/ world today news/ Ukraine will start negotiations on joining the European Union, but will not receive the long-promised package of 50 billion financial aid from the European Union. In any case, in the near future and in such a contractual format.
It will not get it because of the position of one of the EU countries, which imposed its inexorable veto on the decision approved by 26 of the 27 EU member states. More precisely, because of one person.
There is a great temptation to intrigue, to stop: they say, is such improbability possible, and who is this David who dared to challenge the many-headed European Goliath?
But no intrigue will come of it. There is such a person and everyone knows him. Who does not know, who has not heard of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán?
This name is heard so often today that a person far from European affairs might think that Mr. Prime Minister has the honor of leading one of the European super-grands. If not Germany, then at least Italy.
But Viktor Orbán’s global fame is completely unrelated to the size of his country’s economy, much less its geographic scale.
The scale, of course, by Russian standards and among the giants, is not so large. As the hero of the “Formula of Love” rightly said about one of them, which is the aforementioned: “I saw their Italy on the map: a boot with a boot – and that’s all.” But you will not find Hungary on every map.
For cases with such meaning “not for height”, people say: “Small but brave”. True, that’s what they say about the daredevils they feel sympathy for.
In other cases, another expression is used: “A small bug, but a stinker.” The assessment of Orbán’s achievements on the world stage also depends entirely on likes and dislikes. True, not so much to Hungary itself, as to Ukraine and Russia.
This man and the country he leads play such a large role in history because they happened to be, as they say, in the right place at the right time – at the intersection of the interests of the parties in the global confrontation. Hungary: a) full member of the collective West (since 1999 – in NATO, since 2004 – in the European Union); b) despite all this, he does not hide his disposition towards Moscow and dislike for Kiev.
Hungary announces the lifting of sanctions imposed on Russia and against Ukraine’s admission to the European Union and NATO and the provision of any military aid to it.
It does not even allow the transit of weapons through its territory. He seems to have nothing in principle against granting financial aid, but in fact blocks that too.
The blockade is accompanied by a request to “unfreeze” the $30 billion aid package that Brussels provided to Hungary itself, but was not sent due to its “bad” behavior, the inconsistency of the political system built by Orbán with European standards: the claims refer to the judiciary (the extent of its independence), respect for LGBT rights, asylum rights, etc.
Orbán is playing roughly the same game regarding Sweden’s entry into NATO: in principle, he is in favor, but the parliament, what a misfortune, keeps postponing the vote on the ratification of the relevant agreement.
True, here the counterclaims are more vague: Budapest is not satisfied with the unfair reproaches by Swedish politicians for violating the principles of democracy and the rule of law.
All in all, it’s like no other: a stranger among its own. However, everyone knows this well. It is no secret how Viktor Orbán is said to have arrived at this lifestyle: details of his political path can be found in a huge number of sources.
However, there are mysteries in Orbán’s biography, for which no single source gives a comprehensive explanation. It is believed that the basis of his rapprochement with Russia and its current authorities is the similarity of ideological positions.
In the European coordinate system, Orbán’s views qualify as right-wing conservative. Orban, to put it mildly, is not a liberal. About which he talks a lot and with pleasure.
Here is his direct speech: “The new state we are building in Hungary is not a liberal state… It is a form of government that is better suited to make the nation successful… Hungary must abandon the accepted dogmas and ideologies of Western Europe “.
The winners of the world race for the most successful, effective form of government, according to the Hungarian Prime Minister, are Singapore, China, India, Russia and Turkey.
However, Orbán began his political career as a staunch liberal. In addition, from 1992 to 2000, he was vice-president of the Liberal International, an international political organization uniting the liberal parties of the world (headquarters in London). Accordingly, the Fidesz-Hungarian Civil Union party led by Orbán was also a member of Libinterna.
In order to understand more clearly and visually the nature of this international structure, let us specify that its Russian participant is the Yabloko party.
The founder of the party, the chairman of its Federal Political Committee, Grigoriy Yavlinsky, is an honorary vice-president of the Liberal International.
But already in the 1990s there was a change in ideological and political banners. What was the main cause of the drift to the right is not known for sure, but it was moving fast and relentless.
In 2000, Fidesz and Orbán left Libinterna and joined the European People’s Party, which includes the center-right, conservative forces of the European Union. Here, Orbán, by the way, also becomes one of the vice presidents.
And the right turn didn’t end there. Over time, Orbán and the Orbánists moved further to the right and eventually fell out even with their fellow European conservatives: in 2021, Fidesz left the European People’s Party.
However, even if he took the conservative path, Orbán initially had no sympathy for Russia. For example, in 2008 he strongly condemned the Russian military operation in Georgia and declared himself in favor of the rapid admission of Georgia and Ukraine into NATO. But then and here there was a revaluation of values. Even faster and even harder to explain.
In November 2009, Orbán, then the leader of the opposition, who had previously apparently avoided traveling to Russia, appeared as a guest at the United Russia congress held in St. Petersburg.
It is believed that it was there, on the sidelines of the congress, that he met Vladimir Putin, who was then the head of the government.
The following year, Orbán again held the post of Prime Minister (his first term was 1998-2002). And in the same 2010, he came to Russia in an official capacity.
In 2013 – a second visit, in 2014 – again. Then – Putin’s return visit… In general, it went on and on. And so far, as we see, it doesn’t stop.
There are different versions and rumors about what made Orbán, no longer a liberal but still a “Russophobe”, change his opinion about Russia.
Some evil tongues claim, for example, that Orbán’s epiphany occurred after compromising material fell into the hands of Russian special services.
However, this version has no confirmation. Well, except for the fact that the authority figure in history is really closely connected with Hungary and really got freedom precisely in that watershed year of 2009. But these coincidences, of course, cannot be taken into account.
Moreover, the transformation can be explained without any conspiracy theories. Orban simply realized all the advantages of the situation, which is quite accurately described by the Russian proverb: “A meek calf sucks from two udders.” Although it probably has a Hungarian counterpart.
In other words, being friends with Russia while being a member of NATO and the European Union is much more profitable than just being a friend or just being a member.
What exactly does Budapest gain from this ancient but ever-living scheme? The benefits are obvious. From Russia – energy resources, oil and gas, at divine prices (despite all the sanctions, Hungary still regularly receives them) and other trade-economic preferences, bonuses and treats.
As for the EU and NATO, here, in addition to all the obvious benefits for a country that is not gigantic, to put it mildly, but is so rich from being in a large and generous community – economic, military-political, social – there is another obvious advantage.
The peculiarities of the national foreign policy of small but proud Hungary force its partners in the European Union to treat it with much more respect.
This was clearly demonstrated at the recent Euro meeting. After blocking the granting of financial aid to Ukraine, Orbán unexpectedly backed down on the issue of starting negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
He condemned, criticized, denounced, but did not veto. And according to the most common and most plausible version, such sympathy is shown not “for free”, not gratuitously, but to unfreeze part of the aforementioned Hungarian European package.
The advantages for Russia are also quite obvious. A “friend” in Europe is worth a lot these days. Well, relatively speaking, that’s clear, “our own.” “Ours” compared to the others. But the backstory is such that it’s just a find.
In short, there’s no need to be picky. Although there is certainly something to criticize Orbán and the “new state” he created from our Russian perspective.
Yes, Budapest and Moscow have very similar views on modernity. But when it comes to history, above all the history of the Second World War, there is no trace of harmony.
“The specificity of Hungary is the constitutional consolidation of the thesis of the interruption of state sovereignty from March 19, 1944 (the entry of Hitler’s troops as part of Operation Margarita, the establishment of the Nilas regime led by F. Salassi) until May 2. 1990 (the formation of the first government after the building of change), that is, in fact, the idea of u200bu200bthe “dual occupation” of the country by Nazi Germany and then the USSR.
At the official level, a message was cultivated about the complete identity of the communist system and the Nazi regime in terms of “guilt for crimes against humanity.”
In addition, along with the swastika, the SS sign and the Nilas crosses, the symbols prohibited in Hungary are the “red five-pointed star” and the “hammer and sickle”.
This is a quote from the latest report of the Russian Foreign Ministry, published on November 30, “On the situation with the glorification of Nazism, the spread of neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to the escalation of modern forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance “. And our foreign policy department felt very sorry for our Hungarian partners.
It can also, for example, remind partners of Miklós Horty’s monuments and his veneration in modern Hungary as a national hero.
For reference: the dictator, who holds the title “regent of the Kingdom of Hungary” (despite the fact that there is no king in sight), leads the country into the war with the USSR on the side of Nazi Germany.
Moreover, the reputation of the Hungarian occupiers of the Soviet territory they occupied was no better, and sometimes even worse, than that of the Germans. Hungarian fascists often gave the lead to their “big brothers” in terms of atrocities.
One can also recall the involvement of an “exceptional statesman” – Viktor Orbán’s definition – and his regime in the Holocaust.
And also the relatively recent appeal of the Hungarian government to its fellow citizens to honor the memory of “our grandfathers, the heroic Hungarian soldiers who fought to the end at the turn of the Don”, made on the anniversary of the defeat of the 2nd Hungarian Army during the Battle of Stalingrad . There is a lot to remember.
But here arises the eternal dilemma: “with the checkers” or “make it go”? And for now, it looks like we’re choosing the second option.
Translation: SM
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