Victor “The Windsock” Orbán

Mar 6th 2022

Hungary will go to the polls on April 3rd, to choose a new parliament and to vote on a referendum on LGTBQ+ rights.

In the past week, the incumbent Victor Orbán has welcomed Ukrainian refugees with open arms, although he has been vehemently anti-immigration for a long time.

Maybe it is just me, but this looks like a case of pure political opportunism. The election will be in a few weeks, his poll numbers are not good, the opposition is united, and suddenly Europe and the World are united against Putin’s war in Ukraine. The wind is blowing from the west, and it looks like Orbán smelled an opportunity to stay in power.

I hope the Hungarian voters will see through his sudden Road-to-Damascus, or should it be Road-to-Brussels, moment, and remember the anti-democratic authoritarianism he has represented these past years.

He was in Moscow smiling with Putin in early February and over the years has met his “buddy” more than ten times. He was also endorsed by Trump a few months ago, who, by the way, called Putin a “genius” for invading Ukraine.

Orbán started his political career as a pro-European liberal democrat, then became a right-wing conservative anti-immigrant nationalist, and now, in a blink of an eye, becomes a beacon of European Unity and welcomes refugees to the country.

Or more correctly, that is what he wants the voters to believe. If it is that easy to change direction, who is to say that he will not do it again?

What he has definitely proven with this last change of heart, is that he is a purebred opportunist. The wind is blowing from the west, and Orbán “The Windsock” turns with it.

Rather than waiting for the wind to turn again, it would be better for Hungary, for Ukraine and for Europe as a whole, if the Hungarians voted him out in a free and fair election, and moved forward with new leaders.