By Viktor Orbán’s resounding victory in Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Hungary shows that even in the 21st century, you can win an election by blaming all your country’s problems on a Jew. Martina Brinkmann has no time for the Hungarian government having their cake and eating it when it comes to EU membership.
In this weeks Hungarian state elections, Vikotr Orbán’s right-wing Fidesz party secured nearly 49 percent of the vote – an increase of approximately 4 percent from 2014. Fidesz has also secured yet another parliamentary super majority, which could enable Orbán and company to amend the country’s constitution and further consolidate a regime that one commentator, Princeton University politics Prof. Jan-Werner Müller, has called an “electoral autocracy.”
Orbán’s campaign against a Hungarian-American investor, business magnate, philanthropist, political activist and author, George Soros is omnipresent in Hungary. Hungarian media have even reported that schoolchildren believe he’s “the devil” and use his name as an epithet on the playground. The morning after the 2014 election, Soros’ face was still plastered on Fidesz party posters and stickers all over central Budapest.
Furthermore, the day after this weeks election, a Fidesz spokesperson has informed the Hungarian state news agency MTI that the new parliament could pass a “Stop Soros” law as early as next month – legislation that would empower Orbán’s government to ban organisations that support migration and pose a “national security risk.”
Worringly, several prominent European politicians congratulated without mentioning the Antisemitism which comes on top of Fidesz’ crack down on NGO’s and independent media, making it impossible for opposition parties to lead a fair election campaign. We are not surprised about Boris Johnson but German politicians’, Horst Seehofer and Manfred Weber should really know better regarding Germany and its past.
What can the EU do against this kind of autocracies which are damaging the European project?
Hungary is one of the biggest net receivers in the EU. All other members countries are financing this Regime. We should stop that. No money without respecting European values, respecting other religions, the freedom of press as well as taking in your fair share of war refugees.
Solidarity is not a one way ticket.
It would perhaps be better if the EU kicked Hungary out of the EU as an example to other far right wing regimes in other countries? It seems to me (as an English national living in the EU) that a similar situation exists in the UK, with all the mainstream media being very supportive of the right wing regime, and very dismissive of the Labour party and of the EU. The ideals of democracy and a free unbiased press are being corrupted by a tiny minority with devastating outcomes, seemingly across the western world.
I guess if we are to remove Hungary, then by default the UK should be kicked out too before they have a deal?