In a guest article published in the German newspaper Die Welt, PM Viktor Orbán of Hungary wrote that European citizens have been bearing the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war and rising energy prices for four years, while EU leaders are unable to address these challenges effectively.
For the past four years, Orbán explains, European politics has been dictated by the logic of war; the conflict in Ukraine, misguided sanctions, and Brussels’ flawed decisions have plunged Europe into a severe economic and geopolitical crisis—a situation now further exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East:
Humanitarian aid turned into helmets, helmets into firearms, and these ultimately into tanks and missiles.
The European Union’s policies, he said, do not take into account the real interests of Central and Eastern European countries, and the patience of Europeans cannot be taken for granted.
EU policy toward Ukraine, he said, is currently shaped by a small circle of leaders in Brussels and Berlin, in agreement with Ukrainian President Zelensky, which makes meaningful adjustments to European strategy impossible:
We must regain the sovereignty of the European Union. Because Europe has been taken hostage.
This is also evident in relation to the Druzhba pipeline, which has not been transporting oil to Hungary and Slovakia since January. According to the two EU member states, all of this aligns with Ukraine’s political objectives. Under current circumstances, Hungary sees no reason to support EU decisions or financial packages benefitting Ukraine. Orbán has previously faced criticism from the EU for frequently blocking or delaying the Union’s common positions, but he sends a clear message: Hungary will not back down.
Orbán also prominently addresses the issue of mass illegal migration. The EU’s common border protection policy is not effective enough, he said, and the EU is overly lenient toward migrants. This poses a threat to internal security and social stability, bringing “all the conflicts of the Middle East” to “our own territory.” The Hungarian leadership therefore intends to continue maintaining and supporting strict border protection measures while disputing the application of common migration mechanisms with Brussels.
To protect the continent’s peace, economic stability, and energy security, Europe must reclaim political autonomy and make decisions that protect the continent’s peace, economic stability, and energy security, Orbán said.
