HUNGARY and Slovakia have launched a scathing attack on the European Union. The two nations, growing increasingly frustrated with Brussels policies, have slammed the EU’s handling of the Ukraine war, its energy security failures and its perceived incompetence in negotiating trade terms with the US.

The joint condemnation delivered at the press conference in Komaram, a small town at the joint border, by Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Slovakia’s National Council vice-president Peter Shiga signals a deepening rift within the EU as Budapest and Bratislava refused to toe the block’s line on key geopolitical and economic issues.

Szijjarto did not hold back tearing into Brussels’ approach to international diplomacy, calling out what he described as serious “Trump-phobia” and failed leadership. The Hungarian minister’s fiery remarks came amid growing EU infighting over support for Ukraine with Hungary and Slovakia becoming the loudest critics of the bloc’s strategy.

Both leaders expressed alarm over the EU’s insistence on prolonging the war in Ukraine, instead of pushing for negotiations. In a direct challenge to Brussels policies, Slovakia made it crystal clear that it would not be sending any military units to Ukraine:

“Neither of us wants to prolong this war and for people to die in Ukraine and that is why he informed minister Szijjarto that Slovakia is not going to send units to Ukraine and I would like to urge big countries like the US and Russia and of course the European Union to start negotiations and continue negotiations and reach peace.”

He also blames Ukraine for worsening energy insecurity in south-east Europe, accusing Kiev of weaponising its gas transit routes, making life difficult for both Hungary and Slovakia:

“Ukraine caused difficulties for both of us. But we Slovaks and Hungarians solve this problem ourselves. I cannot talk at great length about the assistance of the European Union because there was none.”

With Europe teetering on the edge of an energy crisis, Hungary and Slovakia are patting themselves on the back for taking early action arguing, that had it not been for their own independent policies, both nations would now be at the mercy of Ukraine’s arbitrary shutdowns of the transit gas pipeline:

“If we Slovaks and Hungarians had not made two courageous decisions earlier we would now be in huge trouble. If we had not built the Turkish gas pipeline despite the threats of sanctions and if we had not built the Hungarian Slovak interconnector despite everyone laughing at us and saying that hamsters and moles would run around in it. But if we had not built these two pipelines the natural gas supply in neither country would be secure now.

“We specifically mentioned oil and gas which both of our countries imported mainly from the Russian Federation through Ukrainian territory. As you know, natural gas flows from Ukrainian territory stopped on January 1 2025 and as the minister also mentioned if we had not made a very good decision in history and to build the interconnectors between our countries then we would probably be in a lot of trouble now and we would probably have to limit gas supplies to industry and households.”

The criticisms didn’t stop there as both launched a blistering attack on the EU’s trade failures, accusing Brussels of bowing to Washington and leaving European industries vulnerable to crippling tariffs. The Hungarian minister’s remarks were particularly directed at the EU’s inability to secure fair trade terms for the automotive sector:

“Unfortunately it must be said that it has been proven once again that incompetent people are leading the European institution in Brussels, incompetent people who also suffer from a very serious ‘Trump-phobia’ and these two factors alone explain already how they were able to screw this up so badly, how they were able to screw up customs co-operation so badly.”

Hungary lambasted Brussels for failing to negotiate a lower tariff for European car manufacturers, warning that its inaction would have devastating consequences because what the EU should have negotiated on customs matters:

“We should have negotiated and reduced the auto tariffs. Europe has a 10 per cent tariff on autos from the US and the US has a 2.5 per cent tariff on Europe. What should have been done; we should have reduced the European auto tariffs to 2.5 per cent from the Americans and then we would have had a negotiating position to get to a joint decision.

“We would not have a situation, where the decision has been made unilaterally on the other side of the ocean that will result in the introduction of higher tariffs for Slovakia as our economy is heavily reliant on car manufacturing.”

Hungary too is bracing for impact due to the EU’s blunders, that could spell disaster for European industries, which are — just like Hungary — heavily dependent on the automotive industry. According to the Slovakian government representative, this industry plays a very important role in the Hungarian and Slovakian GDP:

“Slovakia is even the largest automotive manufacturer measured per capita in the EU. And when the [Hungarian] minister said that approximately 30 per cent of Hungarian industrial production is produced in the automotive industry, in Slovakia it is almost 50 per cent.

“So any tariffs to be introduced from the US will certainly have a huge impact on us. We [in Slovakia] have four automotive factories; a fifth is under construction and they all will certainly be very strongly affected by the US tariffs. So will be Volkswagen or Jaguar and Land Rover which mainly produce for the US market.”

As Hungary and Slovakia fiercely pushed back against the EU’s policies, their defiance is sending shockwaves through Brussels. The joint press conference marked a rare moment of unified resistance from central Europe against the bloc’s dominant leadership. Their calls for immediate policy changes reflected a growing sentiment across the continent versus the EU’s approach to Ukraine, to energy security and trade.

Support for Brussels is faltering and it’s the EU’s own member states beginning to rebel. The battle lines are drawn with Hungary and Slovakia refusing to fall in line behind Brussels and there are signs that this could quickly spread to Italy, Spain and other southern countries, with Brussels finding itself facing an internal revolt unlike anything seen before.