PM Orbán meets farmers protesting in Brussels
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met farmers protesting in downtown Brussels on Wednesday, and said European leadership must heed the voice of the people more, the prime minister’s press chief said.
Earlier in the evening, Orbán had talks with Mateusz Morawiecki, the former Polish prime minister, Bertalan Havasi said.
Orbán told Belgian journalists that a “new elite” was needed in Europe, because “the voice of the people in the street is not being taken seriously, be it on migration or the war in Ukraine … that is a democratic deficit.”
The European Union “does not respect adequately” that agriculture is an important component of the European economy, Orbán said. Many countries introduced regulations that made their situation more difficult, he said, adding that much laxer regulations on Ukrainian agriculture had created an “unfair competition”.
“We Hungarians, Poles and Slovaks are the first to feel that burden, as we live in Ukraine’s neighbourhood. But the danger and loss will sooner or later reach the inside of the continent, and will be felt here, in Brussels, as well as in France and Spain,” he said.
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That trend must be stopped, Orbán said. “The European Commission must represent the interests of European farmers against Ukrainians, not the other way around,” he said.
He called for stopping the import of Ukrainian produce, adding that discrepancies in the circumstances and conditions of agriculture harmed European farmers.
Orbán called for a “complete leadership overhaul in Brussels”.
“These leaders will never make decisions in favour of the farmers.”
“We need new leaders truly representing the interests of the people,” he said, referring to the European parliamentary elections in June.
Source: MTI
I know! Let’s appoint ideally Mr. Orbán or failing this, some promising, malleable Politician EU President, introduce Rule by Decree which has proven so effective (and addictive) in Hungary, abolish all laws inhibiting Free Enterprise and live happily ever after?
Led by blind ambition …
Dear, Dear Norbert, the protesting farmers only freeze outside, leave their homes and families because they are highly satisfied with the EU’s agricultural policy; the people of the EU are happy to pay high prices for food or starve.
Norbert, you will say anything to disparage PM Orban. Interesting, Hungarian farmers are not protesting, only German, French, Italian and Spanish farmers hit the road.
It must mean that the FIDESZ government is doing something right.
@mariavontheresa – agree with you the farmers do have genuine concerns and challenges, however I do not believe our Politicians have the answer.
https://www.politico.eu/article/farmer-protest-europe-map-france-siege-paris-germany-poland/
Challenge, again – read the whole thing, pull up the stats and find Hungary.
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20231220-2 – to your point, our farmers SHOULD probably be out on the streets.
Curious fact, Mr. Orbán’s daughter recently registered as a farmer and went on a bit of buying spree. Money in vineyards, apparently.
https://telex.hu/english/2023/12/08/orbans-daughter-purchased-property-in-tokaj-that-state-had-pre-emptive-rights-to-but-which-were-canceled-in-may