Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has sharply criticized Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, accusing him of blocking the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) from entering government despite its electoral victory. Speaking to Hungary’s state news agency MTI on Wednesday, Szijjártó charged that Van der Bellen had “collaborated with foreign actors” and deprived a winning party of its rightful chance to govern.
The remarks came in response to Van der Bellen’s pointed comments at the European Forum Alpbach, where—without naming Hungary—he condemned a “neighboring country” for eroding press freedom, undermining the judiciary, and curtailing fundamental rights, concluding that it “is no longer a liberal democracy.”
“Van der Bellen should not be giving others lessons in democracy,” Szijjártó retorted.
Hungary has been ruled since 2010 by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s nationalist Fidesz party, which maintains close ties with Austria’s FPÖ at the European level. The FPÖ secured the largest share of votes in Austria’s national election last September, but its path to power quickly narrowed.
Following the ballot, Van der Bellen asked incumbent Chancellor Karl Nehammer of the conservative ÖVP to attempt coalition talks, as no other major party was prepared to govern with the FPÖ. When Nehammer’s negotiations collapsed in January, the president turned to FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl. Weeks of discussions with the ÖVP initially showed progress but ultimately failed—reportedly due to disputes over personnel rather than policy.
The deadlock opened the door for an unlikely alliance. The ÖVP, Social Democrats (SPÖ), and liberal NEOS struck a three-party deal, sidelining the FPÖ despite its electoral strength and prompting Budapest’s sharp rebuke.
