The Guardian Weekly

Orbán urges Christians in Europe and US to unite

By David Smith WASHINGTON

Viktor Orbán, the autocratic leader of Hungary, has urged Christian nationalists in Europe and the US to “unite our forces” during a speech to American conservatives in Texas.

The prime minister met the former US president Donald Trump in New Jersey and, last Thursday, delivered the opening address at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas.

Orbán was given a rapturous welcome despite controversy last month when he railed against Europe becoming a “mixed-race” society, comments that one of his closest aides compared to the Nazis before resigning.

In his CPAC address, he sought to portray western civilisation as under siege from progressives. He took aim at familiar targets such as illegal immigration, same-sex marriage, “leftist media” and philanthropist George Soros while quoting the Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Clint Eastwood.

“We are not the favourites of the American Democrats,” Orbán said. “They did not want me to be here and they made every effort to drive a wedge between us. They hate me and slander me and my country as they hate you and slander you and America you stand for.”

In another sign of how Orbán’s nativist white grievance politics have infused the American right, CPAC’s speakers include the far-right political provocateur Steve Bannon, Republican extremists Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene, conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell, political commentator Jack Posobiec and, in Saturday’s closing address, Trump himself.

On a stage branded “Fire Pelosi” – a reference to the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi – and “Save America”, the Hungarian entered to enthusiastic applause in a dark suit, white shirt and red tie reminiscent of Trump.

Orbán described himself as “an oldfashioned freedom fighter”, “the only anti-migration political leader of our continent” and “the leader of a country that is under the siege of progressive liberals day by day”.

Orbán urged his audience to have courage to address sensitive questions around migration, gender and “clash of civilisations”, assuring them: “A Christian politician cannot be racist.”

He added: “If you separate western civilisation from its Judaeo-Christian heritage, the worst things in history happen. Let’s be honest, the most evil things in modern history were carried out by people who hated Christianity.”

He warned darkly: “The horrors of Nazis and communists happened because some western states in continental Europe abandoned that Christian values and today’s progressives are planning to do the same. They want to give up on western values and create a new world, a post-western world. Who is going to stop them if we don’t?”

The authoritarian leader characterised Hungary as a “David-sized nation standing against the globalist Goliath”, claiming that he had made Hungary the first country in Europe to stop an “invasion” of illegal immigrants.

“We actually built that wall and it stopped illegal migration. Tucker Carlson said, when he visited us, it’s not a hi-tech wall but guarded by people who love their country, and the border protection system works.”

Orbán also contended that the family was under attack from progressives. “To sum up: the mother is a woman, the father is a man. Leave our kids alone. Full stop. End of discussion!”

This triggered a prolonged standing ovation and whoops of enthusiasm from the CPAC crowd.

Orbán struck another popular note when he said: “We have seen what kind of future the globalist ruling class has to offer. But we have a different future in mind. The globalists can all go to hell. I have come to Texas.”

Democracy watchdogs have raised alarm over Orbán’s consolidation of power over Hungary’s judiciary and media. His party has drawn legislative districts in a way that makes it very difficult for opposition parties to win seats – not unlike partisan gerrymandering efforts for state legislative and congressional seats in the US.

Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist, said he was concerned about Orbán’s meeting with Trump, “considering what we all know about President Trump’s tone, posture, position, his policies, his politics, as well as we now know his direct engagements as relates to January 6.

“Secondly, when I think about the CPAC crowd, I think about a group of people who are interested in coddling and playing footsie with the extreme Maga election-denying wing of the Republican party and that’s become a growing majority. If you combine those two things for me and my political digestive system, you just have to couch that as concerned.”

Under fire George Soros, a Hungarian-born billionaire and philanthropist, has been targeted by antisemitic conspiracy theorists. Orbán claimed in his CPAC speech that Soros had “an army” at his disposal – money, non-government organisations, universities and European bureaucrats in Brussels.

Spotlight / North America

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2022-08-12T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-12T07:00:00.0000000Z

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