Hungary is launching a new anti-EU initiative this Friday. The Hungarian government is launching a new national consultation aimed at “defending the sovereignty” of the central European country in the face of various positions of the European Union, of which the country is a member.
“Brussels wants to establish migrant ghettos in Hungary. What do you think ? », Asks one of the 11 questions in the form published on the government’s Facebook page. Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban is accustomed to this method without legal effect, which he has used regularly since 2015 to legitimize his anti-EU positions.
Very oriented formulations
He explained last week that he hoped to receive a blank check for his policies in order to “hold firm” in his battle with Brussels. In addition to migration policy, the consultation addresses the issue of the war in neighboring Ukraine, with which Hungary maintains tense relations. “Brussels wants to give more weapons and money to Ukraine”, “Brussels wants Ukraine to join the European Union”: the population is called upon to give their opinion on these points.
Hungary, although a member of NATO, refuses to provide any military contribution to kyiv and maintains ties with the Kremlin. She had warned the European Commission against opening accession negotiations with kyiv. The formulations are often very biased, even putting forward assertions without proof.
Conspiracy theories
Concerning the embargo on the import of Ukrainian grain – which Budapest refuses to lift against the advice of Brussels – voters have the choice between “support Hungarian farmers by all means” or “open our market to genetically modified Ukrainian grains “. In a question on Hamas, the consultation affirms that this Palestinian Islamist movement received financial aid from Brussels.
Viktor Orban unconditionally supports Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the military operation launched in Gaza, in retaliation for the bloody Hamas attack on Israeli territory on October 7. On another subject, the government accuses Brussels and “various foreign organizations” of interfering in Hungarian political life by “distributing billions of euros” to the opposition.
And calls for a decision on stricter legislation, a project currently under discussion. Citizens are invited to return the questionnaire by post by January 10, with also the possibility of completing it online soon. In 2022, the last consultation brought together 1.4 million voters out of eight, or 17.5%. Citing their responses, the government assured that 97% of Hungarians were opposed to the sanctions.