Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán appeared before the European Parliament on Wednesday 9 October to present the priorities of his country’s presidency of the EU Council - competitiveness, the fight against migration and the strengthening of the Schengen area, EU membership for the countries of the Western Balkans, and security and defence (see EUROPE 13499/1) - but MEPs and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, took the opportunity to criticise Mr Orbán’s policies.
“It’s a political intifada! You’re repeating the lies of the Hungarian left, it’s just political propaganda”, stressed the Prime Minister, whose initial speech was brought to a close by the anti-fascist chant “Bella ciao”, sung by MEPs from The Left group.
“You are not welcome here in the house of democracy, not of lies, corruption and the propaganda of an authoritarian regime”, said Terry Reintke (Greens/EFA, German), while Martin Schirdewan (The Left, German) felt that “anti-democrats” should not be entrusted with the presidency of the EU Council. “(Former European Commission President Jean-Claude) Juncker called you a little ‘dictator’ and I think he was right”, he added.
Mr Orbán in particular denounced Ms von der Leyen’s criticisms, pointing out that the Commission had a duty to act as guarantor of the European treaties, to avoid political debates and to work in a neutral manner.
Mr Orbán’s attitude towards Ukraine under attack. The absence of any mention of Ukraine in the Prime Minister’s initial speech did not fail to provoke a reaction.
“The world has witnessed the atrocities of Russia’s war. And yet some people still blame the war not on the invader, but on the invaded people. They are not blaming (Vladimir) Putin’s thirst for power, but Ukraine’s thirst for freedom. So I would like to ask them this question: would they blame the Hungarians for the Soviet invasion of 1956?”, asked Ms von der Leyen.
Representatives of numerous political groups also denounced Mr Orbán’s trips to Russia and China in early July, his policy of granting visas to Russians and the access of Chinese police to Hungarian territory.
Manfred Weber (EPP, German) described the Hungarian Prime Minister’s ‘peace mission’ to Russia as a “propaganda show for autocrats and those who oppose the European way of life” and a mission to “prolong the war”.
“You lead the EU, and at the same time you bow down to Putin. Going to Moscow to praise Russian imperialism is just further proof of your contempt for human values!”, added Iratxe Garcia Perez (S&D, Spanish).
Pointing out that Mr Orbán had “kowtowed” to the Chinese and Russian leaders, was still blocking billions of euros in aid to Ukraine, was facilitating visas for Russians and was letting Chinese police patrol his streets, Valerie Hayer (Renew Europe, French) wondered where the leader’s focus was. “On Brussels? Moscow or Beijing?”.
Similarly, Nicola Procaccini (ECR, Italian), despite endorsing the Hungarian leader’s views on migration and demography, criticised Mr Orbán’s geopolitical alignment. “We also have a much more dangerous external enemy that you seem to ignore, namely the alliance of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea”, he said.
Supported by René Aust (ESN, German) and Kinga Gál (PfE, Hungarian), Mr Orbán reiterated that it was necessary to “change strategy if we do not want Ukraine to lose”. “We must defend peace and the ceasefire, otherwise we will lose on all fronts”, he added. On the subject of Russian visas, he retorted that 7,000 Russians live in Hungary, whereas there are 300,000 in Germany.
While Mr Orbán promoted competitiveness - a new European competitiveness pact is due to be adopted at the informal European summit on 8 November in Budapest - Ms von der Leyen criticised Hungary for distancing itself from the Single market with discriminatory measures. “Hungary is at the heart of Europe and should also be at the heart of our economy. The Hungarian people should benefit fully from all the advantages of our Single market”, she insisted.
Hungary, a corrupt country where rights are flouted, according to MEPs. Many MEPs denounced corruption in Hungary. According to Ms García Pérez, Mr Orbán is critical of the EU, but stands to benefit from billions of euros in European funds, which she claims are being diverted to corrupt oligarchs. “The only thing we don’t reject about Europe is its cheques”, said Ms Hayer, calling for the suspension of Hungary’s voting rights in the EU Council.
The human rights situation was also highlighted by MEPs, who denounced the situation of the judiciary, women, the LGBTI community and the media. Ms Reintke warned that attacks on the rule of law and despotism would not go unpunished.
Mr Orbán’s security policy was criticised, as he has called for greater control of the EU’s external borders, a strengthening of the rules governing the Schengen area for the free movement of people, including the holding of summits of the leaders of the Member States concerned, and the establishment of ‘hotspots’ abroad to manage migratory flows.
Ms von der Leyen condemned the fact that in 2023, the Hungarian authorities had released smugglers and traffickers from prison before the end of their sentences. “This is not about combating irregular migration in Europe or protecting our Union, it’s about offloading a problem onto your neighbour. We all want to protect our external borders better. But we can only achieve this if we fight organised crime together and if we show solidarity”, she stressed.
Mr Orbán dismissed all these accusations and is ready to confront those who attack Hungary’s interests. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)