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The European Union, once hailed as the world’s most ambitious project for peace and prosperity, now finds itself at a crossroads. Beneath the polished veneer of summits and shared institutions, the continent is increasingly divided—not just by economics or culture, but by a swelling tide of political scepticism and open defiance from within its own ranks. Nowhere is this more evident than in Slovakia and Hungary, two countries whose opposition to Brussels has become emblematic of the EU’s mounting existential crisis.

From a distance, the EU still projects the image of a diplomatic giant, championing unity and shared values. But up close, the reality is less harmonious. The union is held together by fragile compromises, often lurching from one crisis to the next. The dream of an “ever closer union” now seems increasingly out of touch with the realities on the ground, where economic divides and political discord are growing.

Slovakia’s transformation is particularly striking. When it joined the EU in 2004, Slovakia was the poster child for European enthusiasm, the first of the new member states to adopt the euro and boasting sky-high support for Brussels. Fast forward to 2025, and the mood has soured dramatically. According to the latest Eurobarometer, only 44% of Slovaks now see EU membership as a good thing, while 47% are ambivalent.

This shift is not just statistical. Slovak politicians across the spectrum increasingly use Brussels as a scapegoat for domestic woes, blaming the EU for everything from economic stagnation to migration policy failures. The country’s leadership, including Prime Minister Robert Fico, has voiced strong opposition to reforms that would further centralize power in Brussels, such as the proposed abolition of the national veto right. The veto is seen in Bratislava as a crucial safeguard of national sovereignty—a sentiment echoed by many Slovaks who feel the EU is drifting away from the concerns of ordinary people.

If Slovakia’s scepticism is a recent development, Hungary’s opposition has become doctrine. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has made a career out of defying Brussels, framing his resistance as a fight for Hungarian sovereignty and survival. The most recent flashpoint is Ukraine’s bid for EU membership. Orbán’s government orchestrated a national referendum urging Hungarians to reject Ukraine’s accession, warning that it would devastate the economy and threaten Hungarian jobs and agriculture.

Orbán’s rhetoric is uncompromising: “Only the Hungarian people can decide the fate of Hungary,” he declared, casting Brussels as an external threat. The government has pledged to treat the referendum as binding, even as EU leaders contemplate suspending Hungary’s voting rights over its repeated obstruction of Ukraine-related decisions—a move that would mark an unprecedented rupture within the bloc.

Hungary’s fractious relationship with the EU has only intensified in recent years. During its presidency of the EU Council in 2024, Hungary openly pursued its own foreign policy agenda, sidelining the traditional role of neutral broker. Budapest, often joined by Bratislava, has vetoed EU sanctions and resisted collective decisions, most recently blocking measures against Georgia’s government. The result is a standoff: Brussels withholds billions in funding over rule-of-law concerns, while Hungary digs in, undeterred by financial penalties or diplomatic isolation.

Slovakia and Hungary are not isolated cases. Across Europe, national-conservative and populist movements are gaining ground, openly challenging the legitimacy of the union and its technocratic elites. From Italy’s right-wing factions to Poland’s emboldened conservatives, the EU faces a growing chorus of dissenting voices. These movements tap into widespread frustration over economic inequality, migration, and a perceived disconnect between Brussels and ordinary citizens.

The EU’s insistence on deeper integration, while intended to foster unity, increasingly fuels the backlash. For many, the union’s sprawling bureaucracy and regulatory zeal seem detached from everyday realities. The promise of shared prosperity is undermined by persistent economic divides between north and south, east and west. And as crises multiply—from migration to energy to security—the EU’s inability to forge cohesive responses only deepens the sense of drift.

The EU’s predicament is stark. Its grand ideals are colliding with the hard reality of deepening internal divisions. The cracks are widening: on one side, member states like Hungary and Slovakia demand more autonomy and resist centralization; on the other, Brussels and its core supporters push for solidarity and shared sovereignty.

The coming years will test whether the EU can confront its existential crisis with the courage to reform, or whether it will continue to limp from one summit to the next, papering over differences with temporary compromises. The risk is not so much a dramatic collapse as a slow erosion of unity and purpose—a “house of cards” where the dream of Europe is kept alive by inertia more than inspiration.

Is Europe united? The answer, in 2025, is increasingly no. The EU remains a remarkable achievement, but its cohesion is under unprecedented strain. The rise of scepticism in Slovakia, the entrenched defiance of Hungary, and the proliferation of dissenting voices across the continent all point to a union at a crossroads. Whether Europe can rediscover a sense of common purpose—or whether the dream of unity will give way to a new era of fragmentation—remains the defining question for the years ahead.

Written by: Nenad Stekić