press review
Once again the EU fails because of Viktor Orban. The Hungarian Prime Minister blocks sanctions against the Russian patriarch and Putin confidant Kirill. This is how the German press reacted.
Because of Hungary’s resistance, the EU has initially decided not to impose sanctions on the Russian Orthodox Church leader, Patriarch Kirill. The sixth EU sanctions package, which also includes an extensive oil embargo, was approved on Thursday by representatives of the 27 EU states without the actually planned sanctions against Kirill. Because a unanimous decision was necessary, the other 26 countries could not prevail against Hungary.
Kirill should actually be on the EU sanctions list because of his support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. He maintains close contact with President Vladimir Putin and has so far shown himself to be very loyal to the Kremlin.
However, Hungary did not want to accept the sanctions, which include an EU entry ban and financial freezes. Prime Minister Viktor Orban recently justified his position “with the question of the freedom of belief of Hungarian religious communities”. This is “sacred and inalienable”.
This is how the German press comments on Orban’s EU policy
“Hanoversche Allgemeine Zeitung”: “Hungary is blocking again. At the beginning of the week, Prime Minister Viktor Orban had agreed to an oil embargo when the other heads of state and government agreed to generous exceptions for Hungary. Only a few days later Orban raised new demands. The planned sanctions against the Russian Orthodox Church leader Patriarch Kirill he doesn’t support it. And so the EU is once again paralyzed – in times of war of all things. The aggressor in Moscow has a loyal ally in Budapest in its efforts to drive the EU states apart. It is high time that the EU can no longer be fooled by Orban.”
“Badisches Tagblatt” (Baden-Baden): “The submissive devotion of the patriarch to the warlord Vladimir Putin is unbearable. The same goes for the lies with which the prince of the church justifies what is unjustifiable. In short: Even for someone like Orban, the solidarity is remarkable – even if Kirill and Orban are similar, both illiberal, bigoted and despising democracy. Orban is now holding his protective hand over the demagogue in bishop’s costume, even though he has strayed as far as possible from the Ten Commandments, the values of the Sermon on the Mount and everything in general what should be the core of the Christian faith.”
“Leipziger Volkszeitung”: “It’s high time that the EU stopped letting Orban fool it. The EU states should impose the oil embargo without Hungary. That would work, even if it were an embarrassing way of documenting the disunity of the Union. But that’s it better than having to endure Orban’s constant harassment. Putin’s war against Ukraine may last for many months, if not years – and will require painful reactions from the EU. The EU economy is under pressure. There will be debates as to whether it It would not be better to persuade Ukraine to make concessions to Putin. That would be a mistake.”
“Munich Mercury”: “Hungarians opposed Moscow’s claim to power in 1956. It is hard to bear that the president of these then brave Hungarians is now the only one in the EU who is questioning the Ukrainians’ comparable claim to freedom. An explanation for Viktor Orbán’s Putin- What is close is that his concept of an “illiberal democracy” is based on Putin’s autocracy.”
“” (Berlin): “The EU is bowing to Orbán. That is a mistake. Europe must find ways of forcing troublemakers, who abuse the desire for unity for blackmail maneuvers, to act together. […] Increasingly, individual members abuse the need for unity as a lever to push through national concerns, even if they have nothing to do with the matter. If this catches on, the organizations will become incapable of acting. They only work if the community benefit is of such high value to all involved that they make concessions.”
: “Kirill is an arch-conservative, homophobic friend of Putin, who even blessed the attack on Ukraine. Why is Orban standing up for the orthodox leader when there are hardly any orthodox Christians in Hungary? He is doing it because the EU will let him . And he does it because it fits the picture that he is painting of himself and his country: The Hungarians are the defenders of the Christian Occident.”
“”: “Orban threatens, Orban blocks, Orban demands – and the 26 other EU countries cave in. You want to rub your eyes. What on earth is going on in Europe right now? The Hungarian Prime Minister obviously feels unexpected after his In spite of the clear election victory in Brussels in spring, he was as invulnerable as if he had bathed in dragon’s blood. And at the end of this remarkable week, it actually seems to be the case that Orban can, as always, cramme his way through Europe. Quite simply because he is more power-conscious and is more ruthless than all the others.”
“”: “Orban is blocking the sanctions against Kirill, showing that he doesn’t care about the unity of the EU. That’s annoying – and Brussels should take action now: the EU has been making decisions for decades that it’s clear that they’re not from be carried by all states. […] In the greatest need, the 26 would agree that each of them would issue identical sanctions. It would be a shame. But it would be much better than being held back by a single populist when it comes to Russia policy.”
“”: “In doing so, Orbán snubs Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who defended the compromise, and it weakens the global image of the EU. However, Orbán does not have to fear any real consequences for this reputation-damaging behavior, because there is no possibility of an EU expel a member.”
“”: “Orbán was able to afford his selfish attitude because he didn’t have to pay a price for it – just as his anti-democratic course, including the curtailment of press freedom, has no consequences from Brussels. Once admitted to the EU, countries stay there. The EU simply lacks one Mechanism to exclude countries if they violate European values and rules. […] This design flaw should be corrected urgently.”
Source: Stern
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