Read on Twitter
1. Quick 
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧵" title="Thread" aria-label="Emoji: Thread"> : 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& #39;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">https://insighthungary.444.hu/2020/05/1...
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">https://twitter.com/panyiszab...
4. here is his party colleague MEP @katka_cseh calling out the abuse https://twitter.com/katka_cseh/status/1260528932392259587">https://twitter.com/katka_cse...
5. this is being done under Orbán& #39;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/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/...
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">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/2...
7. and @VALERIEin140 wrote about it here: https://www.ft.com/content/5ba8a724-871c-480e-930d-ed9b0469cafe">https://www.ft.com/content/5...
8. He is now accelerating these moves as MEP @donath_anna describes here https://twitter.com/donath_anna/status/1260477378645590022">https://twitter.com/donath_an...
9. Incredibly, @VeraJourova initially gave interviews in which she suggested Orban& #39;s move to rule by decree didn& #39;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">https://www.faz.net/aktuell/p...
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">https://www.politico.com/news/2020...
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& #39;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">https://twitter.com/eublogo/s...
13. as I have explained in many publications, the EU is trapped in an authoritarian equilibrium. With Orban& #39;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">https://twitter.com/rdanielke...
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
