this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2024
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[–] [email protected] 43 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I despise Hungary's current policy and social positions as much as the next guy, but I find it hard to believe contraction is the answer.

I'd be much more inclined to support a sort of containment procedure for toxic members, such as Hungary; rather than removing them from the Union simply remove them from meaningful power and influence in Union business until reforms are enacted. Maybe this is silly and I'm assuming this isn't really something that there's provisions for in EU regs but still.

Just my thoughts.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I'd be much more inclined to support a sort of containment procedure for toxic members

Which is something that can be theoretically done, but it requires unanimous support. So all orban needs is one asshole friend, like fico, for it to remain just a theory.

There is no mechanism for expelling the member.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_7_of_the_Treaty_on_European_Union

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago

Oh that was pretty much what I was thinking. Unanimity does make it a bit of a pain in the ass...

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

What would containment consist of? They can't put up a border. They probably could crush them economically ala greece, but that would just accelerate the rise of fascism.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago

I was thinking something like withholding their seats in the Parliament and keeping Orbán from the Council. No representation in the EU but still a member on paper.

My issue with kicking Hungary out is that, ideally, the EU would like to include Hungary; expansion is the ultimate goal. By removing Hungary now we're just making more trouble for ourselves down the line... I just think a less bureaucratic---perhaps cautionary---measure can get us the best of both worlds: Hungary has limited influence on the EU's politics, but there's no need to go through the process of excision and reintegration, down the line.

Not sure if this is silly, but it sounds reasonable to me.

[–] bali10050 24 points 3 months ago (2 children)

As a hungarian I say it's basically a dictatorship at the moment, there's no way that fidesz has 2/3-rds of the total votes, and I haven't yet met any person that met a person that voted for them, and it probably isn't just an echo chamber, because I know people from all around the country, and they're all saying the same. I think that hungary shouldn't be kicked out, because when hungary gets any kind of sanctions, the only thing it achieves is worse living conditions for the average hungarian also known as a non-fidesz voter

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

there's no way that fidesz has 2/3-rds of the total votes, and I haven't yet met any person that met a person that voted for them

This sounds like anecdotal evidence at best. E.g. Human Rights Watch says of the 2022 elections:

International observers characterized the elections as free but raised serious concerns about their fairness. Q

I would seriously caution against making claims of outright election rigging unless there's credible reporting on that.

[–] bali10050 2 points 3 months ago

I don't claim that the election is rigged, even if it could be, but I claim that it's unfair. Fidesz likes use the poor to gain a vote for a crusty 2 days old bagel and a potato, and they like to collect the votes of the hungarians living abroad too(probably more hungarians live outside the country than inside), so they give them so much benefits, if I were living outside the country, even I would vote for them too. Also, they have gained control over most of the traditional forms of media, so they have the votes of a really big portion of the elderly.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You're maybe suggesting that there's some rigging of the elections going on or some bribe and corruption. It sounds like what happened in Turkey where Erdogan started to use money and goods to get his votes for example by donating food to the very poor each time after these poor people would attend a progressive lecture by the author of this book : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Lose_a_Country

[–] bali10050 5 points 3 months ago

Here for some reason, if you're a hungarian but live outside the borders, your votes still count and Orbán uses it as one of his main strategies. Basically the hungarians that live abroad get better benefits from the government, like free travel countrywide, more money for childcare and things like it while still getting the benefits from the countries that they live in.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Very good that The European Consortium For Political Research blog has a post about this.

My take on it :
- Is Hungary still a democracy ? Maybe not.
- Is Hungary a long time pain in the *ass within EU ? Yes.

Conclusion : Kick them out of the EU. Good riddance!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Indeed if it doesn't meet the requirements they set for a new joining state (democracy) it should be booted

[–] Xeroxchasechase 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Maybe it values doesn't belongs to the EU, but the EU membership certainly helps mitigating the devastating outcome of it being controlled by a dictator.

[–] LowtierComputer 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Is it not already being controlled by a dictator?

[–] Xeroxchasechase 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

It is, but without the EU things would have been much much worse, for Hungarians and the world.

[–] LowtierComputer 1 points 3 months ago
[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

If Hungary's out I want in. Not my country, just me. pls and thx

[–] Resol 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Can the EU just kick out a member with a vote? Or does that member need to announce its departure like the UK?

Does Hungary WANT to leave? If it doesn't, and the EU does want them out, then... I guess nothing's gonna change.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

AFAIK they want to strip their voting rights. I think there are more ways of punishment before they kick them out.

[–] Resol 1 points 3 months ago

That explains a lot.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

We propose the EU abandons its continued enlargement efforts and instead adopts a strategy of contraction. More specifically, it should reduce membership from 27 to 26 by managing the phased exit of member state Hungary.

Yes! Get them the fuck out of the EU. They obviously hate being a member.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Lol, good luck getting that past the Germans. They want continued enlargement, Serbia, Ukraine, etc.

It would put Germany ahead of France in EU politics, and would provide more cheap labour for German industry.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Uh... Hungary is making is more difficult to get Ukraine into the union. Getting rid of Hungary would do Germany a favor.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

It would do all the German people with their hearts in the right place a favour. However, Volkswagen is laying off workers in their hometown of Wolfsburg while heavily relying on their nearshored cheap Hungarian workforce in Győr, Hungary. They will take the money they get from that, and lobby the many times reelected centre-right German government to keep Hungary in, so the biggest engine factory of VW keeps being inside Schengen.

Hungary will get kicked out as soon as the EU will enforce that original ICE car sale ban by 2035.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

That's a very good point. The center right (arguably now becoming more right-wing than center) would give in to VWs lobbying without any pushback whatsoever (as is usual). One can only hope they don't win the next national elections.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 3 months ago

I don‘t know man, I am not sure whether Germany‘s still in the EU.