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Between Juncker and Orban, the poster war (V2)

(B2) The first offensive came from the East. The Hungarian government officially announced, via facebook on Tuesday (February 19), that it has launched a poster campaign directly targeting Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission, who nevertheless belongs to the same European political party (the EPP), as well as Georges Soros, the American billionaire of Hungarian origin, pet peeve of the Prime Hungarian Minister Viktor Orban and his party, Fidesz.

 

« You also have the right to know what Brussels is about to do. They want to introduce a mandatory immigration quota. They want to weaken the possibility of protecting the borders of the Member States. Migration would facilitate immigration”, indicates the text.

The European replica

In a rather unusual way, the European Commission's chief spokesperson, Margaritis Schinas (who also belongs to the EPP) reacted harshly, on the same channels (facebook and twitter): " Hungarians deserve facts, not fiction. The Hungarian government's campaign mocks the truth. It is shocking that such a ridiculous conspiracy theory has reached [governments] to such an extent. »

And to argue: there is no "they", only the European Union, and Hungary is at the table [decision]. The EU does not undermine the protection of national borders, it supports it. There is no plan for humanitarian visas. Member States decide on the level at which they wish to accept legal migration. »

A committed campaign

Not content with announcing the campaign, the Hungarian government immediately put its money where its mouth is, having its placards published in the main Hungarian newspapers. A campaign that has the gift of irritating to the highest degree within the European Commission. " It's not an open conflict, it's not a war. But whenever the people of Hungary are not informed of the facts but of some alternative facts or fictions or such kind of stories, we will reply warned Margaritis Schinas during the daily briefing on Wednesday (February 20). And to add: We think it's a must ».

A Homeric and fratricidal battle

A Homeric battle between two supporters of the same party through the media, supported by a government public poster campaign, is rare and even unheard of according to my memories. Especially since the Hungarian government does not attack 'Brussels' in a generic way, but also targets a photo in support of a specific person, Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission.

Generally, cheap shots between 'brothers' of the same party were done on the sly, via 'confidences' to the media or more confidential internal manoeuvres. The objective is often to eliminate a competitor (1). Here the confrontation takes place in broad daylight, on highly political issues. The question officially posed by the former Prime Minister of Luxembourg is the same one that has arisen, naggingly, for months: should we expel or, rather, when and can we expel Fidesz (the party of V. Orban) of the Christian Democrat group.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde, with LH)


Juncker calls for the expulsion of Fidesz from the EPP

« Against the lies, there's not much to do said the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, during a public intervention in Stuttgart on Tuesday (19 February). The President of the European Commission has publicly questioned the need to expel Fidesz, the party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban from the European People's Party (EPP). " There is nothing in common between Mr. Orban and me. [...] His place is not in the European People's Party ". And add " Manfred weber — the candidate of the European People's Party (EPP) for the European elections — should certainly consider whether he needs that voice in the European People's Party » reports theaustrian news agency. NB: The Luxembourg social-Christian party, of which Juncker is one of the leaders, spoke out very early on for the expulsion of Fidesz from the EPP. But his opinion remained in the minority.


  1. The internal political aspect of this fight should not be overlooked. Fidesz and Viktor Orban do not want to leave its direct competitor in Hungary, the far-right party, which sometimes turns neo-Nazi, Jobbik.

Updated - with the box on the expulsion of Fidesz

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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