MCC Brussels@MCC_Brussels
🚨Statement on the Hungarian Election from MCC Brussels
Sunday’s Hungarian election saw an unprecedented exercise of democratic rights by the Hungarian people. They voted in their millions for change, and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán graciously conceded defeat to his opponent.
This enormous mobilisation of the population should be the final nail in the coffin of the increasingly desperate narrative, favoured by EU elites and the Brussels media, that Orbán was a dangerous autocrat who had built an anti-democratic system. Orbán remained a democrat to his core.
Orbán’s defeat is naturally a significant setback to those who support the values which defined his rule: national sovereignty, strong borders, and proud defence of national values. It is a sign of the depth of Orbán’s influence that even his opponent Peter Magyar was forced to speak in these terms.
While Magyar should be judged on his record -and we hope he will be as firm in defending these values as Prime Minister Orbán has been -we should be wary of simply taking Magyar at his word. It is clear, not just from the ecstatic mood among EU elites but also from Magyar’s signature campaign promises - such as the unfreezing of EU funds and the expansion of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office - that Magyar plans to significantly accommodate to the diktats of Brussels. Magyar will have a difficult time protecting Hungary’s sovereignty, borders and culture whilst allowing Brussels to stamp its mark on the country. He also leads a highly heterogenous coalition which will be difficult to hold together under stress.
EU elites should also be wary of celebrating too soon. Whilst Orbán may have been defeated, the wider mood of the continent is unchanged. The populist revolution is still very much ongoing. The pushback against the EU elite’s addiction to uncontrolled migration, its disastrous energy and environmental policies, and its culture war against the values of European civilisation is still well underway.
Nonetheless, populists, patriots and genuine conservatives should seriously reckon with the lessons of this defeat. There will be much debate about the meaning of this election, and clearly the desire for change played a significant role, but we draw attention to three often under-emphasised factors.
First, far from being a marginal phenomenon, the influence of the globalist outlook of identity politics ought to be a core concern for us all. There is a powerful ideology which seeks to detach people from their national consciousness, their sense of civilisation and history, and replace genuine solidarity with the contemporary identities of gender, race or sexuality. The considerable resources of the European Commission, such as its army of funded NGOs, push this ideology day and night. Defeating this is key to the success of any populist candidate.
Second, and relatedly, is the need to thoroughly convince a new generation of voters – both young people and those who have been politically inactive for some time. Many European populist movements are successfully linking the sense of disaffection that exists among young people to their core concerns, but there is much more to be done.
Third, we draw attention to a perennial problem on the European Right. The obfuscatory language and secretive operation of the European Union institutions means we must work exceptionally hard to translate the dangerous trends in Brussels into the everyday language of ordinary voters. People’s concerns will rightly be focused on everyday issues of peace and prosperity. This is why it is especially important to find new ways to link the destructive policies of the EU elites to people’s everyday reality. When so much of the threat to our civilisation happens “over there” in Brussels, we must be better at explaining what it means “over here” in the towns and villages of our nation-states.
Finally, many are asking what the election means for MCC Brussels. As an independent organisation, we will continue to research, analyse and advocate around our core concerns, and continue to hold the European Union institutions to account. We look forward to continuing to work with our friends and comrades across the continent.
