New 'troublemakers' emerge at EU summits after Orbán's departure

The European Union's summits are bracing for new dynamics as figures like Slovenia's Janez Janša return to the political forefront. Janša, a veteran politician who has served multiple terms, has a history of controversy, including a past corruption conviction and a swift congratulation to Donald Trump following the 2020 US election. His return brings a strong pro-Israel stance to the discussions.

Adding to the shifting landscape is Bulgaria's newly appointed Prime Minister Rumen Radev. While his government is backed by a pro-Russian far-right party, Radev's administration has halted military aid to Ukraine and expressed a preference for dialogue with Moscow, emphasizing historical and religious ties between Bulgaria and Russia. Bulgaria is also reportedly opposing EU sanctions against Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill.

These developments place Janša and Radev alongside Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico and Czech Republic's Andrej Babiš as prominent figures in a quartet of Eastern European leaders often characterized as EU-skeptical. While Fico and Babiš have historically been less confrontational than Hungary's recently departed Viktor Orbán, their presence signals a growing right-wing influence within the EU.

The increasing number of right-leaning and far-right governments in the EU is reshaping the boundaries of controversial topics at summits. The article notes that if this trend continues, leaders like Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, one of the few remaining center-left heads of government, might increasingly be labeled as the EU's primary "troublemaker."

“

Don't bite the hand that feeds you.