Policy from the right, personal insults from the left during a stormy EP session. Continue reading
On Wednesday morning, Viktor Orbán addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg regarding the program of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The following debate, however, was marred by personal attacks against the Prime Minister by several group leaders, including Manfred Weber.
In his speech, Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party (EPP), called strength and unity the qualities of true Christian conservative leaders, accusing the Hungarian Prime Minister of “not representing patriotism, but egoism and nationalism.” He accused the Hungarian Government of corruption, pointing out that “almost 400,000 Hungarians have already left Hungary because of corruption.” “Corruption is killing Hungary’s future,” he added. The EPP leader also criticized Viktor Orbán’s trip to Moscow on his so-called peace mission, saying it was not for peace but “to prolong the war.” However, he praised MEP Péter Magyar, leader of the main Hungarian opposition party (TISZA), saying that with the opposition politician, “Hungary has returned to the European Parliament.”
Péter Magyar, President of TISZA (L) with Manfred Weber during a press conference in Strasbourg. Photo: MTI/Bodnár Boglárka
The Hungarian Prime Minister did not leave these personal remarks unanswered. “We are firm believers in ‘unity in diversity.’ We will never accept that European unity should be interpreted as them ordering us to ‘shut up if we do not like something.’
European unity does not mean shutting everyone up who disagrees with the majority of the Commission President.'”
The Prime Minister noted that in Hungary it could never happen that representatives of the opposition should be deprived of their legitimate committee posts, as was the case in the European Parliament with regard to the MEPs of the Patriots for Europe group, which is now third largest.
️ @PM_ViktorOrban: European unity does not mean shutting up everyone who disagrees with the majority, or @vonderleyen.
We will never accept that for you, European unity means “You are at our beck and call, so shut your mouth if we don’t like something.” pic.twitter.com/QeuSymNTKh— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) October 9, 2024
During the debate, Orbán sharply rebuked Manfred Weber, as the leader of the EPP claimed that nobody was talking to the Hungarians.
This is a serious insult to those who have spoken to us, meaning they are nobodies. In preparation for the presidency, I went to your Chancellor in Germany, the President of France in Paris, and the Prime Minister of Italy in Rome. Are they the nobodies, Mr. Weber?”
he asked.
❗️@PM_ViktorOrban: @ManfredWeber said that nobody is talking to us. This is a serious insult to those who have spoken to us, meaning they are nobodies.
In preparation for the @HU24EU presidency, I went to your @Bundeskanzler Scholz in Germany, the President @EmmanuelMacron… pic.twitter.com/E8lESeYE3J— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) October 9, 2024
“Since you are not afraid of personal comments, let me make a personal comment. Anger is a bad adviser. We know what is at the root of the conflict between us.
In 2018, I played a major role in preventing you from becoming Commission President. I would have supported you and I promised to support you. Only you said afterwards that you did not want to be Commission President with the vote of the Hungarians.
Well, you did not! Is that why you are angry with me?”
“You want to sit in the same chair where Ursula von der Leyen is sitting now,” he pointed to the Commission President’s chair. “You are not sitting there because of me, that is why you are angry with me. But I cannot help that,” he said. “I am sorry that this conflict has made you Hungarophobic. I cannot take your comments seriously because of that,” the Prime Minister concluded.
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Purger Tamás