London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 02, 2025

'Drain the swamp': Orban calls for European Parliament to be dissolved

'Drain the swamp': Orban calls for European Parliament to be dissolved

"The Hungarians would like for the European Parliament to be dissolved in its current form," Orban said. #EuropeNews

Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine "only had losers so far", Hungary's prime minister said on Wednesday, stating that "both sides and the European economy" have all taken a hit from Moscow's aggression and using the opportunity to blast Brussels for the sanctions once again.

The nearly three-hour news conference, held annually, is nearly the only occasion of the year when Victor Orban fields questions from the international media or critical Hungarian outlets.

The illiberal right-wing leader, who won a fourth straight term in office in April, has engaged in frequent battles with the EU, which accuses him of violating democratic norms and overseeing large-scale official corruption.

But on Wednesday, Orban blasted the European Parliament for recent revelations of a cash-for-favours corruption scandal that allegedly involves Qatar and borrowed a phrase from former US President Donald Trump, saying it was time to "drain the swamp" in Brussels.

The scandal, Orban said, had drawn into question the credibility of the institution and that he supports abolishing the body as it currently exists.

Orban also called for the European Parliament members to be delegated by national parliaments instead of being elected.

"The Hungarians would like for the European Parliament to be dissolved in its current form," Orban said.

"The degree to which the reputation of the European Parliament in Hungary has been damaged is easy to answer: not at all, because it couldn't have been any lower."


Concerns over illiberal backsliding or 'Hungarophobia'?

Wednesday's news conference came as the EU has frozen more than €12 billion in funding to Hungary over concerns that Orban's government has cracked down on judicial independence, overseen official corruption and abridged minority rights.

In September, the European Parliament declared that Hungary could no longer be considered a democracy and would become "a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy" under Orban's leadership — a charge his government has rejected.

During the press conference, Orban blamed the keyed-up relations on "Hungarophobia" within the bloc instead.

However, the tensions between Budapest and Brussels have been made increasingly worse by the Hungarian government's lobbying against sanctions on Moscow for its war in Ukraine.

Orban — who is considered one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest EU allies — claims sanctions have been ineffective in pressuring the Kremlin to end the war and that they have inflicted more damage on European economies than on Moscow.

The new year will pose "a challenge for almost all European countries to avoid an economic downturn or recession resulting directly from war and European participation in the war, called sanctions," Orban added.

"If it were up to us, there would not be a sanctions policy," Orban said Wednesday, adding that he would not support any additional sanctions packages against Russia in the future but would not stand in the way of the EU passing them.

"It is not in our interest to permanently divide the European and Russian economies into two, so we are trying to save what can be saved from our economic cooperation with the Russians," he said.

Orban has made a number of concessions in order to secure delivery of badly needed EU funds, but the European Commission — the bloc's executive arm — has insisted on further reforms if Budapest is to gain access to the money.

Hungary is struggling with among the highest inflation rates in Europe and a floundering currency which has caused skyrocketing prices. 

In November, the inflation rate was over 22%, and the forint currency was down nearly 10% against the euro since the beginning of the year.

Orban said the government had plans to reduce inflation to single digits by next December and would soon unveil a program which would eliminate income taxes until the age of 30 for women who have children.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
×