Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

'Drain the swamp': Orban calls for European Parliament to be dissolved

'Drain the swamp': Orban calls for European Parliament to be dissolved

"The Hungarians would like for the European Parliament to be dissolved in its current form," Orban said. #EuropeNews

Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine "only had losers so far", Hungary's prime minister said on Wednesday, stating that "both sides and the European economy" have all taken a hit from Moscow's aggression and using the opportunity to blast Brussels for the sanctions once again.

The nearly three-hour news conference, held annually, is nearly the only occasion of the year when Victor Orban fields questions from the international media or critical Hungarian outlets.

The illiberal right-wing leader, who won a fourth straight term in office in April, has engaged in frequent battles with the EU, which accuses him of violating democratic norms and overseeing large-scale official corruption.

But on Wednesday, Orban blasted the European Parliament for recent revelations of a cash-for-favours corruption scandal that allegedly involves Qatar and borrowed a phrase from former US President Donald Trump, saying it was time to "drain the swamp" in Brussels.

The scandal, Orban said, had drawn into question the credibility of the institution and that he supports abolishing the body as it currently exists.

Orban also called for the European Parliament members to be delegated by national parliaments instead of being elected.

"The Hungarians would like for the European Parliament to be dissolved in its current form," Orban said.

"The degree to which the reputation of the European Parliament in Hungary has been damaged is easy to answer: not at all, because it couldn't have been any lower."


Concerns over illiberal backsliding or 'Hungarophobia'?

Wednesday's news conference came as the EU has frozen more than €12 billion in funding to Hungary over concerns that Orban's government has cracked down on judicial independence, overseen official corruption and abridged minority rights.

In September, the European Parliament declared that Hungary could no longer be considered a democracy and would become "a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy" under Orban's leadership — a charge his government has rejected.

During the press conference, Orban blamed the keyed-up relations on "Hungarophobia" within the bloc instead.

However, the tensions between Budapest and Brussels have been made increasingly worse by the Hungarian government's lobbying against sanctions on Moscow for its war in Ukraine.

Orban — who is considered one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest EU allies — claims sanctions have been ineffective in pressuring the Kremlin to end the war and that they have inflicted more damage on European economies than on Moscow.

The new year will pose "a challenge for almost all European countries to avoid an economic downturn or recession resulting directly from war and European participation in the war, called sanctions," Orban added.

"If it were up to us, there would not be a sanctions policy," Orban said Wednesday, adding that he would not support any additional sanctions packages against Russia in the future but would not stand in the way of the EU passing them.

"It is not in our interest to permanently divide the European and Russian economies into two, so we are trying to save what can be saved from our economic cooperation with the Russians," he said.

Orban has made a number of concessions in order to secure delivery of badly needed EU funds, but the European Commission — the bloc's executive arm — has insisted on further reforms if Budapest is to gain access to the money.

Hungary is struggling with among the highest inflation rates in Europe and a floundering currency which has caused skyrocketing prices. 

In November, the inflation rate was over 22%, and the forint currency was down nearly 10% against the euro since the beginning of the year.

Orban said the government had plans to reduce inflation to single digits by next December and would soon unveil a program which would eliminate income taxes until the age of 30 for women who have children.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
×