The assassination of free speech activist Charlie Kirk by a person believed to be a left-wing extremist sent shockwaves through the Western world. Reacting to the tragic event, US President Donald Trump announced that the radical left movement Antifa would be classified as a terrorist organization in the United States. Shortly after the announcement, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán also proposed taking similar action in Hungary and across the EU. Now, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó is urging Brussels to follow the US example and recognize Antifa as a terrorist organisation.
In his letter to High Representative Kaja Kallas, Péter Szijjártó emphasized that ‘the Antifa movement constitutes a grave threat to the security of the citizens of the European Union and its Member States. It is therefore our shared responsibility to strengthen our collective response.’ In addition, the letter stated that ‘Hungary is convinced that on an issue of such significance, alignment with the United States—the world’s leading actor in the fight against terrorism—is indispensable.’
If deemed a terrorist organization, members of Antifa could face significant restrictions. As a designated terrorist group, the organization’s financiers could also be subject to thorough investigation. In addition, a motion for a resolution tabled by MEP Tom Vandendriessche (Belgium, PfE) calls for ‘a comprehensive investigation into Antifa’s financial flows, sources of support, and cross-border coordination, including alleged funding links to George Soros and affiliated networks,’ and urges ‘the Commission, the Council, Europol, and Member States to prioritise dismantling Antifa networks across Europe.’ However, the motion is unlikely to pass in the European Parliament (EP)—Alternative for Germany (AfD) attempted to pass a similar resolution in 2023, but it failed to reach the required number of votes.
The likely failure of the motion in the European Parliament has not stopped political parties across Europe from drawing attention to the threat Antifa represents. In the Dutch Parliament, for instance, Geert Wilders (PVV), along with two other Dutch politicians, tabled a motion to ban Antifa—which successfully passed. Although the Dutch motion is currently only a recommendation and not a legally binding decision, it may still encourage action from the government. The wave of resistance to Antifa’s methods has reached Belgium as well, where the president of the French-speaking Liberals, Georges-Louis Bouchez, has also called for banning the group.
‘Hungarian citizens have first-hand experience of the violence Antifa employs in its so-called “fight against fascism”’
Hungarian citizens have first-hand experience of the violence Antifa employs in its so-called ‘fight against fascism’, so the government’s move to recognize the organization as a terrorist group is hardly surprising. In 2023, foreign members of Antifa—arriving from various EU Member States—carried out five brutal attacks on the streets of Budapest, selecting their victims based on perceived ‘right-wing appearance’.
These assaults, which left nine randomly targeted individuals seriously injured, shocked the Hungarian public. The attacks were carried out in broad daylight, with extreme violence, using hammers, batons, and pepper spray. The Antifa activists arrived in Hungary on a symbolic date: the anniversary of the failed 1945 breakout attempt by Nazi and Hungarian fascist troops from the Soviet siege of Budapest. In five separate incidents, the attackers assaulted unsuspecting civilians—including two Polish tourists—with one attack even taking place in a supermarket parking lot.
It is alleged that Ilaria Salis, now a serving Member of the European Parliament, was among the perpetrators of the violent attacks — prior to winning her seat in the 2024 EP elections. Salis spent several months in detention in Hungary for her alleged involvement in the assaults, but her election as an MEP granted her parliamentary immunity, which led to her release. Throughout the investigation, Salis denied all charges but maintained that she is an anti-fascist activist. She gained prominence in Italy by claiming she was being prosecuted in Hungary for her ‘political beliefs’, which earned her the support of the radical left Greens and Left Alliance (AVS), ultimately helping her secure a seat in the European Parliament.
After Ilaria Salis was granted immunity as an elected politician, she had to be released, but Hungary swiftly requested the European Parliament to waive her immunity so that the investigation and her trial may continue. Despite Hungary’s request having been logged in the EP on 22 October 2024 no decision has been made on the request until now. After almost a year of delay the relevant EP Committee now recommends not to lift Ilaria Salis’ immunity, a matter on which the European Parliament is expected to reach a final decision in the first days of October. The European Parliament is expected to accept the recommendation of the Legal Committee, JURI, so Salis’ immunity is unlikely to be lifted.
After Ilaria Salis was granted immunity as an elected politician, she had to be released; however, Hungary swiftly requested that the European Parliament waive her immunity so the investigation and trial could continue. Although Hungary’s request was officially submitted to the EP on 22 October 2024, no decision has been made until now.
‘Parliamentary immunity is not a Member’s personal privilege but a guarantee of the independence of Parliament’
After nearly a year of delay, the relevant EP committee has recommended not to lift Salis’ immunity—a matter on which the European Parliament is expected to reach a final decision in the first days of October. The Parliament is widely expected to follow the recommendation of the Legal Affairs Committee (JURI), meaning that Salis’ immunity is unlikely to be lifted.
The European Parliament’s refusal to waive the immunity of Ilaria Salis, a suspect in a violent crime, is an unprecedented step. According to the Parliament’s own Rules of Procedure: ‘Parliamentary immunity is not a Member’s personal privilege but a guarantee of the independence of Parliament’—in other words, immunity should not serve to shield politicians from the consequences of crimes they are alleged to have committed.
The motivation to investigate the attacks that took place in Hungary in 2023 is not to conduct a political witch-hunt against Salis, but to identify and prosecute those responsible for a series of assaults that left nine victims seriously injured. The Legal Affairs Committee’s recommendation to protect Salis undermines Hungary’s pursuit of justice and suggests that the European Parliament is operating not on the basis of the rule of law, but in the interest of preserving the power of a left-wing political elite.
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