Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addressed the European Parliament on Wednesday to present the priorities of the Hungarian EU presidency - or at least, he was supposed to.
Instead, Orbán faced heavy criticism of Hungary's government policies at home and abroad from parliamentary groups across the political spectrum.
The EU legislative chamber had been warming up for weeks for the appearance, or showdown, fuelled by constant tension between the Hungarian government and EU lawmakers.
"Most serious period" in EU history
Undeterred, Orbán argued that hard-right electoral gains from Italy to the Netherlands and Austria – and the rising influence of his Patriots of Europe (PfE) group – show the political climate in Europe is shifting in his favour.
With the Ukraine war on its doorstep, escalating conflict in the Middle East, and a "migration crisis" that could cause the Schengen open-border system to fall apart, now was the "most serious period" in EU history, Orbán said.
Hungary under Orbán has resisted EU pressure to cut ties with Russia, both political and economic.
Budapest has courted conservative US political groups that count Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as their figurehead, a fierce critic of the European Union.
A day earlier, Orbán – briefly interrupted by a protester – doubled down on his maverick foreign policy, telling reporters that Kiev was headed for defeat and that "we need a new strategy" on Ukraine.
EU-Hungary relations
In July, Hungary took over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU.
Right after assuming the presidency, Orbán went off script: embarking on an unsanctioned Ukraine "peace mission" to Kiev, Moscow and Beijing that sparked fury in Brussels.
Orbán's rogue diplomacy caused European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to ban top commission officials from attending a string of Budapest meetings organized by Hungary's presidency – an unprecedented de facto boycott.
The trip was the latest provocation for the EU, angered over Budapest's repeated vetoes of EU aid for war-torn Ukraine and Hungary's perceived closeness to Russia.
Other reasons for EU discontent with Orbán include the alleged misuse of EU funds and issues with the rule of law. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has fined Hungary millions for breaches of EU law.
Orbán's rule in Hungary
Since returning to lead his country in 2010, Orbán has moved to curb civil rights and tighten his grip on power, repeatedly clashing with Brussels.
Many independent media outlets in Hungary either no longer operate or have been turned into pro-government organs, while public media have been forced to toe the line of the ruling right-wing populist and national-conservative Fidesz party.
Strasbourg showdown
The three-and-a-half hour parliament session turned into a stand-off between the bulk of EU lawmakers, denouncing Orbán's "autocratic rule," and a hard-right minority which rejected the criticism as "absurd."
Photo-op protests were staged outside the hemicycle by the various political groups.
"No cash for corrupt," read one banner held up by left-wing EU lawmakers – a reference to the billions of euros in EU funds for Hungary currently frozen over rule-of-law concerns.
Von der Leyen harshly criticized Orbán on issues ranging from his migration policy to his silence on Ukraine and closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as denouncing Budapest for buying Russian fossil fuels.
"There is only one path to achieve a just peace for Ukraine and for Europe: We must continue to empower Ukraine's resistance with political, financial and military support," she said.
Taking aim at Orbán's image as an immigration hardliner, von der Leyen asked the Hungarian premier why he had released more than 1,000 convicted people smugglers and human traffickers.
"This is not fighting illegal migration in Europe," von der Leyen said. "This is just throwing problems over your neighbour's fence."
EU lawmakers speak out
Following von der Leyen's lead, the head of the European People's Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, criticized the Hungarian leader for defining himself as a true conservative.
Orbán's Fidesz party used to be part of the EPP, the largest group in the EU legislature.
The leader of the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Iratxe García Pérez, accused Orbán of betraying the Christian values of love for one's neighbour, compassion and human dignity, given his immigration stance and policies against the LGBTQI+ community.
Valérie Hayer, who leads the liberal Renew Europe group, hit out at Orbán's claims that he defends families, arguing that he is "persecuting all families that do not fit with his narrow vision of the world."
"You have turned the Hungarian democracy into a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy," said the leader of the environmentalist Greens, Terry Reintke.
"And on top of that, you are the servant of a brutal and dangerous dictator, Vladimir Putin. You are not a strong leader, Mr Orbán, because what you are doing is weak," she added.
Hungarian opposition-leader-turned-EU lawmaker, Péter Magyar (EPP), lamented that Hungary under Orbán's rule "has gone from a bright star" to the poorest and most corrupt country in the EU.
According to Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index, Hungary has retained its ranking as the bloc's most corrupt country for the second time in a row.
The NGO ranks countries based on their public sector resilience against corruption.
Some in Orbán's corner
The kindest words towards Orbán came from the right-wing PfE group, which was established in late June and counts Orbán's Fidesz party among its founding members.
PfE dismissed the criticism as political persecution and propaganda in response to his commitment to traditional values.
First Vice-President of PfE in the parliament, Hungarian Kinga Gál, accused von der Leyen and the other political groups of "hypocrisy."
The content of this article is based on reporting by AFP, ANSA, dpa, HINA, EFE, and TASR as part of the European Newsroom (enr) project.
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