Washington Post: Orbán increasingly represents everything the EU opposes

According to the Washington Post, Viktor Orbán’s policies are weakening the European Union from within. In a critical report on the first few months of Hungary’s presidency of the EU, the paper addresses issues ranging from “troll diplomacy” to Orbán’s visit to Moscow.

“As soon as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán assumed Hungary’s presidency of the European Union in July, one thing was clear: he increasingly stands for everything the EU opposes,” writes The Washington Post in a recent article on the Hungarian EU presidency. The paper examined Orbán’s first two months of the rotating presidency, raising concerns over whether the Hungarian Prime Minister is aligned with or against the European Union’s goals.

EU presidency turning to “troll diplomacy”

“The problem is that Orbán increasingly stands for everything the EU opposes,” The Washington Post writes, citing as an example last year’s national consultation on issues such as migration, LGBTQ+ rights, and support for Ukraine,  At the time, AP News wrote of the national consultation that it struck “a combative tone toward the EU,” accusing it of “trying to force policies on Hungary.”

Péter Krekó of the Center for European Policy Analysis told the WP that the first two months of the Hungarian EU presidency have descended into “troll diplomacy,” with Orbán wanting to “provoke more anger from the leaders of the European Union.” The paper recalls the Prime Minister’s controversial visit to Moscow as part of his “peace mission,” which also included meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing and with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

All of this, The Washington Post highlights, occurred despite the fact that China is increasingly regarded as the European Union’s “systemic rival,” and that the EU has “embraced US President Joe Biden after four especially acrimonious years with Donald Trump.”

Washington Post: EU leaders displeased with Orbán

In a scathing description of the status quo, the Washington Post writes that

“In the halls of the EU institutions from the parliament to the executive European Commission, every day officials are on the lookout for what Orbán might do next to discredit the bloc until the end of the year.”

One indication of the growing dissatisfaction felt by EU politicians towards the actions of the Hungarian Prime Minister is that the meeting of foreign ministers on Thursday was organised in Brussels rather than Budapest. Furthermore, as the Washington Post points out, some states have already refused to attend other meetings in Hungary, sending lower-ranking bureaucrats instead of ministers.

However, as the decision-making process of the European Union often requires unanimity, “taking tough action is extremely difficult,” giving Hungary significant bargaining power when it comes to contentious issues.

Hungary: middleman between the EU and other states

Despite the often harsh criticism levelled against the European Union by the Orbán government, Hungary has no plans to leave the bloc, the Washington Post adds, quoting Orbán’s statement at a summer camp:  “In Brussels, we are not passive, but we have set up shop there: we are not moving out, but moving in.”

Hungary’s position as an EU member also makes it important to nations like Russia and China. According to the Washington Post, for these states, Hungary provides  “a foot in the door of the massive bloc they would not have if Orbán chose to leave the community he loathes.” Péter Krekó adds “I would absolutely agree that what Orbán does is usually serving the interests of Russia and China, but it serves his own interests as well — Orbán wants to weaken the European Union from within.”

Read also:

• EU foreign ministers to discuss ‘dangerous proposals’, says Orbán cabinet – HERE
• ‘War psychosis’ still rampant in Brussels, says FM Szijjártó – Read HERE

Source: The Washington Post, AP News