Ahead of a plenary debate on the programme of the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council, the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament slammed Prime Minister Orbán for running a permanent campaign against the European Union as a smokescreen to distract from his failures in serving the Hungarian people. Under his illiberal rule, the Hungarian economy is crumbling, corruption is rampant and the purchasing power of households is among the lowest in the EU. Workers are systematically exploited under the so-called ‘Slave Law’, while democracy and rule of law are systematically dismantled by Prime Minister Orbán.
The Socialists and Democrats also call on the EU Commission and member states not to give in to Orbán’s blackmailing. The European Council must not allow a government with such close ties to Vladimir Putin to dictate EU foreign policy, block the decision-making system and undermine the EU’s image on the world stage.
Iratxe García Pérez, S&D Group leader, said:
“Mr Orbán, your main contribution to the European Union since you came to power in 2010 has been the formation of a new far-right group – the false patriots. And you have used your false patriotism to demolish democracy, thrive in corruption and violate the rights of those who do not think like you.
“Your false patriotism has come at a high cost for the progress of the Hungarian people: the end of judicial independence and press freedom, persecution under your ‘sovereignty law’, a working class exploited under the ‘slavery law’, purchasing power among the lowest in the European Union, one of the highest inflation rates in the Union, a non-existent social protection system and a tax policy that benefits multinationals while citizens pay the highest VAT in the entire European Union.
“The EPP, under Weber’s leadership, should never have opened the door to Orbán’s authoritarian drift. I call all pro-european and democratic forces to go beyond a mere diplomatic boycott – and to defend ourselves from trojan horses like Mr Orbán with measures such as blocking European funds and suspending voting rights in the Council.”
Klára Dobrev, head of the Hungarian delegation and S&D MEP, said:
“Viktor Orbán has betrayed our common European values, Viktor Orbán has betrayed Hungary. He is a traitor, thus he is not the president of Europe, he was never and will never be its president, because he is not worthy of it.”
Note to the editor:
Since coming to power in 2010, the Fidesz Party – led by Prime Minister Victor Orbán – has undertaken a series of far-reaching steps which pose a significant threat to democratic checks and balances by targeting the independence of the judiciary, media freedom and pluralism, and undermining the rule of law and human rights. In September 2018, the European Parliament triggered Article 7 against Hungary through the ‘Sargentini report’. Serious concerns mainly exist on judicial independence, freedom of expression, corruption, rights of minorities and the situation of migrants and refugees. Hungary also faces several infringement actions before the European Court of Justice. Following the parliamentary elections in 2022, where the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) pointed to a number of deficiencies, which made the elections no longer free and fair, the European Parliament declared that Hungary can no longer be considered a democracy but a “hybrid regime of electoral autocracy” i.e. a constitutional system in which elections occur, but without respect for democratic norms and standards.
