On March 23, 2026, Marine Le Pen, leader of the French far-right party National Rally (Rassemblement National), declared that Hungary’s blocking of a major European loan to Ukraine was a “good decision” and a defense of Budapest’s national interests.
Le Pen made the statement during a visit to Budapest, where a meeting of the “Patriots for Europe” group was taking place. The group includes her party and the ruling Hungarian Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
“I would have preferred not having to wait for other countries to make good decisions,” Le Pen told journalists. She also noted that Orbán, by vetoing the €90 billion loan, was “defending his country’s interests.”
The blockade came in the context of the EU summit in Brussels on March 19–20. Hungary is demanding the resumption of Russian oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline, which Ukraine had previously shut down. Despite pressure from EU leaders — including statements by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron — Orbán did not change his position. The loan was agreed upon in December 2025 but requires unanimous approval from all 27 member states.
Le Pen’s stance has triggered a fresh wave of criticism in Brussels and among pro-European politicians, who accuse the far right of undermining EU unity and indirectly supporting Russia. At the same time, it reinforces solidarity within the patriotic alliance ahead of Hungary’s parliamentary elections on April 12, 2026.
France itself is grappling with serious budgetary challenges and a growing national debt — factors Le Pen also cited as an argument against additional spending to support Kyiv.