Slavic Europe

While in Turin, Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said that Italy doesn’t take lessons from people such as the fours of the Visegrád Group, which includes Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, and whose leaders, headed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, sent him a letter calling in it to “close the ports” to asylum seekers. “We have the right to demand solidarity from our neighbours, countries with whom we share the European project”, Gentiloni said. “We don’t accept lessons, nor threatening words. We limit ourselves to serenely saying that we do our duty and we demand that Europe does it without giving dubious lessons”. And really any lessons from Mr. Orbán, whose “European” ambition to head a kind of slavic reactionary cartel too often induces him towards far-right radicalisations, are quite unacceptable. Why is Europe keeping to fund (so much) countries that refuse to accept refugees under the EU’s relocation policy?

The Promise

• Peter Beaumont, Orbán promises Netanyahu he will protect Hungary’s Jews, The Guardian, July 18, 2017

Referring to Hungary’s collaboration with the nazis, the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán (R.), has greeted his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu (L.), who is in Budapest on a controversial visit: “We decided in world war two, instead of protecting the Jewish community, to cooperate with the nazis. This will never happen again”. Photo: Balázs Moha/EPA.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Notice sent to Viktor Orbán’s government over law that could force closure of institution founded by U.S. billionaire. [Read more].

• Daniel Boffey, EU takes legal action against Hungary over Soros-backed university, The Guardian, April 26, 2017

A demonstration in support of Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. Photo: Zurab Kurtsikidze/EPA.

The Ghost in the Machine

Rector of Central European University hopeful EU will launch infringement proceedings against Orbán government. [Read more].

• Daniel Boffey, University chief appeals for EU help to fight Hungarian clampdown, The Guardian, April 25, 2017

People protest in support of Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. Photo: László Balogh/Reuters.

Vétó

Demonstrators call for president to veto legislation passed by parliament targeting Central European University Tens of thousands of people have protested in Budapest against legislation that could force the Central European University, founded by the financier George Soros, to move out of Hungary. A bill passed in parliament by the ruling rightwing Fidesz party of the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, a critic of liberal civil organisations funded by Soros, targeted CEU by setting out numerous conditions under which it must operate. The bill has led to criticism from hundreds of leading academics worldwide as well as the U.S. government and EU. [Read more].

• Reuters, Thousands protest in Hungary over threat to Soros university, The Guardian, April 9, 2017

Tens of thousands of Hungarians have protested against the bill passed by the ruling rightwing party. Photo: László Balogh/Reuters.

The Blue Danube

The Hungarian leader’s latest target is Budapest’s critical, multicultural Central European University. His illiberal ideology must not be allowed to spread. [Read more].

• Cas Mudde, The EU has tolerated Viktor Orbán for too long. It has to take a stand now, The Guardian, April 3, 2017

“Central European University (CEU) is everything Viktor Orbán detests: it is critical, global, independent, and multicultural”, writes Cas Mudde. Photo: Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images.