Orbán Viktor calls for a European ‘patriotic awakening’ at FPÖ 70th anniversary in Vienna

Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán Viktor addressed a gathering of right‑wing parties in Vienna on Saturday, marking the 70th anniversary of Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ). In his speech he said that “this is not a temporary protest… this is a European awakening,” pointing to a surge of nationalist parties across France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Spain. He identified three core threats to Europe – migration, declining economic competitiveness and the war in Ukraine – and criticised the “old European political elite” for failing to address them.

Orbán emphasized the need for “strong and sovereign nations” that protect borders, industry, families and Christian heritage. The event, held at the Hofburg, was attended by leaders of several allied parties, including FPÖ chief Herbert Kickl, Dutch Freedom Party (PVV) head Geert Wilders, German AfD leader Alice Weidel, and a video appearance by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.