Thread by @bctallis

If the #EU & it’s member states really wanted to do something about #Orban’s #Hungary, they would.

- The mess over ratifying #Sweden & #Finland’s NATO membership is only the latest incident & 🇭🇺‘a continuing presence is a stain on 🇪🇺reputation & effectiveness.
🇭🇺should go. 🧵/1

In case anyone doubts the game playing over 🇫🇮& 🇸🇪’s #NATO membership the country’s foreign minister Peter Szijjarto made it clear earlier this week
- Fidesz now says it will support accession but it has been a farce & again cast doubt on 🇪🇺competence /2

euobserver.com/nordics/156770

Thankfully, Commission VP @VeraJourova (already among the tougher voices on Orban in Brussels) seems to have had enough
A lesson we should have learned from recent years is that we can’t treat illiberal actors in a liberal way.
#NeoIdealism
/3

euractiv.com/section/politi…

We can’t stick scrupulously to our liberal ‘rules’ when they are not fit for purpose & allow illiberal actors to instrumentalise & corrupt our institutions -as #Hungary has done -& then lament that our institutions don’t work so well & aren’t trusted as much as they could be
/4

But there’s more to it in this case. Even though they turned on him rhetorically in the last 2-3 years, senior EPP politicians (Juncker & many in #Germany) & #V4 countries indulged Orban for years.
It’s been good to see the transformation in rhetoric but now, Action is needed.
/5

As @JanLipavsky m said - #Hungary has to choose sides. #Orban has been elected four times.
Hungarians have clearly made their choice & can’t have it both ways.
- nor can other EU & MS politicians who need to act to protect & renew our democracies & liberal institutions. 🇭🇺➡️
END

https://twitter.com/janlipavsky/status/1510966657228881920