Orbán said patriotic forces “made big gains but not a breakthrough” in the European parliamentary elections in June. Orbán said von der Leyen’s performance had been very weak in the past five years. Europe has failed on the matter of the green transition and if things go on like this, Europe’s industry will be destroyed, the prime minister told public radio. On the issue of war, Orbán said Europe was focusing on participation on the Ukrainian side rather than on peace. Von der Leyen “is not our political opponent but our employee”, her job as EC president is to execute the guidelines determined by the member states’ prime ministers, he said. “Ursula von der Leyen is paid from EU coffers, so she is dependent [on the EU]; she must do what the prime ministers say.”
The true weight of European politics lies with the European Council, he said. “The problem is not what the commission head did or did not do but what the prime ministers let her do or leave undone.” Orbán said he had not supported von der Leyen’s re-election because he had deemed her performance weak in light of the guidelines issued by the European Council.