Viktor Orban launches new national consultation hostile to the European Union

This is a new sign of hostility on the part of Viktor Orban’s government towards the European Union (EU): the latter has kicked off a new national consultation aimed at “defend sovereignty” of the Central European country facing various positions of the EU, of which the country is a member, Friday November 17.

“Brussels wants to establish migrant ghettos in Hungary. What do you think ? »he asks in particular in one of the eleven questions in the form, published on his Facebook page.

In addition to European migration policy, the consultation several times addresses the war in neighboring Ukraine, with which Hungary maintains tense relations. The Hungarian population is, for example, asked to give its opinion on two related subjects formulated as follows: “Brussels wants to give more weapons and money to Ukraine”, “Brussels wants Ukraine to join the European Union”.

Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban is accustomed to this method without legal effect, which he has used regularly since 2015 to legitimize his anti-EU positions. He explained last week that he hoped to receive a blank check for his policies in order to ” hold on “ in its battle with Brussels.

Very oriented formulations

Although a member of NATO, Hungary refuses to provide any military contributions to kyiv and maintains ties with the Kremlin. She had warned the European Commission against opening accession negotiations with kyiv.

Concerning the embargo on the import of Ukrainian cereals – which Budapest refuses to lift against the advice of Brussels – voters therefore have the choice between “support Hungarian farmers by all means” Or “open our market to Ukrainian genetically modified grains”.

Throughout the questionnaire, the formulations are often very biased, even making assertions without proof.

In a question on Hamas, it is stated that the Palestinian Islamist movement received financial aid from Brussels. Viktor Orban unconditionally supports Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the military operation launched in the Gaza Strip, in retaliation for the bloody Hamas attack on Israeli territory on October 7.

On another subject, the government accuses Brussels and “various foreign organizations” to interfere in Hungarian political life by “distributing billions of euros” to the opposition. And calls for a decision on stricter legislation, a project currently under discussion.

Citizens are invited to return the questionnaire by post by January 10, with also the possibility of completing it online soon.

In 2022, the last consultation, on EU sanctions against Russia, cost Hungary 2.7 billion forints (7 million euros). Of the eight million voters, 1.4 million participated, or 17.5%. Citing their responses, the government assured that 97% of Hungarians were opposed to the sanctions.