But this strategy comes with risks, primarily that countries join the Western order and then backtrack, undermining Western efforts to promote freedom and democracy from within. The same goes for Hungary, where Hungarian nationalist and authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has built what he calls an “illiberal state” and undermined European efforts to promote democracy in Ukraine. did. European leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss what to do. Anything short of a determination to rein in Mr. Orbán would signal Europe’s weakness at a time when strength is essential to global security.
The EU, which Hungary joined in 2004, is committed to building a society “where pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail”. NATO, which Hungary joined in 1999, aims to build lasting peace in Europe based on its members’ “shared values of individual freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.” Mr. Orbán blocked both.
A recent example is Sweden’s bid to join NATO, a proposal to expand the alliance spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Orbán has promised that Hungary will recognize it, but he remains on the sidelines as his parliament has delayed action. Hungary is now the last remaining force in the alliance. On January 23, Mr. Orbán invited Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to Budapest.negotiate” about the ascension of Sweden, stretching out an unseemly hand for unjust reward.
Mr Orbán’s actions in the EU are equally worrying. In December, he abstained from voting to allow Ukraine to begin accession, walking out while 26 other member states voted in favor of the green light. However, at the same summit, Orbán directly blocked the $55 billion EU aid package for Ukraine, stating that “there are about 75 opportunities for the Hungarian government to block this process” and vowing to fight this policy in the future. I swore.
The EU’s consensual process thus allows Mr. Orbán to serve Russian President Vladimir Putin, who wants nothing more than to paralyze the European Union in its efforts to destroy Ukraine. What led to Putin’s invasions of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 was Ukraine’s strong desire to join the European club and not be at Putin’s mercy. If Orbán continues to block aid to Ukraine, EU member states will be able to take advantage of bilateral policy. This would effectively create a channel to send aid bypassing Hungary, which could take longer and become even more unwieldy.
At its inception, Hungary’s Fidesz party was made up of young people committed to progressive values. But under Mr. Orbán’s leadership in the 1990s, he shifted to conservative right-wing views, and after his landslide victory in the 2010 elections, he neutralized the Constitutional Court and promoted a collectivist, nationalist He drafted a new constitution that reflected his worldview. It’s a system of fundamental rights for individuals, said Zuzanna Šeleni, author of Tainted Democracy, a 2022 book about Mr. Orbán. Mr. Orbán has nationalized large parts of the economy, violated free and fair elections and human rights, and allowed his allies to take over most of the state media. His rhetoric is filled with hostility toward immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and the European Union.
The EU has no mechanism to suspend or expel members, but it can withhold funds and suspend voting rights. The European Commission had withheld funding from Hungary, largely due to concerns about Mr. Orbán’s poor rule of law record. However, in December, when the Ukraine issue was being discussed, the commission released about $11 billion, saying that Hungary had met the conditions for an independent judiciary. The committee continues to tie up about $23 billion. Continued financial pressure is essential to send the message that member states cannot undermine the bloc’s values.
MEPs and other members of the European Parliament are calling for the country to consider a tougher option: suspending Hungarians’ voting rights. Doing so risks shrinking the EU in the future if populists come to power in other EU countries. A better option would be to reform voting rules so that the EU is less vulnerable to Mr. Orbán’s type of manipulation and fewer decisions require unanimity. Majority or supermajority rule suits a democracy-minded bloc and would restrain someone like Mr. Orbán from destroying one of the West’s most successful institutions from within.