Opposition parties criticise Orbán over Baile Tusnad speech

Budapest, July 23 (MTI) – Socialist party president Gyula Molnár said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s speech in Baile Tusnad on Saturday was further evidence that the migrant quota referendum scheduled for October was really about preparing the ground for Hungary to withdraw from the European Union.

Speaking today at the 27th Baile Tusnad (Tusnádfürdő) summer university, in central Romania, Orbán said that the suppression of national sovereignty in favour of European powers is one of the biggest dangers in today’s Europe.

At a press conference on Saturday, Molnár accused the prime minister of “excessive nationalism”. He said it should be made clear that there is no future for Hungary outside of the EU even if there is room for improvement in the way it operates. The Socialist party calls on people to boycott the Oct. 2 vote and so send the message that they wish to remain in Europe, Molnár said.

Molnar accused Orbán of having lost touch with reality: he failed to address the problems in Hungarian health care, education and the economy in his address, while also ignoring the fact that two-thirds of Hungarian youth envisage their future abroad, in countries whose leaders Viktor Orbán dismisses.

Molnár also criticised Orbán for allying himself with Donald Trump, the US Republican Party’s presidential candidate. This foreign policy could also harm ethnic Hungarians in Transylvania, he said, adding that the Hungarian government’s policy of rejecting the Romanian Social Democrat government had cooled down relations between the two countries.

The leftist Democratic Coalition (DK) said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in his Baile Tusnad address, had “declared war” on the European community as well as Hungarians hoping for freedom, democracy and prosperity. In a statement, party spokesman Zsolt Gréczy said the prime minister was unwilling to talk about anything but fear, immigrants, the alleged crisis in the EU, while ignoring that “hundreds of thousands of Hungarian young people are fleeing his dictatorship” and heading for western Europe, which Orbán claims has lost its significance.

He accused Orbán of planning to withdraw Hungary from the EU, moving his country “suffering from deep political, economic, social and cultural crises even further towards the precipice”.

The Egyutt party accused the prime minister of hypocrisy. “While betraying the rule of law and European values, Viktor Orbán is sanctimoniously concerned for Europe, while as a troll of Russian president Putin is the one trying to weaken the global role of the European Union,” the party said in a statement.

The green LMP party said Viktor Orbán, in his Baile Tusnad address, had criticised the EU while failing to propose any solutions. Bernadett Szel, the party’s co-leader, told MTI that the prime minister is wrong to claim that Hungary is a safe harbour in an uncertain world; hundreds of thousands are having to leave for abroad, the health care system has collapsed, education is in ruins and wages are low.

The Dialogue for Hungary (PM) party said the Baile Tusnad address was just a “poor campaign speech” before the migrant quota referendum. Party spokesman Bence Tordai said in a statement that the government should abandon its “dishonest propaganda” which continuously attacks the EU. In spite of the imperfections of the EU’s institutions and operations, it is the shared interest of Hungary and the EU for there to be “more Europe, rather than less”.

The radical nationalist Jobbik party said Viktor Orbán should take his share of the responsivity for the current state of Europe. The ruling Fidesz party and the Socialists are both part of the same political elite that the prime minister claims has failed, party leader Gábor Vona said, adding that the failure of the elites and the strengthening of anti-elite political parties in Europe would soon reach Hungary.

Source: MTI