How Orban and Putin will build a new Soviet Union

The most influential Hungarian outlet, Magyar Nemzet, which is considered an informal mouthpiece of Viktor Orbán's government, published an article by Otto Gajdics entitled "Európa elrablása" ("The Abduction of Europe"). Written by a Hungarian propagandist who clearly learns from his Russian colleagues, it reflects all aspects of the anti-Ukrainian sentiments of the current Orban political establishment and raises many questions.

Otto Gajdics writes that, "Fifty billion euros. According to the outlet, this is how much Brussels would allocate to support the Ukrainian counterattack. This is almost half of our country's total annual budget. Hungary is a EU member, but Ukraine is not. It is worth saying this here before it turns out to be the other way around. As Mr. Verhofstadt has already said about us in his fever dream, that is, when he was dreaming that Hungarians should be immediately expelled and Ukrainians should be accepted into the community. But fortunately, this version exists only in his little brain."

Here, Gajdics is clearly distorting the facts when he claims that this amount could be allocated by the EU to "support the Ukrainian counterattack." In reality, the potential allocation of funds by the EU is intended to support the liberation of internationally recognized Ukrainian territories from Moscow's invaders and the reconstruction of Ukraine. And Orban's expert cannot be unaware of this. It is clear that it is important for official Budapest, which has consistently demonstrated its alignment with Moscow, despite being a member of NATO and the EU, that Ukraine finds itself face to face with the Russian Federation alone.

At the same time, this expert does not care at all that during Orban's long rule, Putin has actually kidnapped Hungary from Europe. The question then arises: what lies ahead? Hungary cannot indefinitely straddle both sides. Sooner or later, a definitive choice will need to be made between aligning with Brussels or Moscow. Although this significant issue has been informally discussed within the EU, it may soon be formally addressed, and Hungary is unlikely to benefit from the outcome.

But Gajdics complains that "Unlike the previous financial packages intended for Ukraine, the current one will be financed by the European Commission through contributions from member states, meaning that they will not borrow from the markets, but will oblige everyone to make additional payments. To do this, it is necessary to amend the seven-year budget, creating a good opportunity for campaigning before the parliamentary elections."

“The subsidized state, which has historically benefited from billions of dollars in financial support from the EU, is now waiting for new revenues from the EU, which may not come. That is why the Orban regime is launching its propagandists, who can justify anything to Orban's potential electorate without batting an eye.”

The propagandist raises concerns about the possibility of the EU requiring Budapest to make “additional financial contributions” to Ukraine. Such a demand could be interpreted by Putin as an unfriendly move by Orban, and no one knows how Moscow would respond. Perhaps even by releasing certain secret documents that have kept the Hungarian prime minister on the hook of his Moscow "friends" for so long.  

Otto Gajdics further notes, "For those taxpayers who, after long delays, bureaucratic multiplication by division, fulfillment of milestones, super milestones, humiliating processes of vertical and horizontal procedures, have not received a single penny of the resources they are entitled to. Those Hungarians who are forced to put up with such cynicism may also pay the price. There seems to be nothing wrong with them when they look at the specifics of the rule of law, democracy and corruption separately, but in the eyes of globalist, anti-Hungarian leftist elites, the overall picture is still depressing and thought-provoking. The question inevitably arises: Were they not just wasting our money on their games in Ukraine?"

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“The Orbanist cynically defines Russia's bloody war in Ukraine as some abstract "games in Ukraine." But wait, his phrase about the "globalist, anti-Hungarian left" is painfully reminiscent of something. This is nothing more than a copy of the propaganda clichés that are massively spread on Russian television and media. Namely, about "zoological Russophobia," which is used to explain literally everything that the dictator Putin, who is entrenched in the Kremlin, does not like.”

It won't be long before a new political cliché will appear in the Hungarian press - "zoological Hungerophobia" - when it comes to something that their eternal prime minister, Viktor Orban, really doesn't like. For example, "By supporting Ukraine, America and Europe are showing 'zoological Hungerophobia’ because the money given to Ukrainians could be used much better by giving it to Hungary." And so on in the same vein. If they are to adopt Moscow's propaganda experience, no time should be wasted on trifles, they should imitate literally everything.

The author's next statements could easily be mistaken for an article in a Russian state-owned media outlet, if one didn't know it originated in Hungary. He emphasizes, "We understand that the new leftists, neo-Marxists, progressives, that is, the spiritual heirs of the Bolsheviks, want to play the role of an extremely solidarity and infinitely humane good man for Ukraine and finance this by throwing another significant burden on the neck of European citizens. In fact, they have no hesitation in admitting that they want to make the member states of the union pay for America's proxy war against the Russians on Ukrainian soil. Who knows how they feed their pride, thinking that as long as they deprive us of the resources that belong to us, we will voluntarily and singingly sweep the attic so that they have something to continue the war until the last Ukrainian soldier falls."

“Do these definitions of the Hungarian expert remind you of anything? We could read all this in the Russian press or hear it on Moscow television. Both the "America's proxy war against the Russians on Ukrainian soil" and "the war to the last Ukrainian soldier." Is it possible that Otto Gajdics receives Russian "guidelines" directly from the Kremlin, bypassing Orban's ideological institutions?”

If this is indeed the case, it is reasonable to assume that Russian agents in Hungary may be disregarding the current government. This poses a direct threat to Viktor Orban's administration, as Moscow could be establishing parallel structures in Hungary, operating independently from official channels. And Budapest should pay attention to this.  

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Otto Gajdics believes that, "According to our understanding, anyone who serves foreign interests for foreign money is a traitor. Anyone who does not receive money and pays for the destruction of their own is a degenerate fool and a dark villain at the same time. But this is what the masters of Europe are doing now, they are betraying all the inhabitants of the old continent, they are putting the peoples living here into debt, making them weak in order to serve the anti-Russian interests of a private money empire, and they do not realize that they are rushing to their own destruction.

They are blinded by the promise of huge profits from the upcoming reconstruction, but they need to know that there will be much stronger dogs on the other end than a weakened Europe.

So let us emphasize that those who want to give 50 billion euros to continue the bloody murder are capable of much greater heinousness. For example, to take it out of other people's pockets."

“The author does not hide his desire to end the Russian-Ukrainian war on Putin's terms, and this requires, no more, no less, that the West stops helping Ukraine. He is so concerned with abolishing "anti-Russian interests" in European politics that he no longer hides his pro-Moscow Hungarian goals. And speaking of "the continuation of the bloody murder," he does not mean the end of the war in Ukraine, but the Ukrainian capitulation and the loss of our territorial integrity and independence.”

It is evident that Otto Gajdics wrote his article with an intended domestic audience in Hungary. However, when read in other countries, it highlights the emerging pro-Putin policy being developed by the Hungarian elites. Let us recall once again the key political messages of this Orbán scribbler. These are: "globalist, anti-Hungarian leftists", "continue the war to the last Ukrainian soldier", "serve anti-Russian interests", "continue the bloody murder.”

The coincidences with Moscow's propaganda are striking. What interests does Mr. Gajdics serve when he repeats these Moscow clichés so methodically and consistently?

From the observations made, one can draw the conclusion that Magyar Nemzet, which was once considered a reputable Hungarian newspaper, is undergoing a transformation that is reminiscent of Pravda, the newspaper during the era of communist general secretary Brezhnev. Is Prime Minister Viktor Orban preparing Hungary to join Putin's model of the Soviet Union? Only this lens explains the transformation of the country he governs into a Russian puppet.

If not, then what is Orban really trying to achieve? If his current trajectory continues, Hungary risks jeopardizing its membership in the EU and NATO. The question arises as to what alternative structures Orban envisions for the country. Or does he want to align Hungary into the Eurasian Economic Union, led by the Russian Federation?

Whatever the case, the phenomenon of Viktor Orban will be analyzed in European political science textbooks in the future. He was the only one who managed to turn an economically stable European state into a country that is no longer able to function normally without constant financial injections from the EU and power handouts from Russia. This is evident in the appeals of his media allies to withhold aid from Ukraine and prioritize Hungary's needs instead. However, it remains doubtful whether such efforts will yield the desired results, despite the Kremlin's persistent attempts.

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About the author. Viktor Kaspruk, journalist.

The editorial staff do not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.