Of course, I spoke too soon. In reporting the news that Europe is, by and large, shaking off its religious shackles, it seems there is (unsurprisingly) some pushback. Anyone who knows European politics could guess where the pushback is coming from: the growing populist right-wing haven of Hungary.
Viktor Orban, winning a third term with a landslide victory off the back of very strong anti-immigration rhetoric, has taken the country further to the right with his Fidesz party, with the help of said party’s media dominance. This is obviously in reaction to the perceived threat of Islamic immigration from the Middle East and elsewhere.
The Guardian reports:
Fidesz holds 133 of 199 seats in the parliament, which will enable the party to pass any laws, even those that require two-thirds support.
Parliament will hold its first session on Tuesday, where Orbán will be officially re-elected prime minister.
In a radio interview on Friday, Orbán said his government was building a “Christian democracy”.
“We are working on building an old-school Christian democracy, rooted in European traditions … We believe in the importance of the nation and in Hungarywe do not want to yield ground to any supranational business or political empire,” he said.
Orbán has accused non-governmental organisations funded by the Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros of political meddling and actively supporting immigration.
He said any organisation involved in the migration issue would have to seek clearance from national security authorities.
One of the first laws expected to be passed by parliament is a “stop Soros” bill, which would impose a 25% tax on foreign donations to NGOs that back immigration.
Soros has said the attacks against him are “lies and distortions” designed to create a false enemy.
Hungary is definitely one to watch and could very well be a large thorn in the side of the EU, undermining its projects.
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