Viktor Orbán's political advisor, Balázs Orbán, told Euronews that the two Prime Ministers are discussing his Smer party joining the Patriots for Europe. If Fico joins, the Patriots could add two new prime ministers, including the Czech Republic Andrej Babiš.
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán are holding talks on Fico's Smer party joining Patriots for Europe (PfE).
This was confirmed to Euronews by Balázs Orbán, the political director of Viktor Orbán (not related), during the European Council meeting on Thursday in Brussels.
"There are ongoing consultations between the two prime ministers," Balázs Orbán said.
Fico's Smer was expelled from the Party of European Socialists (PES) last week for "breaching the values" of the centre-left party family in a unanimous decision.
The PES has widely criticised Fico in the past for his Eurosceptic and anti-Ukrainian narratives.
Orbán-Fico-Babiš axis in the EU?
The alliance is unusual but not surprising. Fico has spent his political career associated with social democrats.
The departure to the PfE would mark a significant rupture with the historic standing of his Smer party, which, if the move is confirmed, would join the far right in the European parliament.
Yet, Fico and Orbán share a common Brussels agenda: pushing for a harder line on migration, opposing the Green Deal, and taking anti-LBGTQ+ stances.
"The door is open from our side. This is something Robert Fico and his party will have to decide. He comes from a left-wing world, but the sovereignist approach is a strong one in his party. We will see what they decide."
The PfE holds 86 seats in the European Parliament, making it the third-largest political group. If Smer joins, they stand to gain 5 MEPs, bringing them to 91 seats.
Beyond the dynamics in the European Parliament, the change could be more profound at the European Council. The winner of the Czech elections, Andrej Babiš, who is currently holding talks to form a government in Prague, is also a member of Patriots.
Together, the PfE could have three sitting prime ministers at the European Council, where the EU's 27 leaders debate alongside the Commission the most pressing strategic priorities for Europe, and each holds a veto.
Balázs Orbán has expressed confidence that this scenario would unfold
Fico not yet decided on Patriots offer
Euronews reached out for comments to the office of PM Fico, the Smer party's headquarters in Slovakia, and to party MEPs in Brussels. While acknowledging this is a party matter, they did not provide further details.
Fico said on Monday in Abu Dhabi, during a visit, that Smer had received offers from various factions in the European Parliament and would "think carefully about this."
Fico slammed the PES, which unanimously expelled him, saying that they had abandoned authentic left-wing values in favour of the average voter.
The Party of European Socialists should be "renamed to the party of European homosexuals and warmongers", he said, according to local media in Slovakia.
Sources with direct knowledge of the Smer party said that Fico could also consider other options beyond the Patriots, such as establishing a new political group with left-wing nationalist parties, such as the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (ASW) in Germany.
Patriots MEPs say they would welcome Fico's Smer
Euronews talked to several MEPs from PfE, who said they would welcome them into their group.
One MEP who did not wish to be named as the discussions are in progress said the Hungarians are leading the negotiations at the prime ministerial level.
Other delegations, such as the Portuguese Chega and the Spanish Vox, also signalled their openness, despite Smer's previous affiliation with the Socialists of Portugal and Spain.
“We always welcome converts”, one MEP told Euronews, who did not wish to be named as the talks are delicate, saying they would not be surprised if Smer joins the group as the Slovak party has “very converging political positions” with PfE members on issues such as migration, LGBTQ+ people’s rights, and the Green Deal.
Fico has clashed several times with the EU, holding off on sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, LGBTQ+ rights, climate regulation, and China.
Earlier this year, Fico was criticised by the European Commission for attending Russia's Victory Day parade in Moscow, where he thanked the Red Army for liberating Slovakia from Nazi rule during World War II.
The EU High Representative Kaja Kallas strongly opposed member states from travelling to Moscow.