Slovenian MEP Branko Grims, a member of the European People’s Party (EPP) in Parliament, said on Thursday he hopes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will prevail over opposition leader Péter Magyar when Hungarians vote for a new parliament on 12 April.

Magyar’s Tisza party sits with the EPP in Parliament, while Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party left the group in 2021 following years of tension with its leadership.

Speaking at an event organised by the Parliament’s far-right ECR and Patriots for Europe groups, Branko threw his support behind the incumbent government in Budapest.

“In my country we have elections in three weeks and we [his national SDS party] will most certainly win – and win a lot,” Grims said, referring to Slovenia. “But then, one month later, there will be elections in Hungary, and I just hope that the right wing will win again – Mr. O.”

Orbán has served as Hungary’s prime minister since 2010, but recent polls suggest that the Tisza party could pose a serious challenge to Orbán’s rule.

Grims has long been a thorn in the side of EPP leadership. In 2025, Grims initially supported a motion of censure against Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who also belongs to the EPP group. Although he later withdrew his signature, he was sanctioned for failing to vote against another attempt to topple the Commission and lost the right to speak on behalf of the group in plenary.

Grims insisted he remains “in the right party – and that party is part of EPP”, referring to his Slovenian Democratic Party.

The EPP declined to comment on Grim’s remarks.

(vib)