At the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Viktor Orban in hostile territory for his oral presentation before the deputies

The Hungarian Prime Minister meets MEPs in Strasbourg on Wednesday, as his country takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. The opportunity for him to cultivate his image as champion of the nationalist rights.

After his press conference on Tuesday October 8 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Viktor Orban has a meeting with MEPs gathered in plenary session on Wednesday morning. According to the official agenda, as is tradition for a country which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, it is supposed to detail the program of its Hungarian presidency.

But above all, for the Hungarian Prime Minister, it will be an opportunity to cultivate his image as champion of the European nationalist rights in the face of the majority of political groups which are clearly hostile to him.

Questioning of the rule of law, pushback of migrants at the borders of Hungary… There is no shortage of subjects for questioning. Environmentalist deputies, like Majdouline Sbai, are particularly angry against Viktor Orban. “In the name of the victims of this hateful speech which undermines our fundamental rights or which propagates discrimination and racism in our societies, we cannot trivialize the arrival of Viktor Orban”, she believes.

The Hungarian also calls for a rapid ceasefire in Ukraine, while the Union, on the contrary, seeks to support the war effort against Russia. “Orban represents everything that harms our Union, he works on behalf of Russian and Chinese interests,” tackle Iratxe Garcia Perez, president of the socialist group in the European Parliament.

“He must know that there is a large European majority who want to defend the values ​​of our Union.”

Iratxe Garcia Perez, president of the socialist group in the European Parliament

at franceinfo

Criticisms which risk galvanizing Viktor Orban in the face of his detractors, according to centrist MEP Pascal Canfin. “Orban’s style is certainly not going to be to smooth things over, he warns, but on the contrary, to add more, so as to create a moment of tension with the European Union, because I think that in his public opinion, that is what he is looking for.”

Faced with adversity, Viktor Orban will at least be able to count on the support of nationalist right-wing deputies like him, who now represent more than a quarter in the European hemicycle.