I wholeheartedly endorse everything that Balázs has said about Hungary.
Many of us were aware of the danger Viktor Orbán posed to Hungary as far back as 2006, when he divided the nation into two categories of citizens – those who voted for him, and those who did not.
Those who do not support him were, and are, considered non-Hungarians by the Fidesz government. This is not democratic.
And recently, several reports on the endemic corruption within Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party have been submitted to the EU so it is now common knowledge that a large portion of the EU structural funds go directly into the private pockets of Orbán, his family and his friends.
The EU, through ignorance, apathy and inefficiency has colluded in the creation of a Mafia state in its midst. It cannot talk about democracy, the cornerstone of which is the rule of law, while at the same time allowing unlawful, illegal theft and corruption.
The EU has, in effect rewarded bad behaviour from one of its members.
After the Europe Together Forum in Budapest last week, I suggested to Udo Bullman, MEP leader of the Socialist-Democrats, that in order to tackle the problem of misuse of funds, the EU should send an office of independent foreign auditors to Hungary, and all other capital cities within the EU, in order to monitor and control exactly how EU funds are used within each country.
I was shocked to learn from Mr. Bullman that such an office already exists in Budapest.
Where is this office, and who are the people who are paid huge EU salaries to ensure that our hospitals, our schools and our most needy segments of society within Hungary are being provided with the funds that EU taxpayers are paying into the coffers? It is common knowledge that moneys intended for the development of Hungay’s infrastructure go missing on a massive scale, and still the money keeps coming. Why?
I was told that this auditors office in Budapest sends complaints about the misuse of funds back to Brussels, to another office and in that far away room, somewhere, nothing is done about the corruption. I would like to ask that the EU makes public where the office is in Budapest, and exactly who works there, and where the office is back in Brussels, and exactly who works there. It these people are not capable of doing their job properly, then it is time to stop beating around the bush, face facts and take action.