‘Brussels hijacked our future'
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has unveiled a proposal to increase the power of EU members and limit the authority of its bureaucracy. Calling it a 'patriotic plan' for the bloc, he said in a series of weekend social media posts that it will revive the 'European dream.'
The EU elites in Brussels have exploited every crisis to amass more power, Orban claimed in a post on X. This course has so far only translated into less sovereignty for member states and 'failed policies,' according to the prime minister. 'Brussels hijacked our future' by disrupting public safety through migration and eroding prosperity with 'green dogmas,' he stated in another post.
'Europe can't afford this any longer, it's time to take back control,' he said.The PM's plan is based on what he calls four pillars: a path toward peace on the continent and defusing tensions with Russia, removing Brussels' 'centralized control' over finances, 'bringing back free speech' and strengthening Europe's Christian identity, and tightening control over immigration.
'We want peace, we don't need a new Eastern front,' Orban said, commenting on his plan and stating that the bloc should not accept Ukraine as a member. 'We don't want our money poured into someone else's war,' he added.
A military buildup and defense increase actively promoted by some EU nations could easily lock the bloc in an 'arms race' with Russia, Orban warned. Such a development would 'devour… taxpayers' money,' he said. Instead of pouring more resources into the military, the bloc needs to contribute to the peace process between Moscow and Kiev, the prime minister maintained, praising US President Donald Trump's efforts in this regard.
The EU needs to start 'arms limitation talks with the Russians as soon as possible. Otherwise, all our money will be swallowed by the arms industry instead of being spent on peaceful… goals,' Orban argued.
European nations once united to create the 'safest and the most advanced continent' in the world but this dream was 'stolen,' the prime minister charged, calling on EU nations not to allow Brussels to use the Ukraine conflict 'as an excuse to take more of our money.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
UK threatens to sue Russian tycoon over money for Ukraine
The British government has warned it could sue Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich if he fails to approve the transfer of £2.5 billion ($3.4 billion) to Ukraine from the sale of Chelsea football club. The threat came from Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy in a joint statement on Monday. Abramovich sold Chelsea to a consortium of American investors in May 2022, shortly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict and after being sanctioned by London over alleged Kremlin ties. The tycoon, who denied the accusations and has acted as a mediator between Moscow and Kiev on several occasions, intended the proceeds to be used to help victims of the Ukraine conflict on both sides. London, however, has been pushing for the money to go solely to Ukraine, ignoring the businessman's wishes. 'The government is determined to see the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine,' the statement from Reeves and Lammy read. They added that the UK is 'deeply frustrated' that it has been unable to reach an agreement with Abramovich more than three years after the sale. 'While the door for negotiations will remain open, we are fully prepared to pursue this through the courts if required, to ensure people suffering in Ukraine can benefit from these proceeds as soon as possible,' they stated. The money remains frozen in a UK bank account, pending Foreign Office license for its release abroad. Due to sanctions, Abramovich cannot access the funds but remains their legal owner and must approve any distribution. UK government sources told The Guardian in March that a 'fundamental disagreement' exists between London and Abramovich over the allocation of the funds. They said officials had held multiple discussions with the businessman's representatives, legal advisers, and international partners, and are determined to resolve the issue, including through legal action. Abramovich's representatives did not respond to media requests for comment. Western nations imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia after the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022, freezing over $300 billion of its international reserves and seizing assets from individuals accused of profiting from the conflict. Western officials have repeatedly suggested using the frozen assets to fund Ukraine's reconstruction. Moscow has condemned the freezing of its assets, denouncing the asset seizure proposals as 'outright theft' and warning of reciprocal action against Western holdings in Russia. A number of countries, including in the West, have also warned that confiscating frozen Russian funds would violate international law, set a dangerous precedent, and damage the credibility of Western financial institutions.
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Berlin court bars police from turning migrants away at border
A Berlin court has barred German border police from rejecting asylum seekers arriving from neighboring EU countries without reviewing their claims. The ruling deals a blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's recent efforts to reduce asylum-related land migration. Last month, shortly after Merz took office, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt introduced a policy under which undocumented migrants arriving at land borders were to be turned back – unless they are unaccompanied minors, pregnant women, or otherwise vulnerable individuals. The move aimed to fulfill Merz's campaign promise to curb migration amid heightened public concern following a series of high-profile crimes involving asylum seekers. On Monday, however, the Berlin Administrative Court ruled against the policy. The decision came in response to a legal challenge brought by three Somali nationals who tried to enter Germany last month but were returned to Poland without any examination of their claims. The court found Dobrindt's policy to be unlawful under the Dublin Regulation, which governs how EU member states handle asylum applications. The rules require that asylum seekers apply in the first EU country they enter. If they later apply in another member state, such as Germany, that country can seek to transfer them back to the original state. In its ruling, the Berlin court emphasized that Germany cannot reject asylum seekers at the border without first checking whether they have submitted a claim, and whether the Dublin rules apply. It noted that while Germany is not obligated to accept all asylum seekers at the border, it also cannot summarily return individuals without reviewing their applications. As noted by the New York Times, the German authorities could fulfill these requirements by holding applicants in processing centers until it can be determined which EU state is responsible for their claims. Dobrindt responded to the court's ruling by arguing that it applies only to the specific case of the three Somali migrants and does not undermine the government's broader policy. 'We stand by our legal opinion and do not consider it to have been undermined in this instance,' he told reporters on Monday night. Efforts to curb migration to Germany intensified following a series of violent crimes, including the 2024 knife attack in Solingen, where a Syrian asylum seeker fatally stabbed three people and injured eight others during a summer festival. The attacker had originally entered the EU through Bulgaria. German officials failed to deport him because they could not locate him at his assigned asylum residence.
Russia Today
2 hours ago
- Russia Today
Israel losing most steadfast EU supporter
Germany is rethinking its military and trade ties with Israel, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. The 'surprising' pivot from one of the Jewish state's staunchest supporters comes amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and growing frustration in Berlin over Israel's actions. 'German anger' rose in mid-May as Israel intensified its campaign against Hamas while continuing to block humanitarian aid, according to information obtained by Bloomberg. Germany has adhered to a long-standing policy that protecting Israel is a post-Holocaust obligation. It has also been Israel's largest European arms supplier and one of its top trade partners. In Germany's first such public comments since the war began 20 months ago, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said last week that the humanitarian situation could 'no longer be justified by a fight against Hamas terrorism.' During a phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, Merz urged the Israeli prime minister to allow 'sufficient humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip immediately.' 'This is a real marker of how things have moved,' Julien Barnes-Dacey of the European Council on Foreign Relations told Bloomberg. 'It's simply become impossible for most European governments to continue supporting Israel's war despite strong ongoing commitments to Israel's security.' Israel has long faced accusations of war crimes for obstructing humanitarian aid to Gaza, including a total blockade imposed after October 7, 2023, and repeated restrictions on food, fuel, and medicine entering the besieged enclave. While the Israeli government argues such measures are necessary to prevent supplies from reaching Hamas, critics say the impact on civilians is catastrophic. Berlin's shift mirrors wider discontent across Europe. The UK, France, and the Netherlands are also weighing trade and arms restrictions on Israel. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in May there is 'a strong majority' in favor of reviewing the EU-Israel trade agreement. The EU is Israel's largest trading partner, with $47 billion in goods exchanged last year, according to IMF data. Last week, Israel launched a new aid distribution system through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed initiative. However, the effort has already drawn criticism, as multiple incidents have occurred where Palestinians seeking aid were killed. On Tuesday, at least 27 people died near a distribution site in Rafah, according to Palestinian health officials and witnesses. The Israeli military said troops fired on individuals who had strayed from designated routes and posed a potential threat. Israel maintains that its military strategy is necessary to defeat Hamas and secure the release of the remaining hostages who had been taken during the October 7 attack, which killed 1,200 people. The Hamas-run health ministry reports over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began.
