An activist and municipal councilor from Hungary disrupted a news conference in Strasbourg on Tuesday while Prime Minister Viktor Orban discussed Hungary’s upcoming presidency of the European Union. He interrupted Orban’s speech on immigration by rushing to the podium and throwing what appeared to be banknotes at him. During the disruption, he yelled accusations at Orban, questioning how much he had “sold out” Hungary. The activist, Márton Gyekiczki, who is a member of Hungary’s Democratic Coalition party and a local council member in a Budapest suburb, was taken to the ground by a security guard and led out of the room. The disruption came as Orbán was set to address the European Parliament on Wednesday during Hungary’s six-month rotating presidency of the bloc, sparking controversy and drawing both criticism and support.
Orbán’s government has long been at odds with the EU over what it sees as curtailing of democratic rights and has been criticized for its close relations with autocracies like Russia and China. Gyekiczki’s disruption highlighted concerns about Orbán’s governance, with accusations of selling out the country to foreign powers. Former Prime Minister Ference Gyurcsány expressed support for Gyekiczki’s actions, emphasizing the view that Hungary has a traitorous government. With Orbán expected to receive a mixed reception in the EU parliament, there are ongoing debates over potential EU fund deprivation due to rule-of-law and corruption violations in Hungary.
Two years ago, the EU parliament declared that Hungary under Orbán had become “a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy,” leading to concerns about the state of democracy in the country. Despite these criticisms, Orbán successfully formed the Patriots for Europe group within the parliament, uniting far-right parties from around the continent to form the third-largest group in the EU legislature. At the news conference, Orbán expressed concerns about the EU’s economy and competitiveness, positioning it as a significant challenge to address. He also criticized EU tariffs on Chinese-produced electric vehicles and raised concerns about immigration’s impact on the Schengen area due to border checks introduced by several countries.
Orbán proposed a regular “Schengen Summit” for member countries to discuss border policy and emphasized the need for a joint decision on the issue. He argued that individual attempts to address immigration were threatening the integrity of the Schengen system, advocating for a collective approach to the issue. Responding to Gyekiczki’s disruption, Orbán offered a clarification on Hungarian political culture, stating that calling someone a scoundrel simply meant disagreement in their culture. With tensions high and continued scrutiny on Hungary’s governance, the situation remains contentious and raises questions about the country’s relationship with the EU and its democratic values.
