Czech Republic. The new group is seeking to become the largest right wing grouping in the EU. Let's get some analysis. Joining us now for more Bloomberg. From Bloomberg this morning, Andre Girly, thank you very much for being with us. So just how fractious has the relationship between Viktor Orban and the rest of the EU become? Right. So Orban just retrieves and creates an international tension because it suits him to keep Hungary in a constant campaign mode domestically and in this electoral base mobilized. So that's how he's been winning elections for the last decade and a half. And and that's as you say, has been kind of an overarching theme of his relationship with the EU. And in turn the the EU has kept pressure on him for eroding checks and balances and running Hungary sort of effectively as a one party state. Recently. And, and that has caused delays in some of the most important initiatives in the EU and and also NATO when it comes to assistance for Ukraine and NATO expansion. OK, so so we begin the six month rotating presidency with Hungary at the helm. The catch phrase we understand for this rotating presidency led by the Hungarians is making Europe great again, Make Europe great again. How is this going to be achieved? Yeah, So that slogan of course is a tribute to Orban's sort of personal ties to Donald Trump. And as you say, it's it signals sort of hectic period ahead for the EU when while Urban is at the hammock block and hungry officials have been quite notorious for vetoing those major deals in Ukraine. But also making even sort of basic diplomatic activity in the in the EU are fairly difficult on a day-to-day basis. At the same time the EU majority has often. Found ways to get around that and all bands vetoes. So when Urban felt cornered he sometimes just literally sort of shuffled out of the room and quietly let the others make decisions and sort of abstain. Andres, thank you very much indeed.