The leader of Hungary condemned the action against the “mixed race” society
Budapest, Hungary – One of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s closest allies has resigned after the leader said in a recent speech that Hungary is fighting against Europe becoming a “mixed-race” society.
Orbán said that the large-scale countries that are interested from outside Europe are “no longer countries”.
Hegedus compared Zsuzsa Orbán’s rhetoric to the type of language used in Nazi Germany.
His response was a rare rebuke from Hungary’s leading ranks, which the European Union accuses of undermining democratic institutions and norms.
Hegedus, who has worked with Orbán for the past 20 years, resignedly said that Orbán’s language is “pure Nazi” speech.
“I sincerely regret that I had to end a relationship because of such a shameful situation,” Hegedus said on Tuesday at the level reported by the Hungarian press. “I had no choice.”
In his speech last Saturday, Orbán spoke about two parts of Europe.
“There is a world where Europeans mix with people from outside Europe,” he said in Tusnádfürdő, a city in Romania with a majority of Hungarians. “Well, it’s a mixed-race world.”
According to Orbán, in what he called “our world”, “people within Europe are mixing with each other”.
“This is why we have always fought: we are willing to mix with each other, but we do not want to become races,” said Orbán.
Orbán added: “Immigration has divided Europe – or I should say the West. One half is a world where Europeans and non-Europeans live together. These countries are no longer nations: they are masses of people.
Although he is known for his anti-immigration views and criticism of Western liberal values, his speech on Saturday sparked another wave of outrage among protesters in Hungary and across Europe.
However, interesting criticisms from Orbán’s inner circle have rarely occurred so far. The Hungarian Prime Minister and his conservative Fidesz party have a comfortable majority and have tried to curb critical voices.
Hegedus told Orbán that his views were unacceptable even by the standards of the “most bloodthirsty racist”.
“I don’t understand how you don’t see that he is giving Goebbels the pure Nazi speech he deserves,” he wrote, referring to Joseph Goebbels, the chief Nazi propagandist under Adolf Hitler.
“I can’t deny this at the moment, even because of our almost 20-year friendship,” he added.
The Hungarian news portal hvg.hu reported that Hegedus sent a copy of his resignation letter to Hungarian Chief Rabbi Robert Frolich, who criticized Orbán’s comments.
Orbán accepted Hegedes’ resignation, but rejected his criticism in a reply letter.
“After 20 years of working together, you cannot seriously think that you are accusing me of racism,” he said. “You know very well that my government follows a policy of zero tolerance in relation to anti-Semitism and racism in Hungary.”
Orbán will travel to the United States next week to address conservative activists. Orbán has become a hero to many on the American right for his fight against immigration and LGBTQ rights.