A recent op-ed in The Washington Post expressed harsh criticism of US conservatives who ally themselves with Viktor Orbán. The issue: the latter’s close ties with China.
Marc A. Thiessen, a conservative columnist for The Washington Post, starts his latest opinion piece on US-Hungarian political relations with a punchy title that sets the tone for the rest of his argument. “Hungary’s leader should be radioactive to the right,” he declares, following up with “Why does CPAC love him?”
Thiessen goes on to ask the rhetorical:
“What do the nationalist right and the Chinese Communist Party have in common? They both love Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.”
Conservatives from both sides of the ocean gathered at CPAC Hungary
Indeed, as we reported, Hungary hosted the international Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) for the third time between 25 and 26 April. Speakers over the two days included Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary, Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of Georgia, Simone Billi, MP of the Italian LEGA, and Paul Gosar, Member of Congress from Arizona.
US Senatorial candidate from Arizona Kari Lake declared that Orbán “delivered historic peace and prosperity” to Hungary, while former Republican senator Rick Santorum praised Orbán’s efforts to protect children in their faith. Multiple other US conservatives spoke about issues of illegal migrants, “gender ideology,” wokeism, left-wing politics, globalism, economics, and their vision for the upcoming presidential election in the United States.
An attendee at CPAC Hungary 2024.
Photo: Andor Elekes / Wikimedia Commons
On the second day of the conference, a video message from Donald Trump was shown in which he lauded the “epic struggle” of Hungarian and US conservatives to liberate the nation from “sinister forces” that want to tarnish their way of life and sovereignty. Trump said that he considers Orbán a great man, who he looks forward to working with once more when he wins the presidency again.
CPAC Hungary’s website summarises the event that attracted 3,000 participants, nearly 500 of whom came from foreign countries this way: “A coalition of pro-peace, anti-globalist forces was formed at the third conservative jamboree, and now the international right from Europe to America is joining forces for the elections.”
Washington Post publicist takes issue with US conservatives partnering with Orbán
Thiessen did not look at the CPAC jamboree favourably, raising multiple issues that he has with the Orbán government. First, he recalls Orbán’s now infamous speech in Tusnádfürdő, declaring that Hungarians do not want to become “peoples of mixed race.” Then, he mentions the recent scandal following the presidential pardoning of a paedophile helper. Finally, he calls attention to Orbán’s open support of Vladimir Putin’s regime.
“If that is not enough to make Orban radioactive to the American right (and shame on those for whom it is not),” he goes on “how about Orban’s embrace of Chinese dictator Xi Jinping?”
According to Thiessen, US conservatives should all be united in the recognition that China poses an existential threat to America and the free world as a whole. If this recognition exists, US conservatives should have no business with Orbán, who has turned Hungary into the closest European ally of China.
Thiessen lists a wide array of events, all of which we have written about extensively, as signs of the growing Chinese influence in Hungarian politics. Some of these examples include
- allowing Chinese police to patrol in Hungary;
- Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to the country;
- the encouragement of huge investments through the Belt and Road Initiative, to the point where China is now Hungary’s biggest trade partner outside of Europe;
- cooperation agreements with the Bank of China
- extensive project in cooperation with Huawei – a company whose access to US components and technology Donald Trump essentially cut off in 2020;
- inviting the Fudan University to Hungary and financing its development largely through Chinese loans.
All of this is part of the Eastern Opening (Keleti Nyitás) plan of the Hungarian government, which aims to reduce the country’s dependence on the West.
Thiessen’s assessment of those US conservatives who, despite all, still favour Viktor Orbán is scathing. Here, we quote his conclusion:
“If Orban wants to embrace a brutal Communist dictator, that is his choice. But why would U.S. conservatives then embrace him? […] So-called national conservatives look past Orban’s love for anti-U.S. tyrants because they see him as a champion of antiglobalist, anti-open-borders, pro-family policies. Well, so are Polish President Andrzej Duda and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. They both manage to fight for strong family policies and defend the importance of the nation-state without simultaneously standing by genocidal dictators.”
“Orban’s blood-and-soil nationalism is inimical to U.S. conservatism, because what we are trying to conserve is not race or ethnicity but an idea: the idea of human freedom and the principles contained in our Declaration of Independence. Orban has embraced the enemies of those principles. By embracing Orban, the Heritage Foundation and CPAC are supporting the spread of Communist China’s malevolent influence in the West and undermining the national security interests of the United States. Sorry, but there is nothing conservative about that.”
Read also:
- Hungarian government hopes for a conservative turn in Europe and the US
- Trump: Hungarians fight to save Western civilisation
Source: The Washington Post
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7 Comments
Both the Russians and the Chinese do favours for Hungary and Serbia. Like the Godfather they say “Someday, and that day may never come I will ask you to do a service for me.” That day does come and it already comes. They both use Hungary to use its’ veto power in the EU to stop any policies that run against the interests of Russia and China. Conservatives in the US understand the threat that China poses to the free world. It is the COMMUNIST PARTY of China that Fidesz is making alliance with. Never forget who they are.
The Washington Post is the mouthpiece of the communist Democrats who are in bed with China, like Joe Biden.
When the US has a capable president, China, Russia are no threats.
Ah, the good old Washington Compost, where journalism died decades ago. China Joe is the gold standard of how to be China’s whipping boy, fully supported by said Compost.
But anyway, Hungary is too small and weak to be on its own. So, who DO we ally with? The dying, sclerotic America and EUrotrash that want to destroy our families, history, heritage, standard of living, sovereignty, and nation? Or China, which doesn’t.
It hurts to say, but, given those options, give me China any day of the week.
The Subtle but FACTUAL message contained in this article, arising out of the United States of America, that sooner than later, the Orban – Fidesz Government of Hungary, through it’s growing Relationships and Partnerships with Russia and China, will by America, the European Union, Great Britain & Ireland, the Global Country’s of the World, that are Governed under DEMOCRACY, the Orban led Fidesz Government, will SUFFER the rightful HUMONGOUS impact – the WRATH, that will be inflicted on Hungary.
Why is Washington keep sending Blinken and other Americans to visit Xi. There statement reflects that only the US has the right to coexist with China and no other country.
Months ago , California cleaned the human shit from the streets of SF for visit from China CCP leader. California Albert is the 5th largest economy i and tech center of the world. The US has sent most of its factory jobs to China. China is the mega power it is today because of the US. The money the US owes to China is staggering.
What I do know -there would be no war in Ukraine with Trump in power along with Orban. Everything about this article is a joke. I hate google, but I use it everyday- doesn’t mean I’m friends with them, I have been to there HQ several times along with FB the europe sucks on. No mention of how Covid was censored by both of them.