10-07-2025
The hypocrisy of the left has gone too far
Loránt Vincze has been an EPP Member of the European Parliament since 2019 on behalf of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ). He is the EPP coordinator in the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, the International Secretary of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), and Chair of the EP Intergroup on Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages.
The political left in Europe has mastered the art of selective principles. They champion the rule of law – until it no longer serves their narrative. They demand institutional transparency and an ethics body – as long as the committee of "independent experts" is made up of NGO representatives from their own ideological corner. They defend civil society and non-governmental organisations – so long as those organisations follow the GMW ideology: Green, Migration, and Woke.
But let's be honest: what they really want is for GMW-aligned NGOs to receive unchallenged access to EU funds. They talk of accountability while turning a blind eye when these same organisations use public money to lobby the very institutions that fund them – only to return and ask for more.
We value the work of NGOs, grassroots organisations, and civic groups that genuinely contribute to dialogue and problem-solving in their communities. NGOs can be ideological, and that's part of healthy democratic debate. But public authorities must not treat those aligned with left-wing causes as more legitimate than conservative ones. Increasingly, grant applications are disregarded unless they explicitly endorse GMW priorities, narrowing pluralism and undermining trust in the fairness of EU funding.
This is not principled politics. This is not public service. This is GMW fundamentalism, a form of ideological extremism no less harmful than any coming from the far right. It's rigid, intolerant of dissent, and deeply disconnected from the everyday concerns of European citizens.
In Brussels, the political arena has become dominated by this double standard. The so-called 'EU bubble' often demands the political downfall of the centre-right and the right. The message is clear: there is room only for the approved narrative, only for the acceptable ideology. But the left must come down from its moral high horse and step into the real world – the world outside the plenary chamber and beyond the Brussels think tanks.
Go and meet the people. Speak to workers, farmers, small business owners, teachers, and families. Listen to what they care about. You'll quickly find that the GMW ideology might stir debate on social media, but it's not what keeps people up at night. Their real concerns? Rising living costs, educational opportunities, access to healthcare, decent wages, honest entrepreneurship, dignified pensions, peace and security.
Ironically, many of these are traditionally seen as centre-left issues. But today, they are better addressed by the European People's Party (EPP) and its commitment to the social market economy – a model rooted in responsibility, solidarity, and practical solutions. The centre-right represents the backbone of Europe: families, communities, entrepreneurs, farmers. These are not abstract interest groups; they are real people with real lives and real hopes. And we fight for them.
It seems to surprise when the EPP Group pushes back. In truth, we should do it more often – and more firmly. We are Christian Democrats . We stand for European values, for the European way of life, for subsidiarity, for national responsibility in European coordination, and for a strong Europe that acts with purpose in a rapidly changing world. For the EPP, citizens and communities are at the centre – not ideology.
And when policies are put to the test in the European Parliament, outcomes may surprise you. In fact, voting records show that in the past year, during final votes there were more than twice as many majorities formed between the Socialists and the right against the EPP than between the EPP and the right against the Socialists. Numbers aside, the EPP will not shy away to get a majority behind rightful decisions.
In the end, the verdict on the left's hypocrisy will not be rendered by editorial pages, political spin, or virtue-signalling speeches. It will come at the ballot box – by citizens who are tired of being lectured, and ready to be heard.
