German Green MEP Daniel Freund has recently shared a compelling video on X. In the short, 80-second clip, the self-proclaimed democracy defender repeatedly mentions the name of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and advocates for the following measures:
- Stripping Hungary of the Council presidency
- Abolition of veto, i.e. unanimous voting, in the European Union, and
- He also declared war on the political right
So, in about eighty seconds, Freund has managed to summarize all the key points of Brussels' crusade against Hungary, ostensibly in the name of democracy.
In terms of Hungary's upcoming Council presidency, Judit Varga, the chair of the Hungarian Parliament's European Affairs Committee, previously emphasized that "it was in the safest possible position." Ms Varga also addressed long-standing left-wing critiques, pointing out that
the European Parliament aims to prevent Hungary from holding the EU Council presidency in the second half of 2024 due to the left-wing majority's disapproval of Hungary's pro-peace stance.
As for the abolition of "national vetoes' - which, despite the term, refers to a lack of unanimity - Mr Freund has simply joined the bandwagon on this long-standing issue in Brussels. It represents the pressure exerted by larger EU states against the national sovereignty of smaller and medium-sized members. This undemocratic trend threatens to erode the validation of sovereignty.
The backdrop of all this fear of the political right and of PM Viktor Orban in particular, is that the right may grow stronger in the forthcoming European elections, in 2024. Politico has already published its forecasts. Viktor Orban's role is perceived by the Green MEP as significant because, under Orban's leadership, Hungary has emerged as a role model on various fronts, including migration, family support and climate policy.
