Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is a man of chilling comebacks and calm responses, as we have witnessed many times throughout his political career. This time, the target of his mockery was European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who faces a vote of no confidence—a development not seen for more than a decade—in the European Parliament on Thursday.
A day before the vote, Orbán posted a photo on his X account: the words ‘Time to go’ written in white on a bright red background, styled similarly to TIME magazine covers, with von der Leyen pictured striding confidently out of the frame. The message is clear: after von der Leyen was compromised during Monday’s motion of censure debate, Orbán believes it is time for her to leave the helm of the European Union.
For those familiar with European politics, the photo might seem strikingly familiar—and that is no coincidence. In October 2024, the European People’s Party (EPP)—von der Leyen’s political family—posted the exact same photo with the same slogan, but with Orbán himself walking out instead of von der Leyen.
That earlier image sparked significant backlash in Hungary, coming at a particularly tense moment in relations between Brussels and Orbán’s government. Just a week before the post, Orbán had presented Hungary’s EU Presidency programme before the European Parliament—a hearing that devolved into a mudslinging contest rife with biased accusations against Orbán and Hungary. The attacks were initiated by von der Leyen herself and amplified by EPP President Manfred Weber. In his response, Orbán—while refuting the allegations with facts—warned those who attacked Hungary in such underhanded ways that he would ‘pay his debts’ back to them.
It appears that moment has arrived. Although Thursday’s no-confidence vote will most likely fail, von der Leyen’s position and credibility have suffered significant damage in recent weeks. Monday’s debate in the European Parliament demonstrated that neither the left nor the right wings of the political groups consider her performance as Commission President satisfactory, and she could easily lose the support of the Greens and progressive factions.
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