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3 Mar, 21 tweets, 16 min read
The Hungarian ruling party, Fidesz, is at the core of authoritarian rot in the EU.

Supported for years by the European People's Party, @epp/@eppgroup.

hrw.org/news/2020/04/2…
The Hungarian ruling party, Fidesz, has led a full-on assault against independent media to undermine critics & those who would expose their corruption.

Supported for years by the European People's Party, @epp/@eppgroup.

hrw.org/news/2020/07/2…

voanews.com/europe/index-r…
The Hungarian ruling party, Fidesz, has been similarly attacking academic freedom for years.

Supported by the European People's Party, @epp/@eppgroup.

hrw.org/news/2020/09/0…

nytimes.com/2020/09/06/wor…
The leader of the Hungarian ruling party, Fidesz, and dictator of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, talks like an extremist mass murderer.

Supported for years by the European People's Party, @epp/@eppgroup.

Hungary's ruling party, Fidesz, undermines the independence of the courts.

Supported for years by the European People's Party, @epp/@eppgroup.

hrw.org/news/2018/12/1…
Hungary's ruling party, Fidesz, literally starves people in state custody.

Supported for years by the European People's Party, @epp/@eppgroup.

hrw.org/news/2018/08/2…

dw.com/en/un-hungary-…
Hungary's ruling party, Fidesz, launches anti-Semitic attacks against philanthropists, journalists & others, and spreads deranged conspiracy theories.

Supported for years by the European People's Party, @epp/@eppgroup.

hrw.org/news/2017/07/1…

The @epp president @donaldtuskEPP has even said an infamous Nazi legal expert would be “proud” of Orbán.

Yet Tusk absurdly remains head of the European People's Party despite Fidesz’s ongoing membership.

So, they may be Nazis, but they're OUR Nazis…
spiegel.de/international/…
Throughout it all - with every step that the Hungarian ruling party has taken to destroy democracy & bring a dictatorship to the heart of the EU - the European People's Party @epp/@eppgroup has stood by their ally.
The European People's Party @epp/@eppgroup could have decided to expel Fidesz years ago. Instead, they did nothing but support Orbán and provide EU-level cover for his establishment of a dictatorship in Hungary.
As the Nations in Transit 2020 democracy index from @FH_NIT says, Hungary became the first country to "leave the group of democracies entirely".

This did not happen in an instant, nor in isolation. This happened over years with @epp/@eppgroup support.

freedomhouse.org/report/nations…
The @anticorruption index also shows Hungary one of the top decliners in recent years. Corruption is core to Orbán's dictatorship.

Supported by the @epp/@eppgroup for years...

transparency.org/en/news/cpi-20…
Viktor Orbán, dictator of Hungary, supported by the @epp/@eppgroup for years...
So, as we watch this vote by EPP MEPs today, let's keep all this in mind...
politico.eu/newsletter/bru…
As to the ever-circulating rumour that Fidesz will leave the EPP before the EPP kicks it out... I'd be surprised, because Orbán enjoys the cover the EPP has given him over the years.

But it would show that EPP appeasement had failed miserably & left them with egg on their face.
Update on the vote on the procedure to possibly vote later on deciding to exclude - or merely suspend - Fidesz from the group...

So, now it's official: Fidesz has left the @EPPgroup.

BUT they are still in the @EPP, which still hasn't managed to expel Hungary's authoritarian ruling party.

The EPP's appeasement strategy has been a disaster for the EU - and now a new an embarrassment for the EPP...
Also true. @ManfredWeber has a lot to answer for over the EPP's years of providing cover and support for Hungary's authoritarian ruling party.

There seems to be some confusion out there between the EPP Group in the European Parliament & the general EPP, so let me explain:

The EPP Group did not #ExpelFidesz. (Hungary's authoritarian ruling party quit.)

The EPP continues to refuse to #ExpelFidesz.

All clear now?
Let’s get real…

This episode “underscores the failure by leading conservative parties in Europe to confront the chasm between their stated values and the near decade-long assault on democracy, rule of law & human rights in Hungary by Orbán’s Fidesz.”
hrw.org/news/2021/03/0…
“Many in @EPP seem unconcerned by the risk Fidesz’s authoritarianism poses to EPP & EU. That includes Merkel’s own CDU, which maintained an approach that often helped shield Fidesz from criticisms & enabled Orban’s rights-abusing government to continue trampling core EU values.”

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2 Mar
Two decades ago, I asked Russian investigative journalist & human rights defender Anna Politkovskaya how she could keep doing what she did. For her reporting on abuses by Russian forces in the 2nd Chechen War, the military detained & beat her & subjected her to mock execution. 1/
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Polish independent media suspends news coverage, web pages in blackout today, to protest a new advertising tax that seems aimed at undermining freedom of the press.
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Trump's 2nd impeachment trial begins today: theguardian.com/us-news/2021/f…

Human Rights Watch's take: The authorities should also vigorously pursue criminal investigations into 6 January events, hold those responsible to account & ensure abuses are not repeated hrw.org/news/2021/02/0…
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After going through over 500 CVs over the last few days, I thought I might share some observations for those seeking an entry-level position at an international NGO like @hrw.
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Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
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At least one part of the EU has finally realised it's impossible to work with the abusive regime in Hungary...

You can't cooperate with a member state where rule of law has no meaning.
nyti.ms/3r0XvP4 Image
Remember, the Hungarian ruling party's hate-driven lawlessness that forced Frontex to make this decision has been supported for years by the European People's Party.

The @EPP/@EPPGroup helped their partner Fidesz as it created a dictatorship in Hungary.
The EU is no longer a club of exclusively democracies.

And the creation of the dictatorship in Hungary has been supported by the European People's Party,
@EPP/@EPPGroup, ally of Hungary's ruling party Fidesz for years.

hrw.org/news/2020/04/2… Image
Read 16 tweets
Andrew Stroehlein Profile picture
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People frustrated with the negative sides of Twitter sometimes ask me what they can do about it. Here's a thread with some ideas.

Whether you have 100 followers or a million, you can do something to help… 📢
1) Don't share the ugly stuff, not even to expose its ugliness, if it’s just powerless fools looking for attention. (If you just can’t help yourself, use a screenshot, never a link or RT.)
Do expose the ugly stuff from elected officials and others with power. Frame your tweets to be clear you are calling it out. And use a screenshot, not a link or RT, so you don’t send them any clicks of encouragement.
Read 13 tweets

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