Viktor Orbán - A thorn in the EU's side

Beta Ray Bill

Been following this the last week or so:

https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2024/01/29/pressure-grows-on-hungary-in-advance-of-crunch-meeting-on-ukraine-funds/

Surprised it hasn't been brought up yet.

In a nut shell Viktor Orbán is Pro-Russia and very pro Putin. He's the only EU leader to meet Putin since the invasion of Ukraine and also shake his hand. He has not visited Ukraine since the invasion began.

He's constantly blocked or tried to block EU funding/aid/weapons for Ukraine and has vetoed proposals of EU sanctions against Russia.

The EU has basically had enough of him now and it prepared to tank the Hungarian Economy by public stating they will withhold EU funding for Hungary to scare off investment which in turn will have an affect on public spending. There's also talk of stripping Hungary of their EU vote, and even being booted out of NATO.

The Hungarian government is clearly anti EU at this point in time. They've seen the mess leaving the EU can cause (Brexit), and so instead have just decided to be an absolute pain in the swiss. I think given the unrest in the world, there needs t be a facility for the EU to gradually remove a member from the EU. IE 5 stages of being thrown out if you don't cop on to the EU program.

I think there is a lot more to come on this one.

Podge_irl

Probably worth noting that the EU would have been considering withholding funding for Rule of Law violations in Hungary anyway, regardless of the Russian aspect. Orban is happy to take their money while blaming everything under the sun on them.

Brussels Sprout

He needs that EU money as well. It goes to line the pockets of his cronies via infrastructural projects that only they get to bid on. Pretty much like every other populist regime it's divisive bile for the masses and the actual spoils for the inner circle (ironically enough).

breezy1985

Orban is an absolute coward. Flaps on about hating the overbearing EU but scared shtless of losing EU funding or seeing all the emigrants he cant afford to pay for come home from the EU.

mulbot

It's almost like he can't be made to hate Russia.

flutered

he is snookered

ancapailldorcha

It's about time the EU stopped indulging him. If he's breaking the rules, the money should stop. It's only about money for these people so this tactic should work quite quickly.

Sam Russell

The Slovaks are at it now with the corruption court/commission being scrapped. Demonstrations in the street trying to stop it.

Podge_irl

https://twitter.com/panyiszabolcs/status/1754484676280885610?t=j8ty3sPwBcr4rQxtHmUrJQ&s=19

He has to be asking for trouble with this kind of nonsense

Beta Ray Bill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121724914#Comment_121724914

He's playing a very silly game.

Like being booted out of NATO (which could happen) given his rhetoric, would be very bad for him and the people of Hungary. Sweden is a far stronger ally, and an ally who's views line up better with EU than Hungary's does.

Messy.

clearz

What are people's opinions on the EU Vito? I believe the bloc has outgrown its usefulness but I don't think it should be removed completely. Maybe 3-5 votes should be needed to veto something or countries should only get one per x number of years.

Orban has been taking the piss and the EU where right to finally come down hard on him. Illiberalism cannot be tolerated, It is a cancer and will spread if allowed. It is yet another of Merkels' failures. She alone could have reined him at the start but she was too busy also cosying up to Putin for that sweet sweet Russian gas.

Brussels Sprout

Yes. With so many members now in the EU letting any one state have unlimited veto power is not practical.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121897090#Comment_121897090

I suspect we would be one of the first to lose our nut about removing it however.

Beta Ray Bill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121897671#Comment_121897671

I would also concur. I'd agree to it on wider EU issues (Conflict, EU Economy), but not localized issues such as policy on Tax or Strategies to combat issues facing Ireland but no one else.

gerogerigegege

He's not a wimp like other EU leaders. Also he looks out for his own people.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121910496#Comment_121910496

His own immediate people or his own country folk?