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Viktor Orbán: Reputation 'couldn't have been less'
Photo: MARTON MONUS / REUTERS
The relationship between the EU and Hungary is tense, now allegations of corruption against members of the EU Parliament are shaking European politics - and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sees this as a welcome opportunity to call for drastic changes in the European Union.
At a press conference in Budapest, Orbán said the corruption scandal involving former parliamentary vice president Eva Kaili had called into question the credibility of the institution.
"Hungarians would like to see the European Parliament dissolved in its current form," Orbán said.
»To what extent the reputation of the European Parliament in Hungary has been damaged is easy to answer: not at all, because it could not have been less.«
In September, for example, the parliament agreed that Hungary would still be a real democracy.
"Among experts" there is increasing agreement that "Hungary is no longer a democracy," according to a resolution passed by the parliament.
Under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Hungary had “become a hybrid system of electoral autocracy”.
Corruption in Hungary
A large majority of the EU states then agreed a few days ago to freeze billions in payments from the European Community budget earmarked for Hungary - an agreement unprecedented in the history of the EU.
Due to concerns that EU funds are being misappropriated in the country due to insufficient anti-corruption measures, 6.3 billion euros are to be blocked for the time being.
The almost three-hour press conference at which Orbán spoke is one of the few times in the year when Orbán takes questions from international media and critical Hungarian newspapers.
It is now time in Brussels to "drain the swamp," said Orbán, referring to the corruption scandal.
Former US President Donald Trump used the same phrase during his 2016 election campaign to criticize the government at the time.
Orbán also commented on possible further EU sanctions against Moscow because of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
He claimed the sanctions were ineffective and had hurt European economies more than Russia.
"If it were up to us, there would be no sanctions policy," Orbán said.
He does not want to support additional sanctions packages against Russia in the future.
However, he would not stand in the way of such sanctions being passed by the EU.
The lack of finance from Brussels has exacerbated Hungary's already existing economic problems.
Hungary's economy, previously one of the most dynamic on the continent, has collapsed under pressure from Russia's sanctions.
The billions in aid that Orbán is using to curb oil and gas prices are a drain on the state coffers.
ptz/AP
