Prime Minister Hungary: 26 EU countries buckle again before Orban

Once again, the Hungarian Prime Minister Orban opposed the sanctions against Russia and thus played into the hands of the Kremlin. The EU can be shown again.

I beg your pardon? Is the European Union being led through the ring by Viktor Orban again? The despiser of democracy from Budapest has just won a generous special regulation for his country in the planned boycott of Russian oil, and now he’s also managed to remove the orthodox patriarch and ardent supporter of Putin, Kyrill, from the sanctions list. Orban threatens, Orban blocks, Orban demands – and the 26 other EU countries cave in.

Orban cramms his will through

You want to rub your eyes. What on earth is going on in Europe right now? After his unexpectedly clear election victory in the spring, the Hungarian prime minister obviously feels as invulnerable in Brussels as if he had bathed in dragon’s blood. And at the end of this remarkable week, it seems that Orban can, as always, get his way in Europe. Quite simply because he is more power-conscious and unscrupulous than all the others.

Blocking policy successful

One can only speculate about his motives in the case of the Moscow church leader. Orban and Kyrill agree on many points in their view of society and consider same-sex marriage and feminism to be the stuff of the devil. However, the Orthodox community in Hungary is not particularly large. It is possible that Orban is already thinking of the time after the Ukraine war with his commitment to Putin’s friend. Be that as it may: With its blockade policy, Hungary is definitely playing into the Kremlin’s hands. Because he wants to weaken the EU wherever possible.

Hungary stands alone

After all: From now on the circumstances are clarified. The European Union is deeply divided. And the fungus has a name: Viktor Orban. With the unnecessary dispute over the sixth sanctions package, he questioned the unity of the EU in the conflict with Russia. It is also clear: Hungary stands alone against everyone. Even the old friends from the so-called Visegrad Group, i.e. the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, are now clearly at a distance. Because of the constant going it alone, and because of Orban’s closeness to Vladimir Putin.

Hope he gives in?

In Brussels, there is a faint hope that Hungary will not be able to endure isolation for long and will soon give in. After all, the country is urgently dependent on European funding, which is on hold due to serious violations of the rule of law and rampant corruption.

It is more likely, however, that Orban actually feels really comfortable in the role of the outsider who resolutely and successfully defends Hungarian interests against “those in Europe”. After all, the experience of the last few years proves him right. Unfortunately.