An activist and municipal councilor for a Hungarian opposition party caused disruption during a news conference in Strasbourg, France. The incident took place as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was outlining his plans for Hungary’s six-month presidency of the European Union. The activist, identified as Márton Gyekiczki, interrupted Orbán’s speech by running towards the podium and throwing a stack of what appeared to be banknotes at the prime minister. Gyekiczki shouted, “How much did you sell out the country for, Mr. Prime Minister?” while accusing Orbán of selling out to leaders like Putin and Xi Jinping.
Orbán, set to address the European Parliament during Hungary’s presidency, has faced criticism for what some see as an erosion of democratic rights and close ties with autocratic regimes. The activist Gyekiczki, a member of Hungary’s Democratic Coalition party, was escorted out of the room by security. Former Prime Minister Ference Gyurcsány, president of the party, expressed pride in Gyekiczki’s actions, labelling Hungary’s government as “traitorous.”
Orbán’s upcoming speech in the EU parliament is likely to be met with mixed reactions, as some lawmakers advocate for withholding EU funds from Hungary over concerns about rule-of-law and corruption issues. In response to the disruption, Orbán played down the incident citing Hungarian political culture, where criticism is interpreted as a form of disagreement rather than offence.
Despite facing criticism, Orbán successfully formed the Patriots for Europe group in the EU parliament, aligning with far-right parties to become the third-largest group. During the news conference, Orbán raised concerns about the EU’s economy and competitiveness vis-à-vis the United States and China. He criticised EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and highlighted the challenges posed by immigration, urging for a joint decision among member countries to address border policies.
Orbán’s stance on immigration is rooted in his belief that unrestricted migration threatens the Schengen area. He pointed out that several countries have implemented temporary border checks in response, jeopardising the integrity of the visa-free zone. Despite the disruption, Orbán emphasised the need for unity and collective action within the EU to address pressing challenges.