VIKTOR ORBÁN's POLICY AND RELATIONS WITH DICTATORS AND AUTOCRATS

There is no doubt that the Prime Minister of Hungary since 2010, VIKTOR ORBÁN, plays a high stakes game. On the one hand, he publicly attacks the EU for being "worse than the Soviet Union until 1989". And he, as almost the last country, has not approved Sweden's membership of NATO ("because Sweden speaks badly of Hungary"). And on the other hand, Hungary is one of the EU countries that receives the most money from the EU budget. What the Hungarian population also knows and appreciates. 85% of them support EU membership.

What kind of politician is 60-year-old Protestant Viktor Orbán? In his younger days he was one of the leaders of the youth section of the Hungarian Communist Party. In the rebel years 1988-89, he started the criticism of the old, communist regime. He even received a scholarship from George Soros to study at Oxford University in 1989-90. Later, Soros has become one of Orban's archenemies. Yes, he has e.g. kicked Soros' European University out of Hungary! He became Prime Minister of Hungary for the first time 1998-2002 - and in 1999 got Hungary into NATO - and was also active for EU membership from 2004.

Since 2010, Orbán has been prime minister again. Here he has increasingly used authoritarian tricks to strengthen his position, including gaining an absolute majority in parliament. The media has largely come under his control. The independence of the courts is in serious danger. He fights all immigration ("will defend Europe's Christianity"). And at the same time he works closely with dictators and autocrats such as Putin (meeting in Beijing recently) and with Donald Trump. This week he was delighted to receive a personal support greeting and a Trump hat from the former US President! See photo.

However, his political control has weakened in recent years. In the most recent elections - both local and parliamentary elections - they have approx. 20 largest cities, including Budapest, voted for the opposition parties.

The EU has been increasingly concerned about this Hungarian line. Some prime ministers and EU leaders have directly recommended that Hungary leave the EU. Specifically, the EU has currently withheld €13 billion in subsidies for Hungarian projects.

There is also, not least in the European Parliament, great concern that Hungary and Orbán are scheduled to be president of the EU in autumn 2024. Is the country worthy of this?