What would EU lose if Hungary leaves?
As much as I love travelling there for beautiful cities and delicious cuisine, I wonder more about the economic and political consequences for the EU.
this post was submitted on 14 Feb 2026
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Cheap labour for manufacturing, a bunch of German car factories, the 2 million strong city of Budapest.
And land access to the Eastern flank of the EU and NATO. It would cut both alliances in half in the geographical sense.
Putin and Trump would be very happy.
The EU would lose a bottomless money pit.
Weird that EU is sending so much money to Hungary, quite weird for an enemy organization.
Weird that EU is sending so much money to Hungary, quite weird for an enemy organization.
An enemy organisation he's free to leave at any time, also.
Why not ease that process, and kick them out altogether? I'm sure they'll like the Russian Alternative.
There's no way to kick a member out of the EU.
There's no way to kick a member out but a member can have their voting rights taken away and have their funds frozen. Hungary already had their funds frozen (which got unfrozen in 2023 but EU might demand those assets back, I made a different comment regarding that down below) and there is an ongoing article 7 process but it hasn't reached a point where voting rights would be taken away, mostly because it's very hard to get all the other EU countries to agree on it (for the longest time Poland made sure nothing would happen to Hungary and in return Hungary made sure nothing would happen to Poland).
Mistakes can be rectified.
Not legally, since that change of statutes would require consent from all member states. Yeah, they kinda shot themselves in the foot by not preparing any response for rogue members.
Seems like this was a pretty big mistake nobody considered at the time...
They were dreaming of a better future..
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Because they're having elections this year.
But we should consider it if Orban stays in.
Why would he leave when he can use the mechanisms of the EU to fuck shit up on behalf of Russia.
a ) let us see how his elections turn out b ) EU is reshaping so minorities cannot block and extort said money any longer.
Looking ahead to a brighter future.
Yes. As was regulated in EU law. As with almost all changes in the EU, it took way too long before they managed to curb the funds. I hope that the internal rules will be thoroughly reworked to prevent/limit the damage of future deliquency. Still, good thing these problems were laid bare b/c of the misconduct of HU's size. Imagine the damage if it was one of the bigger players... could be the end of the EU
I had to check what you meant because I thought EU turned off the faucet. Well, this is where it gets interesting. Apparently the faucet was turned off as per EU laws and then in December 2023 the EU commission unfroze the funds which amounted to 10 billion euros. But then in April 2024 the EU parliament filed a suit that the commission had wrongly applied the rule of law when unfreezing the funds. A few days ago, prior to the summit, a top advisor of the EU court of Justice said that the EU commission should demand that 10 billion back.
Would be interesting to know if Orban was making his comments before or after hearing this.
I'd guess blackmail. If not exactly voting yes but at least abstaining when UA support, RU sanctions were voted on. The current EU rules were not made for dealing with an actively sabotaging state in mind.
Ok leave it then.
traitor on the way out bleating that he was loyal to his master
russian speak, Putin tells orban to say what during the time of the year.
A city guide I met in Budapest a few years back gave me a brief history lesson about Hungary.
"If there's a right and a wrong choice, Hungary will chose wrong."
History backs her up.
I once heard “they will eventually do the right thing … after trying all the wrong options”. I think it was about the US or EU though.
It's a famous quote of Churchill about USA during WW2. Unfortunately he never actually said that, but he said something similar.
Orban is ramping his deceiful rhetoric ahead of difficult elections. Making sutff up to scare people, for instance
Orbán has campaigned on the unsubstantiated premise that the EU would send Hungarians to their deaths in neighboring Ukraine if his party loses
The best thing that could happen is Orban loosing to a less extremist candidate, not Hungary leaving the EU.
We can only hope Hungary citizens don't reelect an extremist.
He's not entirely wrong – the EU is certainly a greater threat to his attempt at an authoritarian regime as the Kremlin Empire. At least I hope so.
I just can't wrap my head around the fact that this guy is still getting enough votes to remain relevant. I just don't understand how he could stay in power, if Hungary would actually be allied with Russia instead of the EU the people of Hungary would suffer so much as well, not just woke things like freedom to be yourself or affordable education and healthcare but also financially and economically their lives would be so much worse. How are so many people voting for him wtf.
For the very same reason Trump got elected despite the facts he was a corrupt politician, a failed businessman and a pedophile were well known by the rest of the world: control of the media narratives give his voters an alternate reality in which he's the good guy.
Edit: typo
I rationally understand this is how it goes, but emotionally it makes zero sense.
The fact that people dislike him, makes others think of him as "strong".
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Let's not keep you.
That two-speed EU thing really got to him huh?
What got to him was Merkel retiring and the new people no longer letting him get away with shit and no longer funding his system that uses EU money to keep oppressing Hungarians.
Orban is a Russia shill, so whatever.
As long as Orban is in the government, hungary should have its voting rights removed. Over the past 10 years they have been nothing but destructive and ever since the invasion of Ukraine, they have been actively hostile, as they did everything to keep money flowing to Russia.
Fascist going to fash
Take this guy out
If the Hungarians vote for this fat fuck again, they deserve everything that's coming for them. Hopefully the EU turns into the European Federation and doesn't invite Hungary in.
If Hungary doesn't like the EU so much, just fucking leave and STFU. Nobody's forcing you to stay. In fact, I don't know if anybody, besides right-wingers / Pooteen lovers, want Hungary in the EU.
I understand your frustration, but it saddens me that it makes you want further divide. Hungary is currently a captured state where lawyers are rewriting constitution on their whims and are the head of the maffia as well. Orbán is using every dirty trick to hold on to power. They have already circumvented the parliament and have been ruling by decree since the immigration wave from the Syrian war (and keep extending it for covid, for the 'ukraine' war).
I urge you to look upon us with empathy. We are a pluralistic people who are locked under tyrants. The ruling party is extremely careful to not initiate any state aggression during protests, otherwise we'd have similar clashes as Belorussia had during the last elections. Very trying times.
I sympathize and wish you strength and opportunity to change your circumstance. But in the end it is the Hungarian people who need to take action to change. Being "locked under tyrants" was not someone else's doing.
You are mostly right, but when it's promoting division, I will nit-pick:
The EU funds have propped up the government, and free movement has let the most frustrated leave the country. I do not lay blame at the feet of Europe, but it is important to see the situation for what it is.
We are the only ones who can do anything, I agree. I love Europe and feel as much a citizen of Europe as of Hungary (sometimes even more).
Thank you for your well-wishes. I am a bit sceptic of any real change, even if Tisza gets (super-)majority, but hope is the last to die. I'd say I'll be happy as soon as we're part of the European Public Prosecutor's Office. We really crave justice.
Sure. EU rules are lacking, perhaps because the rule makers did not (want to?) anticipate willfull sabotage by a member state. That's on them. So it took way too long for the EU to stop propping up this regime.
As for any kind of super majority I sincerly hope people will not make that mistake again. Way too risky. AFAIK this is what enabled this lot in the first place.
Anyway, best of luck!
Just want to say that Orbán has always acted in a way to please German industry lobbies.
He is where he is because of that and German conservative governments keeping him in power.
Hard agree on all the points.
any kind of super majority (...) too risky
This is a point that divides the people. The majority want a powerful hand striking down, the minority are hoping for pluralism.
Thank you for the well-wishes.
I understand that the bureaucracy of the EU can be scary, but…
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