Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has launched a new offensive against his critics, promising a sweeping crackdown on what he describes as a Western-backed “financial machinery” undermining the country. In a fiery speech delivered during Hungary’s national holiday, Orbán accused opposition politicians, journalists, judges, and NGOs of corruption and accepting foreign money.
“The great Easter cleanup begins now,” Orbán declared in Budapest, vowing to dismantle the networks he claims were “bought with corrupt dollars” and used to influence Hungary’s internal affairs.
Orbán alleged that foreign-funded organizations—though operating through legal and transparent grant processes—pose a threat to national sovereignty. According to DPA, civil society groups and independent media receive legitimate funding from Western donors, yet Orbán continues to frame them as tools of outside interference.
The speech also doubled as a prelude to Hungary’s upcoming elections, with Orbán reiterating his opposition to Ukraine’s EU membership, a position aligned with his nationalist platform and criticism of the European Union.
“We are cleaning house,” he told supporters, suggesting a political purge of those aligned with foreign interests.
Meanwhile, the European Commission continues to withhold billions in EU funds, citing democratic backsliding and allegations of corruption tied to Hungary’s ruling elite. Although a portion of EU funds was released in December, the bulk remains frozen over concerns about misuse and authoritarian governance.
Orbán’s Fidesz party has also been consolidating power within the European Parliament, aligning with far-right allies in the Patriots for Europe group—alongside Austria’s FPÖ and Czechia’s ANO. The bloc has become the third-largest political group in the EU legislature.
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