Hungarian PM Orbán Compares EU Membership to Soviet Occupation, Rallies Support for "Illiberal Democracy"

Orbán's arguments rejected by thousands demonstrating in Budapest, while he also faces criticism for his recent meeting with Putin amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán compared Hungary’s EU membership to Soviet occupation, accusing the EU of seeking to strip Hungary of its identity by imposing a model of liberal democracy, during a speech commemorating the anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet revolution.
Orbán rallied support for his concept of 'illiberal democracy', a form of populist governance, contrasting it against the EU's model of liberal democracy, and drew parallels between the EU’s attempts to bring Hungary into compliance with its rules on corruption and democracy, and Soviet repression.
While Orbán met with Russian President Vladimir Putin before an international forum in Beijing, focusing on Hungary’s access to Russian energy, this meeting faced criticism given the ongoing war and Russian invasion in neighboring Ukraine, and an international arrest warrant against Putin for alleged war crimes.
Thousands of demonstrators marched in Budapest opposing Orbán's education policies and Hungary's continued relationship with Russia despite Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, arguing that Orbán's closeness with Putin damages the interests of Hungary's allies.
Despite the criticism and demonstration, Orbán expressed optimism that the EU can still be reformed, particularly pointing at the upcoming European Parliament election planned for June 2024.