September 28, 2018

Viktor Orbán under threat

located:	Hungary
editor:	Gurmeet Singh

The European Union is often criticised, and many times, rightly so. It is not only costly and technocratic, it is very much the elite, top-down, ‘govern from afar’ institution people decry. Nevertheless, it is an effective organisation in ensuring the stability of Europe. Although it is an often-repeated point, Europe was, for centuries, at war with itself. As Gore Vidal said, after the Second World War, “Europe knew that it must either stabilise or destroy itself in a new conflict”, the damage of any new conflict would simply be too great.

Vidal's insight is also relevant when we consider the rise of the far-right across Europe. One thing it has in common across the various member states is hatred for the European Union and not simply because the Union promotes diversity and inclusivity. Various far-right groups are against the EU because they know the EU is an effective organisation at marshalling economic and political might against destabilising, far-right figures.

Take Viktor Orban, for example. It is disputable whether he qualifies as “far-right”, but his behaviour is both autocratic and haughty and his policies xenophobic and backwards-looking; characteristics that very much resemble a traditional far-right leader-hero. But maybe a term such as “reactionary conservative” would also serve. The once liberal Viktor Orban has for years pursued anti-migrant policies, used xenophobic rhetoric, pursued a campaign of anti-migrant disinformation and generally made a mockery of the EU’s (recently-acquired) spirit of letting migrants in.

While the EU could not formally do anything against the leader, the institution is well aware that such a figure would overplay his hand. Such people always do. Orban has recently come under increased scrutiny within Hungary for the apparent corruption in his Fidesz party, and also his possible personal corruption. This has caused him personal distraction and cost him both political and approval points.

Several weeks ago, the EU voted to trigger sanctions against Orban – economic sanctions which will further destabilise him and his party – by somewhat destabilising the country at large. Among the reasons given for triggering sanctions were that Hungary is suffering from "a systemic threat to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary." Furthermore, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) argued that Hungary was now threatening the rights of migrants and refugees as well as the rights of minorities "including Roma and Jews."

In this case, if it were not for the EU, Orban would have slid towards autocracy even quicker. He has reacted predictably by pursuing his usual policies of disinformation and calling both the corruption and EU sanctions outlandish, and the products of fake news. We’re all now familiar with Donald Trump’s favourite words “fake news”, and in his case, it normally emerges when he’s threatened and vulnerable. With Orban’s use of the words, we can suspect the EU has wounded him too.