Ursula von der Leyen has slammed Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban’s political and economic policies.
In her sharpest public rebuke yet to Hungary’s leader, the European Commission President accused Orban of historic failure to support Ukraine, economic mismanagement and making his country a “back door for foreign interference.”
Standing a few metres away from Orban in the European parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen pointedly criticized Orban’s stance on Ukraine by contrasting his record with that of Hungarian freedom fighters of 1956, who rose against Soviet oppression but were ultimately defeated by the Red Army.
“There are still some who blame this war not on the invader but on the invaded. Not on Putin’s lust for power but on Ukraine’s thirst for freedom.
“I want to ask them; would they ever blame the Hungarians for the Soviet invasion of 1956? Or the Czechs and Slovaks for the Soviet repression of 1968? Or the Lithuanians for the Soviet crackdown of 1991?”
Ursula von der Leyen
She added that there is no European language where peace is synonymous with surrender and sovereignty is synonymous with occupation.
Von der Leyen’s comments came after Orban set out the priorities for Hungary’s six-month EU presidency, in an address at the European Parliament.
At the start of Hungary’s six months at the helm of the presidency of the Council of the EU, Orban went on self-declared “peace missions” to Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing and Washington, and claimed, without authorization, to be representing the EU.
After Orban lamented Europe’s declining share of global trade, von der Leyen took him to task for Hungary’s economic policies such as taxes that target foreign companies, export restrictions, “arbitrary inspections” and public contracts awarded to a small group of beneficiaries.
While Orban attempted to cast himself as a strong defender of European borders, she said that Hungarian authorities had released convicted people smugglers and traffickers early from prison.
“This is not fighting illegal migration in Europe, this is not protecting our union, this is just throwing problems over your neighbour’s fence.”
Ursula von der Leyen
She also used the opportunity to further criticize Hungary’s recent decision to allow Chinese police to patrol within the country, as well as this summer’s easing of visa requirements for Russian nationals, which she called a “security risk” for all EU countries. “This is not defending Europe’s sovereignty, this is a backdoor for foreign interference,” von der Leyen said.
Moreover, she criticized Orban for failing to follow through on an EU pledge made in 2022 to end dependency on Russian fossil fuels. “Instead of looking for alternative sources [of energy], in particular, one member state just looked for alternative ways to buy fossil fuels from Russia,” she averred.
Von der Leyen softened her blows by ending her speech with an appeal to the Hungarian people.
“We are one family. Your story is our story. Your future is our future. Ten million Hungarians are 10 million good reasons to keep shaping our future together.”
Ursula von der Leyen
The European Commission President, who has faced criticism for not being tough enough on Hungary, drew praise for her forceful speech from mainstream pro-EU Members of the European Parliament.
Orban Surprised By Von der Leyen’s Remarks
Hungarian leader, Viktor Orban said that he was surprised by what he had heard from von der Leyen.
“I deliberately did not raise our differences, because as the Council presidency we are working on Europe’s behalf. It’s not right to talk about these differences of opinion when here we are talking about the presidency.”
Viktor Orban
Orban added that the Commission has become “a political weapon” instead of being neutral and focusing on protecting the EU treaties.
He rejected any comparison between the events of 1956 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while reiterating that the EU, he believed, had a “losing strategy” over the war. “We are never going to accept that European unity means that you tell us what to do and that we should keep quiet,” he said.
READ ALSO: PNC Accuses NDC of Betrayal Following Mornah’s Disqualification
