What can I say about Viktor Orban that I haven’t already said?

No, this is not a eulogy. Well, not for him, though perhaps — if he and his cohorts are not stopped — for democracy in Europe.

Earlier I commented on his single-handed, underhanded attempt to convince Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Volodymyr Zelensky — and even the still-not-elected-but-convicted-felon Donald Trump — that he, the great and wonderful Orban, is capable of bringing a satisfactory end to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Seriously.

But wait . . . there’s more.

It seems that Viktor Orban — little noticed by the general public outside of Hungary until fairly recently — is well on his way to realizing his dream of reestablishing the Habsburg Empire, apparently with himself as a modern-day version of the Kaiser.

Yeah, I know. It sounds like the plot of a Mel Brooks comedy. But this is no “Robin Hood, Men In Tights.” This is serious business . . . and it all revolves around a group that calls itself “Patriots for Europe.”

The problem is, they’re anything but what they profess to be.

What they are is a coalition of EU member countries falling into step behind Orban and his far-right demagoguery, designed to give him the political platform he needs to achieve his goal of leading a “new” Europe . . . one in which “democracy” presumably will become a non-word, and extreme nationalism will rule the day.

The founding members of his club — Austria, Bohemia (the Czech Republic) and Hungary — once formed the core of the original Habsburg Empire. And earlier this month, France’s National Rally party and Italy’s Lega signed on to join the Patriots, following a growing list of hard-right parties throughout Europe. Orban is hopeful that Slovenia and Slovakia will not be far behind.

Announcing the formation of Patriots for Europe, Orban said: “We are creating a political formation that in my view will take off like a rocket and very quickly become the largest group of the European right. The sky is the limit.” [Matthew Karnitsching, Politico, July 12, 2024.]

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(Why do I keep hearing echoes of Adolph? . . . )

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One of Orban’s staunchest allies is Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia, who recently survived an assassination attempt that he now says — not surprisingly — was carried out by an “activist of the Slovak opposition.” He is an avowed fan of Vladimir Putin, and has said he wishes he had been well enough to travel to Moscow with Viktor Orban to meet with Putin, commenting:

“I want to congratulate Hungary’s prime minister and express my admiration for his decision to visit Kyiv and Moscow without any hesitation. If my health had permitted it, I would gladly have joined him.” [Politico, id.]

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Though all of the far-right parties that have joined the Patriots to date (with the exception of Austria) are members of NATO as well as the EU, they are, to varying degrees, admirers of Vladimir Putin. In a recent interview with Axel Springer media outlets, Orban said:

“Putin can’t lose. The notion that Russia can be defeated is very difficult to fathom.“ [Politico, id.]

Whether that’s a prognostication, or simply wishful thinking, I don’t know. But it is a clear indication of Mr. Orban’s mindset, and his ambitions. In today’s political environment, his is a voice not to be ignored.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/26/24