Now let’s set the record straight about what some people in Brussels seem to imagine.
The satirical article in Politico essentially portrays an EU elite openly fantasizing about a multi-tier, quasi-caste Europe where member states are no longer equal, but ranked according to “membership packages” — as if the Union were some kind of premium subscription service.
According to the story, a multi-speed EU is supposedly necessary because they are fed up with the “slower countries” holding back progress (by “progress,” critics would say they mean the aggressive Brussels agenda on war policy, migration, and deeper centralization). Ursula von der Leyen put it this way: the EU too often moves at the speed of its slowest member. In other words, if someone refuses to run with them, they will simply go around them.
The article mocks this mindset by inventing fictional “membership tiers”:
Platinum level – full power, fast-track integration, private chef, helicopter landing pad, a personal commissioner (competence optional, as long as they are part of the elite club).
Business level – voting rights, but fewer privileges, applauding interns at the entrance, one national dish per year.
Basic level – you may sit at the table, but can be asked to leave whenever something important is discussed.
Hungary – nothing.
Yes, that is literally the punchline at the end of the satire: Hungary’s category is “What do you get? Nothing.”
What makes this particularly telling is that behind the satire lies a real political debate. An increasing number of Western leaders genuinely support the idea of a “core Europe” where an inner circle would make decisions on behalf of all member states. The strongest advocates of this approach include the European People’s Party and prominent German figures such as Ursula von der Leyen, Manfred Weber, and Friedrich Merz.
Supporters of the Hungarian government argue that only Viktor Orbán has been willing to resist this pressure. From that perspective, if one believes that Brussels’ direction threatens national sovereignty, then Fidesz represents the safer political choice.