Orbán decries 'ideological rift' between east and west Europe over immigration

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in a recent speech at Tusványos in Romania, highlighted deepening ideological differences between Eastern and Western Europe, with immigration policies at the core of this divide.

Orbán criticized the Western European approach to immigration, arguing it stems from an agenda aimed at eroding the nation-state. He stated, "Westerners, quite differently, believe that nation-states no longer exist. They therefore deny that there is a common culture and a public morality based on (the nation-state)," Remix News reports.

The Hungarian prime minister continued, "They believe that migration is not a threat or a problem, but in fact a way of getting rid of the ethnic homogeneity that is the basis of a nation. This is the essence of the progressive liberal international concept. That is why the absurdity does not occur to them, or they do not see it as absurd."

Orbán highlighted the contrast between Eastern Europe and Western Europe, noting that while conflict persists in the east, "in the West of Europe, we are letting hundreds of thousands of people into a foreign civilization, which is absurd from our Central European point of view."


According to Orbán, EU policy documents reveal an intention to transcend national sovereignty. "The clear aim is to transcend the nation," he said, adding, "But the point is that the powers, the sovereignty, should be transferred from the nation-states to Brussels."

He portrayed Western Europe as already existing in a "post-national state," explaining, "They are already in a post-national state in the Western half of Europe. It's not just a politically different situation, but what I'm trying to talk about here is that it's a new mental space."

Addressing Hungary's demographic challenges, Orbán emphasized, "By 2035, Hungary should be demographically self-sustaining. There is no question of a population being replaced by migration." He warned, "The Western experience is that if there are more guests than owners, the home is no longer a home. This risk should not be taken here."

"And finally, the last element of reality is that this post-national situation that we see in the West has a serious, I would say dramatic, political consequence that is shaking democracy," Orbán added.

"Societies are increasingly resistant to migration, gender, war and globalism. And this creates the political problem of elites and the people, elitism and populism," he stated.

Orbán continued, "This is a dominant phenomenon in Western politics today…This means that the elites condemn the people for drifting to the right. The feelings and ideas of the people are labeled xenophobia, homophobia and nationalism. The people, meanwhile, in response, accuse the elite of not caring about what is important to them, but of sinking into some kind of mindless globalism."

Ian Miles Cheong

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Ian Miles Cheong is a freelance writer, graphic designer, journalist and videographer. He’s kind of a big deal on Twitter.

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