High-ranking EU officials took turns criticizing Hungary’s Viktor Orban this morning over democratic erosion and his pro-Russia stance concerning Ukraine, as the nationalist leader delivered a keynote address to the bloc’s parliament.
As President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally within the European Union, Mr. Orban’s government is in conflict with its partners on various issues, including delaying aid for Ukraine and what the bloc perceives as a deterioration of the rule of law domestically.
In Strasbourg to outline the “priorities” of Hungary’s unconventional EU presidency, Mr. Orban stated that “the European Union needs to change, and I aim to persuade you of this today.”
The hard-right prime minister described this as the “most serious period” in EU history, citing the Ukraine war at its borders, increasing conflict in the Middle East, and a “migration crisis” that he claimed could lead to the collapse of the Schengen open border system.
Viktor Orban arrives for the presentation of the programme for Hungary’s Council Presidency
This prompted MEPs to take the floor, one by one criticizing the Hungarian leader, with Green co-leader Terry Reintke delivering a message that encapsulated the sentiment: “You are not welcome here, this is the home of European democracy.”
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking immediately after Mr. Orban, strongly challenged him, targeting Budapest’s delays in EU support for Kyiv and its refusal to participate in Western efforts to provide arms to Ukraine against Moscow.
“There is only one path to achieve a just peace for Ukraine and for Europe; we must continue to bolster Ukraine’s resistance with political, financial, and military support,” Ms. von der Leyen asserted.
‘Propaganda show’
When Hungary took over the EU’s rotating six-month presidency in July, Mr. Orban deviated from the agenda: initiating an uncoordinated Ukraine “peace mission” to Kyiv, Moscow, and Beijing, which stirred discontent in Brussels.
In a strong speech, Ms. von der Leyen criticized Mr. Orban’s eagerness to push for an early peace agreement with Mr. Putin regarding the Ukraine invasion—condemning those “who place the blame for this war on the invaded rather than the invader, not on Putin’s desire for power, but on Ukraine’s pursuit of freedom.”
Following her, Manfred Weber, leader of the conservative European People’s Party, expressed his shock that Mr. Orban dedicated not a “single sentence” to Ukraine’s situation, denouncing his rogue diplomacy conducted under the EU’s banner.
“Your trip was never a peace mission. It was a grand propaganda spectacle for the autocrats,” he declared.
Viktor Orban listens to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
In reaction to Mr. Orban’s uncoordinated journeys, Ms. von der Leyen instructed senior officials to skip a series of meetings organized by the Hungarian presidency—a de facto boycott—and the Hungarian leader’s address to the EU parliament was delayed twice.
The commission president also criticized Mr. Orban’s position on migration, accusing his government of “shifting problems over your neighbor’s fence” through the early release of convicted human traffickers.
Additionally, she targeted a Hungarian visa scheme for Russian nationals, labeling it “a backdoor for foreign interference.”
Mainstream EU politicians promised to hold Mr. Orban accountable, with Hungarian opposition leader-turned-MEP Peter Magyar among those set to challenge him, alongside photo-op protests staged outside the hemicycle by various political groups.
“No cash for corrupt,” read one banner displayed by left-wing MEPs, referencing the billions of euros in EU funds for Hungary currently frozen due to rule-of-law concerns.
Since resuming leadership in 2010, Mr. Orban has worked to restrict civil rights and consolidate his power, regularly clashing with Brussels over issues related to the rule of law.
However, Mr. Orban has pointed to hard-right electoral victories from Italy to the Netherlands and Austria, as well as the increasing influence of a new Hungarian-led group in the EU parliament, the Patriots for Europe, as signs that the political climate in Europe is gradually shifting in his favor.
