Zsuzsa Hegedüs has known the Hungarian Prime Minister since 2002, she even describes him as a friend. But for this sociologist, who advised him for years, Viktor Orban exceeded the limits. Saturday July 23, in Romanian Transylvania, the nationalist leader shocked by evoking his rejection of a society “multi-ethnic”. “We don’t want to be a mixed race,” which would mix with “non-Europeans”, said the Hungarian leader, known for his anti-immigration policy.
Viktor Orban also alluded to the gas chambers of the Nazi regime, criticizing the Brussels plan providing for Europeans to reduce their gas consumption by 15%. “I don’t see how they can force the Member States to do this, although there is German know-how in this area, as the past has shown”, he quipped.
The International Auschwitz Committee called on the European Union to “to distance oneself from such racist overtones”. Christoph Heubner, the organisation’s vice-president, called on Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who is hosting Viktor Orban on July 28, to stand out on behalf of the EU. It’s necessary “to make the world understand that Mr. Orban has no future in Europe”of which he “knowingly denies values”.
“A pure Nazi text worthy of Goebbels”
Zsuzsa Hegedüs resigned on Tuesday July 26. In a letter published by the Hungarian media, she describes this speech as“a pure Nazi text worthy of Goebbels”, Adolf Hitler’s former propaganda chief. The adviser made a point of recalling that she defended the Prime Minister for a long time against accusations of anti-Semitism. But she judges this speech this time “indefensible” and admits to having felt more and more uncomfortable with the “illiberal turn” d’Orban in recent years.
The prime minister accepted his resignation but denied being racist. “You cannot seriously accuse me of racism after twenty years of collaborationhe replied to Zsuzsa Hegedüs. You know better than anyone that my government follows a policy of zero tolerance against both anti-Semitism and racism. »
A radicalization of anti-migrant discourse
The resignation of Zsuzsa Hegedüs “does not signal a crisis within power, Viktor Orban has just won elections hands down, says Jacques Rupnik, specialist in Eastern Europe and director of research at the Center for International Research (Ceri-Sciences Po). An individual defection cannot weaken it, but it is a sign. »
This speech is the culmination of the position that Viktor Orban took in 2015 at the time of the migrant crisis: “Hungary does not want migrants from another civilization. The Hungarians consider themselves sovereign to decide on entry into their territory,” adds Jacques Rupnik. The Prime Minister has always criticized the countries of Western Europe for their openness to multiculturalism. “Orban had declared that if he had not built the border barrier in the south of the country, Hungary would have become a great Marseille”, emphasizes the specialist.
Viktor Orban speaks every year in Romanian Transylvania, where the Hungarian community is large. And his choice to radicalize his anti-migrant positions now is not insignificant, notes Jacques Rupnik. “He wants to get back to the fundamentals of what made him successful over the previous decade, he who is criticized for his complacency towards Russia. »