Ursula von der Leyen 'unfazed' after being targeted in new campaign launched by Viktor Orbán

euronews (in English)

Ursula von der Leyen has become the personal target of a new campaign launched by Viktor Orbán as part of a national consultation that levels serious accusations against the European Union's political agenda.

Transcript

00:00 Hungary has launched another national consultation, a government poll to ask its citizens where

00:06 they stand on issues critical to their leaders.

00:09 The questions feature anti-European statements and assumptions that accuse Brussels of forcing

00:14 bad policies on the Hungarian government.

00:17 Some include deceitful information such as claims of financial support from the EU to

00:22 a Palestinian organization supporting Hamas, something that has not been proven.

00:27 Our political analyst told Euronews it's clearly a strategy to further Prime Minister Viktor

00:31 Orbán's political agenda.

00:33 "This is clearly a political campaign to accuse the EU of doing things well in Hungary.

00:40 There are inflationary crises everywhere, especially in Hungary, but there are other

00:44 problems as well.

00:45 The government wants to blame all governments, and the Hungarian government is trying to blame

00:50 the EU and Brussels for this."

00:55 The accompanying post, a campaign this time aimed at the head of the commission, Ursula

00:59 von der Leyen, linking her to the new head of the Open Society Foundations, son of the

01:05 controversial billionaire George Soros.

01:08 Capitalized text reads, "Let's not dance to the tune they whistle."

01:12 But the commission says the statement is a known falsehood, and the EU chief is simply

01:18 unfazed.

01:19 "We believe in the intelligence of the Hungarian public, of the roughly 10 million Hungarian

01:26 citizens who live not only in Hungary but in the European Union.

01:34 And we are quite sure that they can make up their own minds based on objective information

01:43 that we provide."

01:45 Budapest is fighting with other member states and the governing body over several issues,

01:50 from its stance on the war in Ukraine, relations with Russia, migration and the rule of law.

01:55 Most of the EU funds has been withheld.

01:58 After the latest election in Poland, Hungary lost its last strong ally within the bloc,

02:03 but it will take over the EU Council presidency next July.

02:06 (whooshing)

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