Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban delivered a fiery speech
to European lawmakers in Strasbourg, before they began deliberations on
suspending the country’s key EU rights due to his government’s policies.
Orban accused the
“pro-migrant majority” of having
“already made up their minds”
to invoke the European Union Treaty’s Article 7 against Hungary, for
its treatment of migrants and minorities, and the ruling party purported
abuse of the law and suppression of media freedoms.
“Hungary
will not accede to this blackmailing, Hungary will protect its borders,
stop illegal migration and - if needed - we will stand up to you,” said Orban, who was re-elected with an overwhelming majority in April.
“Hungary is going to be condemned because the Hungarian
people have decided that this country is not going to be a country of
migrants.”
Calling the proceedings an
“insult” to his nation, Orban called Hungary the
“defender of Europe” and spoke of its
“different view on Christianity in Europe, the role of nations and national culture.”
“These
differences cannot be a reason to brand any country and be excluded
from joint decisions. We would never go as far as to silence those that
do not agree with us,” said the Hungarian prime minister, as the
majority of the chamber sat in silence, while his mostly Euroskeptic
supporters cheered.
Article 7 is applied if an EU member state
presents a “systemic threat” to the bloc’s values, which Hungary was
adjudged to have done in a report by Green MEP Judith Sargentini earlier
this year, and could result in Budapest losing its voting
representation in various European bodies, becoming a pariah state in
the union.
It requires for two-thirds of MEPs to vote in favor of
accepting the report on Wednesday, after European Commission chief
Jean-Claude Juncker delivers his annual State of the Union speech.
This
is considered likely, but all the other EU nations would then need to
agree unanimously to punish Budapest. Such consensus has never been
achieved, meaning that Article 7 has never been implemented, and is not
likely this time either.
Hungary has vowed to veto the application
of similar sanctions to Poland, under its own investigation, and at
least Warsaw will likely return the favor.
One setback for Orban,
however, was the decision by Austria’s governing center-right party
People’s Party to back the report. Hungary’s northern neighbor appeared
to be on the verge of joining the Visegrad Group of four anti-migrant
European states (which also includes Poland, Czechia and Slovakia) when
Sebastian Kurz won the election last year.
“There can be no
compromises on the rule of law and democracy and it is therefore
important that the accusations that have been made against Hungary are
cleared up,” Kurz told Austria’s national television ahead of the MEP vote.
All the same, Orban retains the support of one notable Europarliament presence.
“Thank
God there is at least one European leader prepared to stand up for his
principles, his culture, his nation and his people in the face of such
extreme bullying,” said former UK leader Nigel Farage, who called the proceedings against Budapest
“a show trial.”
Source: https://www.rt.com/news/438210-orban-not-nation-migrants/
Liberteon