Tamás Fricz is a political scientist and research consultant at Hungary’s Center for Fundamental Rights, which is an institution of Hungary’s ruling party, Fidesz.
I know it is taboo, but somebody has to write down the term (and not necessarily as a deterrent): Huxit. In other words, Hungary’s voluntary, sovereign withdrawal from the European Union (along the lines of Brexit). Will a Huxit be necessary, especially considering the unprecedented, never-before-seen coordinated series of attacks from the EU and the West on Hungary for our child protection law?
I’m not necessarily claiming this. Rather that, the time has come, now in July 2021, to seriously consider the possibility of our withdrawal from a union of states with a thousand bleeding wounds, showing imperial symptoms, and treating the Eastern and Central European countries incredibly arrogantly. We have reached the breaking point: the globalist financial elite and the EU institutions they govern — a committee, a parliament, a court, the European Council in part — have really committed themselves to teaching us a lesson. In fact, their mission is not just a lesson, but a punishment. But actually, even more than that: to make it impossible to act independently, to force us to act according to their whims. And of course, the ultimate tool is withholding money. Or, in the words of the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Katarina Barley, who stated (with the support of George Soros and his followers): renitent countries like Hungary and Poland should be starved out by being deprived of funds.
And a big part of this is not a joke anymore.
What are the arguments for leaving or staying? I believe this is also worth looking at from a political, economic, cultural, and military point of view. Politically, staying in the EU can offer every Hungarian the positive feeling of being part of a developed, democratic West based on an alliance of free nations — which we have always wanted, and after forty years of Communism, finally achieved. Belonging to one of the most developed communities in the world is a special experience, and abandoning that after fifteen years can only happen under very strong and compelling circumstances.
The question is: Are there such strong and compelling reasons at the moment?
My answer: yes. Because the fact is that the priorities of this coveted alliance of states has changed radically, and the mainstream globalist-liberal elites want to transform the EU into something completely different than it has been so far. And the situation now is that although we entered a community of free, sovereign countries — at least, we thought so –, as we can see, an imperial, super-federal United States of Europe is in full swing. After the Soviet Union’s rule, our most important goal and desire was to be a sovereign and independent nation. Today, this is fundamentally at stake. If they want to dictate our lives and behavior again, then EU membership has lost its meaning.
Moreover, a series of conferences and debates spanning a year addressing the future of the EU have just begun — and it is clear from the outset that the mainstream circles have put their aims at the heart of the debate. Not to mention the shocking built-in safety valve: EU debate moderators who can essentially eliminate anything that is not entirely politically correct. It is an alarming and clear sign that one of the leaders behind the panel governing the series of debates is Guy Verhoftstadt, a staunch, blind globalist and hater of the Orbán government. In addition, the Spinelli Group (named after a former black Italian Communist politician), set on establishing the United States of Europe, was created in connection with the debates.
Naturally, we must take part in these debates with the strongest approach possible; however, if the end result is unacceptable for us, then I am not sure that it is in Hungary’s interest to submit itself once more to imperial and globalist aspirations. From an economic point of view, it may be favorable for us to stay in the EU, as we get certain resources from the Member State contributions. Right now, 2.5 billion euros are at stake (for now), which they want to take away from us. However, experts — from Imre Boros, Károly Loránt, and Csaba Lentner to Magdolna Csath — have repeatedly said that with EU membership, Hungary renounced mercantilist policies, its support of tariffs, and its defense of Hungarian companies. Also, by opening up the domestic market, Western companies much stronger than Hungarian ones keep winning EU tenders, and the majority of the profits are taken home to their countries. And do not forget: After the war, Western European countries, with the help of America’s Marshall Plan, received an enormous boost to their economies. The countries that joined in the 1970s and 1980s also flourished, as they (Greece, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Denmark) became part of a prosperous EU. By the time we joined along with nine other countries in 2004, Europe was no longer in such strong economic shape as in previous decades.
Perhaps one of the strongest arguments for staying is that if we leave, then Western companies may leave us, and our trade and economic relations with EU and Member States, especially Germany’s gigantic companies, would deteriorate. And the moment would come when the three big players — Audi, BMW, and Mercedes — would shut down their plants here. That sounds awful, but will it happen? Would our economic situation really be that impossible, forcing us to become self-sufficient?
I do not believe this will happen. On the one hand, the German — and British, Dutch, French, and so on — companies (not to mention those from overseas) are focused on profits. If they can save on costs in Hungary, they will not go against their own interests. Western Europe is not doing this now, either, as it maintains trade relations with the hated Chinese and Russians; just look at Nord Stream 2. Compared to them, Hungary is a well-established, reliable field for them, with or without EU membership. Western companies know exactly what they can expect by coming here, and our predictability is a great advantage and virtue.
On the other hand, our country needs diversification, but we recognized this many years ago and are working towards that goal. In short, we can illustrate this with the concept — and practice — of the Eastern Opening that Péter Szijjártó has often outlined. Additionally, it is clear to me that, like Norway, Switzerland, and now Britain, withdrawal from the EU must be accompanied by negotiations with the EU and individual Member States as well. In essence, we should conclude separate agreements on the model of the aforementioned countries. We are now economically strong enough to do this; we are no longer a vulnerable country that cannot stand on its own two feet. We are beyond that. Does Norway have any problem in not being a member of the European Union? No. A potential Huxit is not about confrontation, but a renegotiation of new, sovereign relations. This is obviously not an easy task, but it is certainly not impossible.
From a military standpoint, our withdrawal would make no difference, as we have been and remain a member of NATO since 1999. We do not need to set up military centers in cities and villages like in Switzerland, but of course we must continue developing our military — and that is exactly what we are doing.
And finally, and perhaps most importantly: from the perspective of culture, value order, and worldviews, an argument to stay in the EU would exist because apparently the Greek and Roman schools of thought and Christian moral norms keep us together. But is this still the case? The answer is unfortunately no. Our paths have diverged, as the West now consciously (I emphasize consciously!) breaks from Christian morality and values. Instead, they aim to build a cosmopolitan, faceless world society based on the unbridled self-enjoyment and self-destruction of the individual (see: The Great Reset). Until then, we Hungarian, Poles, and Central and Eastern European peoples hold on to our cultural and religious foundations. Our lives. And this overrides all other aspects.
And this is where I will come to an end, but will not draw conclusions. All I will say is: Fidesz, rightly so, only left the European People’s Party after a very slow and thought-out process. But in the end, they left and were not expelled! And that’s a huge difference. This is the right way. Because if we let go now, we will lose. They will take everything we have fought for so far.
The English version of this editorial originally appeared at The Visegrád Post.
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4 comments
Maybe you want out, but how do you think EU bureaucracy will ever let you do that? Do not say Brexit. That was a surprise due to the elite’s hubris, which they are still fuming about, and which they would never allow ever again.
I think that Brexit was the lesson learned by the elites that more or less led to the American 2020 election shenanigans, and if that could be fixed then anything you can count on to get out could be fixed just as well.
If it was so easy for globalists to rig Hungarian elections, would they not have rigged the last one, to get rid of Orban? Your argument boils down to “it is not worth trying because it is all hopeless”. Obviously wrong, buddy.
Orban is right regarding migration, protecting european interests, etc.
He does represent the most valuable and forward-looking political voices in Europe.
https://katehon.com/en/news/victor-orban-migration-must-be-stopped
You can only be sorry as a European that many other more “important” politicians on a EU and national level are so out of touch with reality and their own national populations.
EU of “provinces” (degraded european national states) is not acceptable and realistic.
This unnatural Frankenstein-esque body has to be replaced by a new political one, kind of Counsil of Europe, a permanent forum without executive or judicial power, where all european states would have an equal voice concerning the present and future state of Europe in limited matters of political, economic and boarders cooperation. The EU economic cooperation in particular should be replaced by a framework of a preferred-partner free trade zone pact to protect european interests. The power of burocracy, corruption and financial control/coercion on supranational level has to be extinguished.
Note that NATO is not negotiable. This security structure has in the past ensured that no crazies, internal or external, could create havoc in Europe and N. America, or close to their geographical boundaries.
There is another european institution (almost a copy of EU) that is defunct, namely European Central Bank (ECB), a body designed to fail from the very beginning by the way it strucutured the interplay of its own and national debt markets. Was that intended to be a builtin backdoor to create existential crisis at a later time and force federalization of Europe in response to disfunction, bankruptcy prospect and panic ? Well, here we are. ECB destroyed free market in Europe, in particular in private and public/government debt finance of national states. End of socialism by debt. What next ?
Well, the power of imagination by the degenerate “elites” knows no boundaries.
Europe at present is directed by a lunatic/charlatan Klaus Schwab of World Economic Forumm promising us Great Reset, “you will own nothing, and you will be happy” communist/feudal Europe, and perhaps the world by extension if it loses its mind and follows. This fellow is aided by a computer “genius”, eugenics and vaccines promoter Gates, and a quasi-terrorism finacier and influence peddler undermining democratic governments and societies Soros, not to mention other institutional and private jackals.
So, this is a political process in Europe of today, shaping our future.
It feels like watching a “Twilight Zone” movie !
These nuts have to be stopped. It is a task for the sovereign national states in Europe, or they will be responsible for an economic and political collapse, which may result in uncontrolled repeat of 20th century dramas in Europe, and they should be afraid of that as nobody will be safe.
Letting EU bleed and subjecting it to inevitable and justifiable Bre|Ital|Hu|etc Exits is not a long-term solution. Yes, every Exit has to be painful and requires negotiations with EU and individual member states. But time is running out. The crisis of Western system is already advanced and self-inflicted. EU in its current form should, on the initiative of national member states, take a bold step and dissolve itself, in a safe and controlled manner. The longer it lasts, the bigger the chaos of the inevitable failure (see USSR dissolution).
The new and subtle governance on the european continent will recognize nation-based reality and bring back normalcy and accountability to member states. It will release energies that are suppressed by EU policies and regulations, some of them favoring, hurting or interfering with national interests.
Any EU member state contemplating exit from EU in the open or behind a curtain is actually acting rationally by protecting its own interests, and by extension those shared with other members, like culture, religion, tradition, history, etc.
I’m surprised that there is no mention of strengthening the bonds with the Visegrad Group. A Huxit (or eventual Polxit or Czexit) from the EU would be much easier to navigate if the V4 further developed their trade, border, and military agreements. This seems essential to any serious discussion of Hungary departing the EU.
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