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Pro-government comments on German criticism of Hungary

August 29th, 2020

Pro-government outlets suggest that German Social Democrats have a grudge against the Hungarian government. One author believes the crux of the controversy is a divergence of views on the future of Europe.

Mandiner’s Levente László Greczula writes that Cabinet Minister Michael Roth was not the only German Social Democratic politician to lambast the Hungarian government, accusing it of antidemocratic tendencies. (For Mr Roth’s remarks see BudaPost, August 26). He mentions Katherina Barley, the German deputy speaker of the European Parliament who disagreed with putting the Hungarian Commissioner in charge of EU Enlargement. Another example he brings up is that of former SPD Chairman Martin Schultz who called PM Orbán ‘cynical and calculating’.

On Mozgástér, political analyst Zoltán Kiszelly writes that Hungary and Poland are in the crosshairs of leading German Social Democrats because the latter promote the idea of a fully united Europe while Hungary and Poland want to keep the EU as it is, a union of independent states. Kiszelly believes German Social Democrat Finance Minister Olaf Scholz wants the EU to borrow more money on international markets in an effort to prevent any repetition of Brexit. Kiszelly thinks Poland and Holland ‘are closely watching’ whether Brexit proves a success for the United Kingdom. Plunging the EU that is the member countries into debt he writes, would make any further secessions too costly.

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