Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has declared that nationalist forces will seize control of the European Union within "a year or two", vowing to reshape the bloc from within and end what he calls the dominance of "Brussels bureaucrats".

Speaking to local media after the rally of the Patriots for Europe alliance in France, Orban predicted a sweeping transformation of EU politics. "We will occupy Brussels and transform the entire European Union," he said. "We won't allow the Brussels bureaucrats to dictate to the nation states."

Hungary's veteran leader was one of the key speakers at the far-right rally, held at Mormant-sur-Vernisson and organised for the first anniversary of the foundation of the Patriots of Europe.

Orban was one of the architects of the new faction after years of being sidelined following Fidesz' clash with the EPP in 2021, leading to its exit before being expelled. The movement has since become the third-largest faction in the EP. Orban has positioned himself as the ideological standard-bearer of a new pan-European conservative nationalism that seeks to replace liberal integrationism with a vision of a "Europe of nations".

Orban railed against Brussels for pushing what he called an unwinnable war and likened the current EU leadership to an occupying force ignorant of the true meaning of freedom.

Hungary's nationalist leader framed the struggle as a battle between globalists seeking centralised power and sovereigntists defending national interests. The goal, he said, was to build a broad patriotic alliance across Europe that rejects federalism and protects national sovereignty.

He cited Hungary as proof that such governance is viable. "We are the living example that a Christian, national, conservative government is possible," Orban said, claiming the country had resisted pressure from global financial and political powers.

He depicted Hungary as both Brussels' "black sheep" and the "hope of European patriots," claiming that under his leadership, the country had reclaimed its sovereignty by rewriting its constitution, expelling NGOs and progressive media, sealing its borders and eliminating illegal migration.

As ever, migration was the lightning rod. "Brussels is vomiting blood," he said, because Hungary refuses to accept migrants. "We pay a million euros a day because we won't let them in."

Fact-checkers note that Hungary admitted some 50,000 immigrants last year, two-thirds from outside Europe. The €1mn daily fine stems from Hungary's refusal to comply with a European Court of Justice ruling on its asylum procedures and not for refusing to allow in immigrants, as falsely claimed by the prime minister.

Orban revived the far-right's "great replacement" conspiracy theory, calling migration a "planned population swap." He then pivoted to Ukraine, warning of a looming catastrophe: young Hungarian men dying in a proxy war, forced military spending, an EU pushed towards federalisation and a continent dragged into arms races and "wartime economies."

"Let's stop them," he implored. "We don't want our sons coming home in coffins," he added.

While Orban conceded that "globalists" currently hold the majority in EU institutions, he expressed confidence that this balance would shift rapidly. "We don't need more than one or two years," he said. "We'll be in the majority."

"Today we are here in France, earlier this year we were in Spain and next we'll be in Italy. We are organising Europe," he said.

He also underlined the strategic need for strong allies, singling out France as essential: "Without the French, we can't take Hungary off the Brussels torture rack."

He lauded Marine Le Pen as a "friend," "great leader," and "tireless fighter" who "follows the law of honour", while lamenting that "France must be a very rich country if it can afford not to have her as its president."

Orban concluded his speech with an almost theatrical salute to Le Pen: "Marine, lead us! En garde, allez!"