Read on Twitter
1. Quick 
: an @EPP government - Orbán autocracy in Hungary- is detaining citizens & opposition activists who criticize regime on social media. Reminder his govt is still defended by Merkel's @CDU, & @EU_Commission is doing nothing about the situation https://insighthungary.444.hu/2020/05/12/he-criticized-the-government-on-facebook-and-was-taken-from-his-home-by-police-at-dawn
: an @EPP government - Orbán autocracy in Hungary- is detaining citizens & opposition activists who criticize regime on social media. Reminder his govt is still defended by Merkel's @CDU, & @EU_Commission is doing nothing about the situation https://insighthungary.444.hu/2020/05/12/he-criticized-the-government-on-facebook-and-was-taken-from-his-home-by-police-at-dawn
2. In a Facebook post, the 64 year old man plead with Orban not to relax curfew restrictions on the day after the projected peak of the pandemic & ended post with
"You are a cruel tyrant, but remember, all dictators have failed so far." Police then detained him for questioning.
"You are a cruel tyrant, but remember, all dictators have failed so far." Police then detained him for questioning.
3. Subsequently, an opposition activist was arrested for another critical Facebook post https://twitter.com/panyiszabolcs/status/1260516855292329985
4. here is his party colleague MEP @katka_cseh calling out the abuse https://twitter.com/katka_cseh/status/1260528932392259587
5. this is being done under Orbán's coronavirus emergency measures, one of which gave gov power to imprison anyone spreading what they deem fake news about the virus for up to 5 years. As I wrote last month, he is using the crisis to harden his autocracy https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/02/hungary-just-became-coronavirus-autocracy/
6. He is also exploiting the crisis to crush local democratic enclaves where opposition mayors hold power and to deprive opposition parties of public financing @StevenErlanger wrote about it here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/world/europe/poland-hungary-coronavirus.html
7. and @VALERIEin140 wrote about it here: https://www.ft.com/content/5ba8a724-871c-480e-930d-ed9b0469cafe
8. He is now accelerating these moves as MEP @donath_anna describes here https://twitter.com/donath_anna/status/1260477378645590022
9. Incredibly, @VeraJourova initially gave interviews in which she suggested Orban's move to rule by decree didn't necessarily violate EU law. She tried to set record straight in this recent interview, but still she & @EU_Commission have not taken action https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/eu-kommissarin-jourova-warnt-vor-unbegrenzter-macht-orbans-16761879.html
10. Leading scholars and international ratings bodies (most recently @freedomhouse ) have declared the Hungary is no longer a democracy: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/06/hungary-no-longer-a-democracy-report-239807
11. and yet, EU does almost nothing. @EUCouncil is the worst, not lifting a finger. @vonderleyen is worst within the Commission, apparently blocking action. I hold out hope for @VeraJourova, but so far her mixed messages have hurt the situation & she has not taken action yet
12. even some of the strongest defenders of rule of law in EU can't seem to call a spade a spade. @TimmermansEU did more than anyone in @EU_Commission to defend rule of law. but here he seems to dodge question of whether Hungary is a democracy https://twitter.com/eublogo/status/1260483138003877888
13. as I have explained in many publications, the EU is trapped in an authoritarian equilibrium. With Orban's corona coup, he has abandoned any pretense of democratic rule & is cracking down on opposition in unprecedented ways. Still EU leaders do nothing https://twitter.com/rdanielkelemen/status/1232905711182544896
14. Whom to blame for letting this happen inside EU with so little reaction? Above all blame Orbán’s longtime defenders: @EPP & @EPPGroup @ManfredWeber @CDU @CSU @CDU_CSU_EP @vonderleyen @populares @lesRepublicains & blame nat’l leaders like Merkel who block action in @EUCouncil
