MEP Gyöngyösi: The EU must sanction Viktor Orbán!

The year of 2022 will be marked in the annals of history as a major turning point when Europe, after “eight decades of peace”, is at war once again. Although armed conflicts still took place in our continent after World War II, we have never waged such a fierce, life-or-death struggle since 1945.

That’s why we can welcome the European Union rising above its often cumbersome decision-making process and taking immediate action by imposing strict sanctions on the aggressor, thus clearly putting it in a difficult position.

We also welcome how, at a time when the European Parliament was shaken by a corruption scandal, the perpetrators were immediately apprehended by the authorities while our institutions began seriously looking into how such cases could be prevented in the future.

No matter how firm a stance we take against the aggressor and the paid agents working in EU institutions however, if the enemy is allowed to freely operate in the “intermediate zone”. I am talking about the politicians who completely openly undermine our community’s unity in these hard times and spread the Kremlin’s propaganda. 

Viktor Orbán does all this from the Prime Minister’s seat. At first, he only caused problems for his country’s citizens by taking away their freedom and running an authoritarian regime. By now however, he has stepped into the European political arena with his repeated vetoes. He keeps sabotaging Europe with his favours for Putin, while his lackeys spread the wildest Russian propaganda.

Make no mistake, this man is Europe’s enemy and Russia’s agent who should be dealt with as such.

I am surprised that Orbán and his ministers are still allowed to sit at the table where the decisions are made, even though they obviously serve foreign interests. If it were going on in a non-EU country, the Orbán regime’s top politicians, their families and business partners would likely have been under heavy EU sanctions by now.

Is it right that EU citizenship gives you a free pass to trample on the EU’s core values? I don’t think so. It’s time for the European Union to impose the exact same type of sanctions on Viktor Orbán and his circle as were applied to the operators and beneficiaries of Putin’s regime. Freeze their assets, ban financial transactions with them, criminalize business contacts with them and impose travel bans on them! That’s the European way to deal with our enemies.

Disclaimer: the sole liability for the opinions stated rests with the author(s). These opinions do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Parliament.

Read alsoMEP Gyöngyösi: The EU must sanction Viktor Orbán!