Inside Europe 12 June 2025 – DW – 06/12/2025
Kate Laycock
06/12/2025
June 12, 2025
What can the U.S. learn from Hungary's fight against authoritarianism? Hungarian MEP Klara Dobrev shares insights on how to resist authoritarianism in a special interview. Plus, we explore the cost of climate change, and examine recovery efforts in Valencia after last year's flooding and Turkey after devastating earthquakes in 2023.
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2 days ago
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Hungarian MEP: 'We took democracy for granted' – DW – 06/13/2025
Klara Dobrev is head of Hungary's opposition Democratic Coalition and former vice president of the European Parliament. DW spoke to her about the rise of illiberal democracy in Europe and current politics in Hungary. DW: US President Donald Trump's admiration for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was on full display at the recent CPAC gathering in Budapest, and the architects of Project 2025 say openly that they see Orban's illiberal democracy as the model for Trump's second presidency. What parallels do you see between Hungary and the United States right now? Klara Dobrev: We took democracy for granted. In 2010, we said: "If Orban doesn't deliver, then we will simply defeat him in the next elections." I have heard the same thing from my fellow democrats in the USA. It's not true. These illiberals, they are attacking the institutions. They are attacking the checks and balances, the correction mechanisms of democracy. They attack the media, they attack public administration, they attack civil organizations, they attack freedom of speech … You must be able to react on time, before it's too late. What were the key red flags on the road to "illiberal democracy," and what are the moments of possibility for pushing back? Dobrev: A politician comes to power in an election, but then there is a moment when he decides not to lose power; he decides to become an autocrat. This is a one-way road. There is no turning back. That's what we saw with Putin. That's what we saw with Lukashenko. That's what we saw with Erdogan and that's what we saw with Orban. Klara Dobrev says that if Hungarians were given the choice between Orban and Europe, the majority of people would choose Europe. Pictured here: Hungarian PM Viktor Orban Image:Hungary was once one of the best countries in Central Eastern Europe, with the highest living standards. Now, we are one of the poorest countries in the European Union. Democracy is the only way you can secure the long-term wellbeing of people. If there is a mistake, you can correct it. If there is a bad policy, you can correct it. If there is no democracy, then you can't correct it. Now, the tension is so big. People are living in very bad circumstances. We don't have migrant problems, we have the problem that everyone is leaving the country. I definitely think that in 2026 you can really put huge pressure on the government. Viktor Orban's main political challenger is Peter Magyar, a former Fidesz insider. Why has the Hungarian left not been able to occupy that space? Dobrev: In 2021, the united opposition (United for Hungary) was ahead of Fidesz in the polls. Unfortunately, a right-wing candidate started to talk against the left parties, and it destroyed this feeling of being united. I strongly believe that the only way you defeat an illiberal populist is with a broad coalition of Democrats, Conservatives, Liberals, Greens, Social Democrats, Socialists. Together: That's the only way, and that's the only way you can govern a country later on. Peter Magyar, leader of the Hungarian opposition Tisza Party and Viktor Orban's main political challenger, speaks on the anniversary of the 1848/49 Hungarian Revolution Image: Balint Szentgallay/IMAGO This time, again, the opposition is leading. But it will not be enough if we cannot make a broad coalition. You have to bring everyone to the voting booth. How can a broad coalition be kept together over an issue like defending the Budapest Pride march, which is likely to be something supported by urban liberals, but not by more conservative sections of society? Dobrev: We can have different values about a lot of things, but if you are a democrat, then you definitely must work on the basis that Pride cannot be banned, whatever your opinion about it. When there is a red flag, there is a red flag. Every politician who considers himself a democrat has to be there on Pride. That's why I invited the whole European Parliament. I invited all fellow members from different parties to come and show courage, to participate in Pride. This is exactly the moment when you as a politician have to set an example. This month, the Hungarian government made a surprising concession: postponing a parliamentary vote on the Transparency in Public Life bill until after the summer recess. The bill, which would enable the government to fine — and potentially ban — NGOs, media outlets and journalists it deems to be receiving foreign money and acting against the national interest, has been heavily criticized by rights groups. What dangers do you see in the legislation? Dobrev: It's not only freezing the funds, it's threatening the journalists or the owners of the media outlets with a fine which is 25 times the funding they receive. So, it's a personal threat, it's not a political threat. In the 21st century, you don't have to put people in jail, you can silence them very easily. Demonstrators in Budapest protested against the planned law 'on transparency in public life,' which critics see as an attempt by Prime Minister Viktor Orban to muzzle dissenting voices Image: Ferenc Isza/AFP Let me give you an example. The Pride was a march of joy. It was sponsored by a lot of multinational companies, all the big companies who were in Hungary. When this law came out, the majority of the sponsors disappeared. So, you can just simply create an atmosphere where this kind of solidarity within society is not working anymore — and the same with the journalists and media outlets. When autocracy goes into your soul, into your mind, you don't need external censors. I think the most dangerous attack is not the concrete penalty, the concrete fine. The biggest damage is to the mindset and the soul. You're a former vice president of the European Parliament, currently a sitting MEP within the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group. You've seen, from Brussels, how some €18 billion worth of funds have been withheld from Hungary over rule of law concerns. And yet, the democratic backsliding has continued. Has the EU got it wrong? What would be a more effective approach toward Orban? Dobrev: Even after 15 years of Orban, Hungarians are pro-European. It's over a thousand years of Hungarian history: We always wanted to be part of Europe, and always someone dragged us out, whether it was the Tartars, the Turks or the Russians. So, if you put the question in black and white: "Orban or Europe?" then the majority of the people would choose Europe. 'If you are a democrat, then you definitely must work on the basis that Pride cannot be banned, whatever your opinion about it,' says Klara Dobrev Image: Ferenc Isza/AFP It's so painful for me to say this, but Orban could never have built his illiberal regime without European funding, which was coming into the country for 10 years without any proper controls. All his oligarchs, friends, son-in-law, father — their wealth was stolen from European taxpayers, and it was stolen from the Hungarian people. And with this wealth, they bought the media outlets, they bought the critical companies in energy, in telecommunications, in the banking sector. They bought the land, they bought the country. That's why we are saying that until these controls are built in, the money should remain in Brussels. It's there, it's for Hungary, but it cannot go anymore to the Orban family and the Orban oligarchs. Brussels should really show that Europe is a union of values and democracy, not simply a bunch of countries. Edited by: Aingeal Flanagan The full interview with Klara Dobrev MEP can be heard on DW's Inside Europe podcast .
DW
3 days ago
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Inside Europe 12 June 2025 – DW – 06/12/2025
Kate Laycock 06/12/2025 June 12, 2025 What can the U.S. learn from Hungary's fight against authoritarianism? Hungarian MEP Klara Dobrev shares insights on how to resist authoritarianism in a special interview. Plus, we explore the cost of climate change, and examine recovery efforts in Valencia after last year's flooding and Turkey after devastating earthquakes in 2023.
DW
06-06-2025
- DW
German activist Maja T. goes on hunger strike in Hungary – DW – 06/06/2025
German anti-fascist activist Maja T., has been held in isolation in a Hungarian prison for one year now. The case highlights the state of the rule of law in Victor Orban's Hungary. "I can no longer endure the prison conditions in Hungary. My cell was under round-the-clock video surveillance for over three months. I always had to wear handcuffs outside my cell for over seven months," reads Maja T.'s statement. The non-binary German activist went on a hunger strike on June 5. "Non-binary" refers to individuals who identify as neither exclusively female nor male. People like Maja T.* generally have a hard time in Hungary, although it is a member state of the European Union (EU), which has anti-discrimination provisions. In 2021, Hungary first made legislative amendments to multiple laws, targeting LGBTQ+ individuals. In early 2025, under Viktor Orban's authoritarian rule, Hungary passed a law that can be used to ban Pride and similar events. At the start of the trial in Budapest, Maja T. was led into the courtroom on a leash Image: Denes Erdos/AP/dpa/picture alliance No hope of a fair trial Maja T. has long given up hope of a fair criminal trial and wants to use the hunger strike to force a return to Germany. In June 2024, T. was extradited from Germany to Hungary and has been in solitary confinement in a Budapest prison ever since. The activist's trial began there on February 21. The public prosecutor's office accuses the prisoner from Jena in Germany's eastern state of Thuringia of assaulting and seriously injuring several people in Budapest in February 2023. The victims had taken part in the so-called "Day of Honor," an annual march by neo-Nazis from all over Europe. At the start of the criminal proceedings, T. was led into the courtroom in handcuffs and shackles and on a leash. The public prosecutor's office offered T. the opportunity to enter a guilty plea and accept 14 years in prison without further proceedings. However, T. declined and instead made a six-page statement with clear criticism of Hungary: "It is a state that quite openly marginalizes and separates people because of their sexuality or gender. I am accused by a European state because I am an anti-fascist." T. did not comment on the content of the charges — multiple counts of grievous bodily harm. Maja T. could now face up to 24 years in prison under Hungarian law. A sentence passed by a German court is likely to be much more lenient. Hungary amends constitution to curb LGBTQ+ rights To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Extradition to Hungary was unlawful What makes the case particularly controversial is that T.'s extradition from Germany to Hungary was unlawful. This was ruled by the Federal Constitutional Court at the end of January. It expressly referred to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (EU) and the associated ban on inhumane treatment. The court listed: Inadequate hygiene conditions, lack of access to hot water, bedbugs, poor and little food, extreme temperatures in winter and summer, poor lighting and ventilation in the cells, violence against prisoners by fellow prisoners and prison staff, and rule of law deficits. The Berlin Court of Appeal is responsible for the unlawful extradition. The Constitutional Court accuses the appeals court of ignoring current information on overcrowding and prison conditions in Hungarian prisons. A 'political trial' However, the successful constitutional complaint came too late: Maja T. had already been extradited. Maja T.'s father, Wolfram Jarosch, traveled to Budapest at the start of the trial to offer his 24-year-old child moral support. On the phone with DW, he described the criminal proceedings as a "political trial." "The worst thing is the solitary confinement," Jarosch said. However, he is impressed by his child's self-discipline: Physical exercise, reading and writing according to a daily and weekly schedule. "Nevertheless, I ultimately notice that Maja is suffering more and more under these conditions, both mentally and physically," he added. There have been demonstrations in Germany in support of Maja T. Image: Markus Scholz/dpa/picture alliance Several members of Germany's socialist Left Party are taking a keen interest in Maja T.'s case. Carola Rackete, Member of the European Parliament, has already visited twice and was able to talk to the security staff about the conditions of detention. She was told that the solitary confinement had been ordered "from above," she told DW. While the other inmates are housed in multi-bed cells and have communal access to the yard, Maja T. is in solitary confinement, allegedly because of her non-binary identity. Rackete believes it is unlikely that this will change. The MEP calls on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the German government to exert pressure on Hungary: If you seriously want to distance yourself from right-wing extremists and stand up for democratic values, you cannot stand idly by while Orban's regime destroys human lives in Hungarian courts, Rackete argues. No further extradition of suspected left-wing extremists Six suspected left-wing extremists, who had been in hiding and are also believed to have been involved in the attacks on suspected neo-Nazis in Budapest in 2023, were luckier than Maja T. The group voluntarily handed themselves in to the German authorities in January. They apparently do not have to fear extradition to Hungary, as the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed to DW on request. Accordingly, the public prosecutors responsible for the extradition proceedings were informed in writing that the investigations in Germany have priority. This means that, should charges be brought, the proceedings would take place in Germany. *Editor's note: DW follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and urges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases. This article was originally written in German. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.
