Even liberals did not take kindly to the decision by Brussels district mayor Emir Kir to use police force to try and shut down a right-wing conference featuring Viktor Orbán among the speakers. Kir faced severe criticism from Belgium’s left-wing prime minister, and the Conseil d’État, Belgium’s highest court, subsequently annulled his order.
‘People in Europe want change, and they will certainly voice this in the elections, which will result in a shift in the political balance of the European Parliament. However, I don’t think this is a revolutionary change. It will hardly change the balance of power in the board too much, but there is at least a chance that the atmosphere will change. We’ll see where all this could lead us.’
‘The protests today, like the Peasants’ War, are not merely about specific policy grievances but represent a broader disillusionment with political and economic systems that seem increasingly out of touch with the needs and values of significant portions of the population. Both movements illustrate how new social forces can galvanize widespread action, pushing societies to a tipping point where change becomes inevitable.’
‘The fact that Hungary has to fight like hell for its right to be normal is a sign of the times. So is the fact that in America, as in almost every Western country, the borders are a fiction, our heroes are hated, our free speech is taken away from us, scientists proclaim the desirability of sculpting the genitals of children into works of art—and these things barely make news. We have grown accustomed to decadence.’
According to Nicola Procaccini, those who attempt to demonize Viktor Orbán are seeking to impose their minority political perspectives onto others. The remarks made by the co-chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists signify another indication that Fidesz may indeed join the conservative political group following the European elections in the summer.
‘A double standard is to be expected. It is what we, conservatives always have to live with, because the left controls all these institutions and communication channels, and the left will do everything it can to help their favoured candidate win.’
The president of MRC Free Speech America reminded that the only criminal charges of the many against President Trump that have any legal merit are the ones related to mishandling classified information. However, it is actually common for Presidents to keep some classified documents in their private residences from their times in office: even Joe Biden did so after leaving the Vice Presidency, yet he was never charged. Mr Schneider also opined that we would not see a criminal trial of Donald Trump before the election, as by the time the Supreme Court hands down its ruling on his immunity case, there would be no time to put him on trial before 5 November.
‘2023 in fact demonstrated, if demonstration were needed, that a deep social, political, and ideological cleavage now divides electorates across Europe, separating progressive, educated, urban, middle class and younger voters from the alienated rural, working class and older conservative voters living outside the fashionable urban centres. This cleavage was dramatically evident in election results in Spain, Slovakia, Poland, and Holland in the course of 2023.’
As the European Parliament elections approach, Manfred Weber, President of the European People’s Party, has entered campaign mode, with a focus on demonizing Viktor Orbán and the European right. Meanwhile, speculation continues regarding which political group Fidesz will align with in the next EP.
The man, who claims to have lived in Ireland for 17 years, was filmed at an anti-migration protest, which he attended out of fear for the safety of his two children.