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1/11
Probably one shouldn't be obsessed with a single opinion piece but @APosener 's one in Zeit magazine https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2020-11/eu-hausthaltskrise-polen-ungarn-corona-hilfen-deutsche-ratspraesidentschaft is just so infuriatingly wrong about basically everything that I can't help reacting to it.
So here come its core statements and some rebuttal.
Probably one shouldn't be obsessed with a single opinion piece but @APosener 's one in Zeit magazine https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2020-11/eu-hausthaltskrise-polen-ungarn-corona-hilfen-deutsche-ratspraesidentschaft is just so infuriatingly wrong about basically everything that I can't help reacting to it.
So here come its core statements and some rebuttal.
2/11
Statement 1: Expecting any minimum norms from Orban is imperialism.
It's not. Hungary joined a club built on shared values. Orban is the enemy of these values and works on destroying them. Stepping up is not just logical but inevitable. There is no future for a nihilist EU.
Statement 1: Expecting any minimum norms from Orban is imperialism.
It's not. Hungary joined a club built on shared values. Orban is the enemy of these values and works on destroying them. Stepping up is not just logical but inevitable. There is no future for a nihilist EU.
3/11
(Extension: if anything resembles "imperialism", it's the current ways of working whereby Orban eviscerates Hungarian workforce by authoritarian methods and in return receives support and protection from the beneficiaries of such evisceration for himself and his methods.)
(Extension: if anything resembles "imperialism", it's the current ways of working whereby Orban eviscerates Hungarian workforce by authoritarian methods and in return receives support and protection from the beneficiaries of such evisceration for himself and his methods.)
4/11
Statement 2: "EU being like Soviet Union" is majority opinion in CEE.
Blatantly untrue. EU-support in CEE is high, in fact often higher than in older member states.
Statement 2: "EU being like Soviet Union" is majority opinion in CEE.
Blatantly untrue. EU-support in CEE is high, in fact often higher than in older member states.
5/11
@APosener (and many others) act as if Orban were representing popular opinion by attacking the EU.
He's not. Equally Orban is representing the opposite of Hungarian majority opinion when he is threatening to veto the EU-budget.
@APosener (and many others) act as if Orban were representing popular opinion by attacking the EU.
He's not. Equally Orban is representing the opposite of Hungarian majority opinion when he is threatening to veto the EU-budget.
6/11
Statement 3: Appeasing Orban is liberalism.
It's not. Letting ruthless aggressors have their way is not liberalism. It is cowardice and stupidity.
There is a certain kind of politics that cannot be met with appeasement. One should think Europe already learnt that lesson.
Statement 3: Appeasing Orban is liberalism.
It's not. Letting ruthless aggressors have their way is not liberalism. It is cowardice and stupidity.
There is a certain kind of politics that cannot be met with appeasement. One should think Europe already learnt that lesson.
7/11
Statement 4: Avoiding conflict with Orban & Kaczynski is positive for the EU's larger goals.
Wrong. Letting have them their way, building dictatorships inside the EU, and allow them blackmailing the EU is bad for *all* the EU's goals, its daily functioning; it raison d'etre
Statement 4: Avoiding conflict with Orban & Kaczynski is positive for the EU's larger goals.
Wrong. Letting have them their way, building dictatorships inside the EU, and allow them blackmailing the EU is bad for *all* the EU's goals, its daily functioning; it raison d'etre
8/11
It's kind of funny to have to point this out, but the EU was conceived as a piece project.
A piece project which doesn't confront hateful, racist, revisionist, belligerent politics and aggressive, ruthless conduct within its own ranks is a paradox.
It's kind of funny to have to point this out, but the EU was conceived as a piece project.
A piece project which doesn't confront hateful, racist, revisionist, belligerent politics and aggressive, ruthless conduct within its own ranks is a paradox.
9/11
Statement 5: There's no need to step up as Orban & Kaczynski are on the wrong side of history.
This is absurd. Hitler and Pol Pot were also on the wrong side of history. Besides, Orban himself could grow into such a threat precisely because of complete inaction in Europe.
Statement 5: There's no need to step up as Orban & Kaczynski are on the wrong side of history.
This is absurd. Hitler and Pol Pot were also on the wrong side of history. Besides, Orban himself could grow into such a threat precisely because of complete inaction in Europe.
10/11
If recent news are to be believed, we are, however, indeed on the verge of some form of appeasement re: budget veto - a compromise that is equal to the EU giving in.
There's little risk in predicting that if so, this will not lead to any kind of calm or peace.
If recent news are to be believed, we are, however, indeed on the verge of some form of appeasement re: budget veto - a compromise that is equal to the EU giving in.
There's little risk in predicting that if so, this will not lead to any kind of calm or peace.
11/11
A blackmailer will continue to blackmail, and raise the price, as long as blackmailing works.
It is indeed sad that a full decade has not sufficed for the EU to learn this lesson.
A blackmailer will continue to blackmail, and raise the price, as long as blackmailing works.
It is indeed sad that a full decade has not sufficed for the EU to learn this lesson.
12/11
Kicking confrontating Orban (and orbanism) further down the road ensures just one thing: that such confrontation will get even more difficult (as it is much more difficult today compared to what it would have been a few years ago).
Kicking confrontating Orban (and orbanism) further down the road ensures just one thing: that such confrontation will get even more difficult (as it is much more difficult today compared to what it would have been a few years ago).
13/11
Orban is very consciously not just rolling out his toxic hate-propaganda on a European level (e.g. http://www.miniszterelnok.hu/europe-must-not-succumb-to-the-soros-network/), thereby building support before a wider European public, and deteriorating public discourse in other EU-countries too.
Orban is very consciously not just rolling out his toxic hate-propaganda on a European level (e.g. http://www.miniszterelnok.hu/europe-must-not-succumb-to-the-soros-network/), thereby building support before a wider European public, and deteriorating public discourse in other EU-countries too.
14/11
He's also strategically working on building a network of "illiberal" democracies in his neighborhood, foremost SEE, meddling in other countries' internal affairs, providing support and political techniques to allies, doing investments.
He's also strategically working on building a network of "illiberal" democracies in his neighborhood, foremost SEE, meddling in other countries' internal affairs, providing support and political techniques to allies, doing investments.
15/11
The first obvious result is Slovenia supporting Orban in the current veto issue on EU stage. But there is a much more extensive operation underway which in time can lead to Orban being not a renegade but the leader and speaker of an entire block of orbanised countries.
END
The first obvious result is Slovenia supporting Orban in the current veto issue on EU stage. But there is a much more extensive operation underway which in time can lead to Orban being not a renegade but the leader and speaker of an entire block of orbanised countries.
END
@rdanielkelemen @alemannoEU @LotharBirkner @daniel_freund @radosveta_vass @DanielHegedus82
@esbalogh @fromTGA @lucasguttenberg @SophieintVeld @JohnOBrennan2 @ProfPech
@m_orenstein @polenz_r @Puettmann_Bonn
@TomMayerEuropa @vonderleyen @MwiWind
@chriswratil @EuroBriefing
@esbalogh @fromTGA @lucasguttenberg @SophieintVeld @JohnOBrennan2 @ProfPech
@m_orenstein @polenz_r @Puettmann_Bonn
@TomMayerEuropa @vonderleyen @MwiWind
@chriswratil @EuroBriefing
...and I do apologize for the various spelling mistakes, some of which are rather painful.
Being in rush is an explanation, but not an excuse.
Being in rush is an explanation, but not an excuse.
