Orban's Ukrainophobia needs immediate treatment

The Hungarian prime minister's Ukrainophobia has already turned into a persistent anti-Ukrainian mania that will soon require urgent treatment. Thus, thanks to Orban, the EU states failed to agree on a joint statement on the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. It was blocked by Hungary.

The phenomenon of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who wants to change the order in Europe and the European Union, will be studied in future textbooks on the history of European countries. After all, during the most critical period in the history of Ukraine and the European continent, he voluntarily sided with the opponents of Western civilization and democracy.

He admires not only the Russian dictator Putin, but also the former President of the United States Donald Trump. The latter has become a role model for the main Hungarian politician. Moreover, Viktor Orban seeks to become a "European Trump" at the expense of Ukraine.

The Hungarian prime minister supports and implements most of the political platforms supported by American right-wing politicians: to promote a "strong" leader with expanded executive powers. Promote "nationalism" and its symbols.

Orban controls the courts so that they do not stand in the way of his conservative policies. He controls higher education by banning certain books and teaching certain subjects. It controls the media to reinforce conservative views and drown out opposing political views. Controls school curricula to reflect a conservative worldview and priorities. Promotes "traditional values" that he and his closest political associates do not adhere to.

“However, behind all his conservative dogmatic beliefs, propaganda, and imposition of appropriate behavior and social standards on Hungarian society, lies the fact that Putin's totalitarian regime has a decisive influence on Orban and Hungarian politics.”

Viktor Orban and Putin are united by the fact that he, like the Russian dictator, does not recognize Ukraine's right to be an independent state, while doing everything in his power to defend the interests of the Russian Federation in the European Union. Moscow's protege in Europe, hiding behind the interests of his country, is constantly putting spokes in the wheels of the Ukrainian state, convincing Hungarians that he is defending their right to pursue an independent policy in the EU.

Constantly taking advantage of the fact that decision-making in the European Union requires the unanimous consent of all its members, he uses this principle to the Kremlin's advantage. And it is incredible that the EU considers this system viable.

The Hungarian prime minister, as soon as the issue of assistance to Ukraine is raised, immediately begins to block any positive decision on this issue. Having the right of veto, he then blackmails the European Union for almost anything he wants, and for some reason Brussels does not take into account the fact that they are dealing with a politician who is in Putin's pocket.

It is obvious that Orban has long since turned Hungary into a blackmailing, anti-democratic, and corrupt state. When Hungary was preparing to join the European Union, it met a number of difficult conditions in terms of democracy, corruption, freedom of speech and human rights. At the time, it met all of these high criteria.

However, through the efforts of Orban's authoritarian regime, Hungary has clearly abandoned most of the criteria it needed to get a seat at the EU membership table.

“Therefore, the EU would have to decide whether it is legal for candidates to meet the necessary requirements only during the preparation for accession. And then, having gained a place in the EU, they could wreak political havoc there while reaping the benefits of membership.”

Hungary has become just such an unfortunate case when it has come close to the line beyond which it is already possible to see its exemption from being a member of the united European community and its transfer to the status of an applicant. It should remain in this status until the Hungarian leadership fulfills all the necessary requirements for joining the EU again. After all, all EU members must realize that membership obliges them to constantly comply with all the necessary requirements.

Another option would be to suspend Hungary's membership in the EU while Orban blocks aid to Ukraine. After all, constantly indulging Budapest's demands and allowing it to remain a member of the EU while disregarding the ideals and rules of membership sets a bad precedent.

Who in Brussels can guarantee that Hungary, which remains a member of the EU, would not provide confidential information to Moscow in the event of a Russian attack on one of the EU or NATO states? Not to mention its participation in NATO military operations in the event of the Russian Federation's invasion of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland or Norway.

In general, Hungary's veto power in the EU, which it constantly abuses, is very similar to Poland's in the days of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. After all, Poland was once the largest country in Central Europe and larger than any other state in Western Europe. It united with Lithuania, and this Union absorbed Ukraine and Belarus. However, there was a big problem: Poland had a unique system of lawmaking.

The Sejm met to agree on some decisions. However, when one, at least one of the nobles present at this meeting, objected to the law that was going to be adopted, it negated the actions of all the other members of this noble assembly. This is very similar to the behavior of Orban's representatives in the EU.

This method was completely unsuitable for governing the country. As a result, Poland was divided twice, in 1772 and 1793, between its neighbors, and in 1795, when the third partition of Poland by Austria, Prussia, and Russia took place, the Polish state disappeared from the map of Europe. It was only after the First World War that Poland was able to revive its statehood.

“One would have to be very short-sighted to make the EU governed by "Polish democracy." Unanimity or nothing, this approach has already ruined the Polish state once. So is it worth repeating someone else's past mistakes?”

Hungary has established a tyranny of the minority in the EU and NATO, and this has been a great way for it to achieve the desired result. It is high time to stop pretending that Hungary is still a democratic state under Orban. It should be disqualified as a member of the EU and its voting rights suspended until Hungary is once again a functioning democracy.

Viktor Orban is a satellite puppet of Putin, who has spread his muzzles all over the world. But when a Kremlin agent is operating in the middle of Europe, and he is not going to hide it, Brussels' ignoring this fact looks very strange. The Hungarian prime minister, who is a fan of the Russian dictator, is on the wrong side of history. And he follows all the instructions of his idol.

“The result of Viktor Orban's subversive activities in Europe is that he consistently and purposefully continues to clear the way for the delivery of Russian tanks and missiles to the doorsteps of EU member states.”

But in Europe, they prefer not to take the Hungarian dictator seriously, and in vain. He will sell anyone to preserve his royal lifestyle, billions of dollars in wealth, and his own security.

By blocking any assistance to Ukraine, Orban hopes for the imminent defeat of the Ukrainian people, the collapse of its statehood, and the receipt of Transcarpathia as a prize from Moscow for its assistance and support of Russian aggression.

A realistic solution to get rid of this short-sighted policy of Hungarian Prime Minister Orban's constant domination of the EU is to abandon the principle of unanimity, which has long discredited the European Union. When Ukraine finds itself in a critical situation, time and effort are being spent on pacifying and appeasing the European Putinist with billions of dollars in handouts, who is only getting more and more impudent with more concessions.

Hungary and its leadership are constantly out of step with the European Union. And as a result of suppressing free and fair elections, homegrown tyrants emerge, who further distort political processes in Europe with their misguided actions.

We can imagine the following situation: the Russian Federation attacks one of the EU countries. Brussels begins to decide what to do next. At the same time, Viktor Orban, quite legitimately, using the imperfections of European laws, vetoes the defense of Europe against Russia. This development cannot be ruled out. And all of Orban's vetoes on aid to Ukraine are nothing more than a veto of the right of the Ukrainian state to defend itself against the Moscow aggressor.

“The example of Hungary illustrates the paradox of tolerance. Both the European Union and NATO viewed the admission of new members as an expansion of the liberal world. As a result, this led to tolerance of intolerant nations. Now, illiberal members can legitimately blackmail these respected organizations.”

Decision-making by consensus is a false form of democracy because it requires absolute unanimity, which is almost impossible in any governing body.

In a liberal, democratic order, everyone has the right to express their opinion. However, any organization ceases to be viable when one EU country can veto anything that all the others vote for. This is neither democratic nor reasonable. This is exactly what Putin is hoping for, hoping to defeat Ukraine.

The Hungarian precedent should push the EU states to change the rules of decision-making during voting. That any decision will be considered adopted when at least 75 percent of the representatives of the EU countries have voted for it.

The possibility of blocking decisions on which the future of Europe depends must be knocked out from under the feet of Putin's satellite, Hungary. And this must be done as soon as possible.

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About the author. Viktor Kaspruk, journalist.

The editors don't always share the opinions expressed by the authors of the blogs.