Orbán compares European Union to USSR

Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s Prime Minister, called the European Union “a bad modern parody” of the USSR. The partnership of European countries seeks to deprive Hungary of its identity, so membership in the EU is similar to Soviet occupation, Orbán said.

“Today, things pop up that remind us of the Soviet times. Yes, it happens that history repeats itself. … Fortunately, what once was tragedy is now a comedy at best. Fortunately, Brussels is not Moscow. Moscow was a tragedy. Brussels is just a bad contemporary parody,” the Hungarian Prime Minister said during a speech on the anniversary of the anti-Soviet revolution in Hungary in 1956.

The European Union is imposing a “model of liberal democracy” on Hungary, which Hungarians reject, Orbán believes. In addition, the EU uses methods against the country that are reminiscent of the times of Soviet rule, the prime minister continued.

“The comrades’ lectures remain unchanged, only now it is called the convention procedure. The party’s rebuke of Hungary is now called the Brussels rule of law procedure,” Orbán said.

At the same time, the Prime Minister of Hungary said that the European Union is “not hopeless” and that it “can be fixed.”

“We had to dance to the tune that Moscow whistled, Brussels whistles too, but we dance as we want to, and if we don’t want to, then we don’t dance. … Moscow cannot be repaired, but Brussels and the European Union can be repaired,” Orbán said.

Orbán’s statements: from criticizing Ukraine to meeting with Putin

The Hungarian prime minister is known for his scandalous statements, anti-European views, and attachment to Russia.

In November, Orbán appeared at a soccer match wearing a scarf depicting the so-called “Greater Hungary,” which encompasses the territories now belonging to Austria, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, Serbia and Ukraine. In May, he said that Ukraine was incapable of winning the war. And in July, Hungary’s Prime Minister announced territorial claims to two EU countries.

Also, Orbán repeated the theses of Russian propaganda more than once. Hungary’s Prime Minister stated that the West would allegedly “fight to the last Ukrainian soldier” and called for negotiations with Moscow. The Hungarian prime minister also said that “Ukraine practically lost its sovereignty a long time ago,” and Kyiv “has run out of means” for waging war.

Budapest’s position under Orbán’s leadership has repeatedly made it difficult to provide support and assistance to Kyiv. In October, Hungary offered to halve the upcoming EUR 50 billion EU aid package for Ukraine. Now, Hungary has again refused to allocate EUR 500 million from the European Union fund, which helps the Armed Forces of Ukraine with weapons.

Rikard Jozwiak, the Radio Liberty journalist in Brussels, reported that an agreement on the allocation of the eighth tranche of EUR 500 million from the European Peace Facility failed because of Hungary – earlier, Budapest blocked this decision because Ukraine included the Hungarian OTP Bank in the list of international sponsors of the war.

“The Hungarian bank OTP has been de-listed from the “doing business in Russia blacklist” but Budapest want legal as assurances that this is permanent,” the journalist said.

“It disturbs us”: NATO’s and Europe’s reaction 

The European Union has repeatedly expressed concern about Hungary’s policy. In addition, the worries are shared by NATO allies.

“We are all concerned that the Hungarian prime minister met with President Putin when Russia is at war with Ukraine… The fact that Hungary has decided to keep in touch with Putin in this way is worrying. As are the words the prime minister used to describe Putin’s war in Ukraine,” US Ambassador to Budapest David Pressman said after the meeting of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán with Russian President Putin.

This week, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, said that she was very disappointed with the position of Orbán and the Hungarians regarding Ukraine.

Earlier, Orbán said there was no precedent for a country to join the European Union “without clear borders”; therefore, Ukraine is unlikely to be accepted into the EU after the end of the war.

“I am sure he is the only one with these statements and remarks. And I am really very disappointed not only with Viktor Orbán, but also with all Hungarians who adhere to these ideas,” the Czech politician said.

Pekarová Adamová is convinced that this is due to Russia’s enormous influence in Hungary. “It is unbelievable that it is the Hungarians, who have a really difficult experience with the Soviet Union in their history, who now support such opinions. … Of course, it disturbs all of us. And we are working on a unified position of the EU and NATO countries,” the speaker concluded.