Criticised previously in 2011 and 2012 at the height of the crisis between the EU and Budapest on many controversial reforms, the strong man of Fidesz and leader of the Hungarian government Viktor Orbán appeared before the European Parliament on Wednesday 26 April to defend his action and to explain the principle of some new laws that again have come up against strong criticism.
The bad boy of the EPP, who will furthermore form the subject of discussion at the EPP congress on Saturday morning ahead of the special Brexit summit, appeared before the European Parliament more specifically to justify his new law on foreign universities and the principle of his Stop Brussels consultation on European policies (notably on immigration) that was launched on 1 April.
Speaking to MEPs, Orbán first said he was pleased that dialogue was possible and even said it was healthy to have a dialogue in and on the EU, rather than imposing “unilateral declarations”. He tried to convince the MEPs of the merit of his initiative – for example, on the “speculator” and “enemy of the euro” George Soros’ Central European University, which has “destroyed thousands of European jobs”.
The law in question is not aimed at Soros’ university in itself but at the 28 foreign universities of this type, and an end should be put to the privileges of foreign universities over European universities, Orbán stated. He also denied that the existence of Soros’ Central European University was under threat. Orbán thus challenged the rector of this university, Michael Ignatieff, who has been in Brussels for the last two days to explain the situation.
As regards the Stop Brussels consultation, it is part of a regular practice of consultation to prepare the government’s positions on Brussels. Hungary and its government are also “completely engaged in the EU, it’s undeniable”. “That’s why I signed the Rome Declaration, I completely agree, and also with the EPP programme adopted in Malta”, Orbán said.
But “we are not happy with the way the EU operates and when we criticise it, it is because we want to reform it”. Orbán remains strongly opposed to the policies on relocating asylum seekers. “And we are pretty irritated by the fact that we can’t call a spade a spade”, he said.
Orbán had to face MEPs who were rather shocked by his initiatives. Even the leader of the EPP Group at the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, said he did not understand the law on foreign universities. The Central European University has always worked very well by “dispensing national diplomas and American diplomas”. Weber nevertheless said that nobody should give lessons to the EPP about who should or should not be in its political family.
The ECR Group meanwhile said it was annoyed at these “country stigmatisations” and called for a broader debate on the state of universities in the EU.
But, unsurprisingly, the hard hits came from the Liberals and the groups on the Left. In the opinion of Guy Verhsofstadt, the leader of the ALDE Group at the European Parliament, Orbán has simply renounced all his principles from when he used to be so progressive, and even stood alongside George Soros when he met him for the first time. “You were the Hungarian Emmanuel Macron in 1989”, Verhofstadt even joked. But “how far will you go now?” “You have abandoned your principles. You want to go towards an illiberal state”.
Philippe Lamberts, the co-leader of the Greens/EFA Group at the European Parliament, does not recognise Orbán any more either. “I no longer recognise that defence of rights and democracy” that led Viktor Orbán into politics following the fall of the Iron Curtain. Lamberts said it was, on the contrary, vital for Hungary to remain open, to accept diversity, to accept a strong and independent press at a time when the country is closing in and refusing the relocation of refugees, for example.
The leader of the S&D Group, Gianni Pittella, reiterated his calls to the EPP to take action and condemn Orbán. In Pittella’s view, it is a “moral obligation” to condemn this Hungarian situation. (Original version in French by Solenn paulic)