FM Szijjártó’s secret Prague visit: Czech Deputy PM called him Moscow’s Trojan horse
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The Czech ANO party would never attack Hungary for protecting its sovereignty “as the incumbent Czech government is doing”, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in Prague on Thursday. Patriotic forces “agree on the importance of protecting sovereignty”, he said after talks with ANO leaders, including former Czech PM Andrej Babis.
Orbán’s ally prepares in Prague
Szijjártó said they were in agreement that elections in central Europe were often subject to interference “directed against patriotic, conservative parties and governments” by other countries.
“The international liberal mainstream, the Soros empire, has interfered with political processes in several central European countries, including the Czech Republic and Hungary,” he said in a ministry statement, noting the Czech government’s support for European Commission infringement procedure against Hungary over the latter’s sovereignty protection law.
Babis “has assured me that an ANO government would find it inconceivable to side with” an attack on Hungary’s sovereignty by the commission, Szijjártó said. He said “friends and allies” in Czechia were “getting stronger” and ANO and Babis enjoyed “growing support”. “Everyone’s looking forward to the September parliamentary elections with great anticipation,” he said.
The rhetoric out of Szijjarto is straight out of George Orwell or Russian media broadcasts. Fidesz is “patriotic” and everyone else is not patriotic. There are nebulus sinister forces at work undermining Hungary (“Soros Network”). Fidesz works for “sovereignty” and no one else is interested in “sovereignty”. How can politicians actually be “Pro Migration”? It’s a ridiculous accusation made for simple minds in Hungary. No one is in the business of bringing unwanted migrants into Europe. How we deal with migrants once they get to Europe is the question and that is what Fidesz is fighting over. I do like the Czech deputy PM’s statement that Szijjarto is Moscow’s Trojan Horse. It’s absolutely true. Russia’s fingerprints are all over the messaging that Fidesz uses. You see the same messaging used by the Russian allied governing party in Georgia.
I believe “Soros!” is the least of our worries. When it comes to PROVEN election interference – well. It appears “You-Know-Who” is more of a problem – Germany stands out, at the moment, and it is plain to see which party Russia favours:
https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-ai-influencers-targeting-german-elections/video-71514325
https://dgap.org/en/research/publications/ai-election-year
When it comes to Romania – measures were necessary:
https://www.newsweek.com/romania-election-drama-tests-trumps-affinity-authoritarians-opinion-2023592 and https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4x2epppego
… As the new Trump administration is actually and paradoxically moving in the other direction:
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-justice-department-disbands-teams-investigating-corruption-election-interference/7967503.html