MEP Freund: Merkel held a protective hand over Orbán

“I’ve seen how Orbán ovar the last 10 years has transformed Hungary into a kleptocratic state” says Daniel Freund, MEP from the Group of the Greens / European Free Alliance, who spoke about corruption, democracy and the rule of law in Hungary, the leader of the CDU and the challenges facing the European Union in the coming years.

According to Central European Affairs, before Freund became an MEP in 2019, he worked for Transparency International, so he was already aware of the “massive” corruption surrounding Viktor Orbán and his government.

In his opinion, “it is a one man show that serves sustain his power and enrich his close friends and family”. 

He claims that most of the EU funds and the money of Hungarian taxpayers are being stolen.

“Probably about a billion euro a year is robbed, therefore it is an enormous issue that we have to solve.”

Fidesz is still a member of the European People’s Party, yet the Green Party politician sees a kind of “shift” in this issue. Within the People’s Party, 14 member parties are currently demanding the removal of Fidesz. The German member parties, the CDU and the CSU, “play a key role” in this. If there was a shift in their position, the game would “change” for them.

“Merkel has been chancellor for over 15 years and held a protective hand over Orbán and Fidesz” the MEP claims.

With the election of Armin Laschet as CDU leader, Freund does not expect any “radical change” from the party’s position against Viktor Orbán. He is seen as a candidate who wants to continue Merkel’s legacy.

However, he believes that the position of the Hungarian and Polish governments in the EU budget debate “may have changed something”. Orbán’s actions have drawn attention to what the situation is like in Hungary.

MEP Freund adds that Orbán “can’t be convinced by words to stop what he is doing. 

He is not going to compromise, he is not going to stop stealing the money. The only language suitable here is the hard question of cash”, he claims.

Read the full article HERE!

Source: www.centraleuropeanaffairs.com