French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has voiced strong support for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after his government blocked a proposed €90 billion EU loan package

for Ukraine, framing the move as a “good decision” amid mounting economic pressures in Europe.

Speaking to reporters in Budapest, where she attended a gathering of the Patriots for Europe alliance, Le Pen suggested that more countries should follow Hungary’s lead without hesitation. Her National Rally party sits within the same European political group as Orbán’s Fidesz.

Le Pen argued that France’s financial situation leaves little room for continued support of Ukraine’s war effort. Pointing to rising public debt and budget deficits, she said Paris must prioritize domestic needs over international commitments.

“France is in no position to issue loans that may never be repaid,” she said, adding that public spending should focus on French citizens rather than external conflicts.

The Budapest meeting also drew other prominent right-wing figures, including Dutch politician Geert Wilders and Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, highlighting growing coordination among Europe’s nationalist movements.

Hungary is heading toward national elections on April 12, and Le Pen publicly endorsed Orbán on social media, saying she was “honored” to support him.

The political momentum in Budapest follows a European edition of the Conservative Political Action Conference, which featured a video message from former U.S. President Donald Trump. In his remarks, Trump reiterated his strong backing for Orbán.

Although absent from the CPAC event, Le Pen emphasized the importance of strategic independence for France. She argued that maintaining distance from major global powers allows countries to better defend their own interests, citing recent trade tensions between the United States and Europe as justification for her position. Photo by Rémi Noyon, Wikimedia commons.