Orban walks a tightrope against China before Hungary election

With Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbans’ close relationship with Beijing becoming a target of opposition in the country’s tense election campaign, the government is now trying to distance itself from some of its more controversial China policies.

When the new strategy of the Orban government emerged, Peter Marki-Zay-a conservative town mayor who emerged as a unity candidate elected by the opposition coalition-has represented This is what many people say is the best opportunity to oust Orban. Ten years.

In a close match before the spring parliamentary elections, Budapest is taking a new approach because Marki-Zay promised to change the country’s friendly relations with China and target Chinese-funded projects in the country.

The Hungarian government is now silent on these controversial issues related to China and is trying to emphasize its bright side. [China-Hungary] Tamas Matura, assistant professor at Corvinus University in Budapest, told RFE/RL.

Under the leadership of Orban, who has been in office since 2010, Hungary has established a close relationship with China.

Under the eastern opening policy of the Hungarian leader, relations have expanded further, aiming to establish close ties with Beijing and Moscow to attract investment and economic opportunities for the country.

Since then, Orbán has opened the door to a series of controversial Chinese initiatives in the country-including a Chinese university in Budapest, a railway to Belgrade, and the procurement of Chinese ventilators during the pandemic. And vaccines-these initiatives have found themselves to be the focus of the opposition on debt and corruption issues.

Opinion polls show that Marki-Zay and the Orbans Fidesz party go hand in hand, and opposition candidates are trying to put Orbans’ controversial China relationship into the spotlight. Request review The relationship between Hungary and Beijing.

The opposition candidates also accused Orban of corruption in negotiating funding for the Budapest-Belgrade railway, where the government received a 20-year US$1.9 billion loan from China and vowed to stop interfering in the EU’s efforts to condemn Beijing on human issues. Human rights issues in Hong Kong and Xinjiang Province in western China.

In Brussels, a number of EU officials familiar with the EU’s China policy told RFE/RL that Hungarian officials did not express their opposition to re-imposing sanctions on Beijing on the Xinjiang issue. Ban directed his attempt at China. relation.

Everything must be re-examined and reviewed, and all corruption must be investigated, Marki-Zay Tell the South China Morning PostThe Budapest-Belgrade railway and vaccine procurement must be re-examined and must be thoroughly inspected by public and independent authorities.

“Open East” meets Marki-Zay

The Marki-Zays challenge has caused the Orban government to be involved in a high-level operation at home and abroad when it comes to its China policy.

This change is particularly evident in Brussels, where Hungarian officials are willing to provide assistance to Beijing to win more Chinese investment and maintain diplomatic support for Budapest. Democracy regression has been the focus of repeated conflicts between Hungary and the European Union.

In March of this year, after Beijing and Brussels imposed tit-for-tat sanctions on China’s human rights violations in Xinjiang, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto condemned these measures as “meaningless, boastful and harmful.”

In April and May, Budapest was the only one of the 27 EU member states that did not support punitive measures in response to Beijing’s enforcement of national security laws on Hong Kong, and has since blocked any future measures.

But behind the scenes in Brussels, EU officials familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak to the media told RFE/RL that Hungary has so far stated that it will not oppose the extension of Xinjiang measures because it tries to avoid appearing in the close election cycle to please China.

Hungary is also increasingly finding itself as an outsider to Central and Eastern Europe in its relations with China.

The new government of the Czech Republic says it will take more time Hostile stance against Beijing Following German Chancellor Merkel, the incoming German alliance also called for a reassessment of Berlin’s China policy. Courtship beijing As a partner.

Several countries in the region also welcome the Taiwanese Foreign Minister’s landmark European trip in October, while Lithuania has participated in a landmark European trip. A tense quarrel with Beijing The relationship between the Baltic States and Taipei.

These tensions seem to increase.

November 21, China Downgrade diplomatic relations Lithuania opens a Taiwan office in Vilnius.At the same time, in Brussels, the EU is formulating new supply chain due diligence and anti-coercion legislation, which may also target China and China. Tensions with Beijing.

According to Mathura, this puts the Orban government in an awkward position because it wants to deal with rising anti-China sentiment in Hungary’s neighbors.

[This] He said that it may increase Orban’s importance in the eyes of China, because he is one of Beijing’s last friends in the entire EU.At the same time, he cannot support China very much during the campaign, so I believe Orban has adopted a wait-and-see attitude. [for] now.

Spring elections

Hungary’s Chinese-funded project under Orban’s leadership is no stranger to scandals, but analysts say that the core question for Mark-Zay before the election is whether it can resonate with voters.

Dominik Istrate, an analyst at the consulting firm Kesarev, told RFE/RL that there must be someone trying to bring China into the campaign, but it remains to be seen whether it will succeed.

Since the Budapest-Belgrade railway project was first proposed in 2014, corruption issues have been accompanied by corruption issues, and government procurement of Chinese-made national medicine vaccines has also been concerned. Involved in a dispute High costs and corruption allegations.

However, the plan to build a Budapest campus for Shanghai’s famous Fudan University has received the most attention. Publicly opposedIn June, an estimated 10,000 people took to the streets of the capital after leaked documents showed that the government would obtain a $1.5 billion loan from a Chinese bank to cover most of the expenses.

Orban later stated that he would hold a referendum on this issue, but this kind of vote faces increasing uncertainty.

The Fudan project is still unpopular with voters, August polls Shows that more than two-thirds of Hungarians oppose the campus. Members of the Hungarian opposition party — including Budapest’s Mayor Ghergueli Karaksoni — are also pushing for a national referendum on campus, which can be included in the federal election. But doing so currently faces some legal challenges, which may be postponed until after the 2022 vote.

While criticizing the large-scale Chinese projects led by Orban, Marki-Zay also carefully positioned himself as not anti-China. The mayor of Khodmezova Sahli once stated that Chinese investment is welcome on the basis of mutual benefit and that he respects Beijing’s achievements.

At the same time, the Orban government has turned its attention to other issues that may inspire voters and determine elections.

Experts supporting Fidesz have stated that the United States will make a major intervention In the 2022 election And aimed at Marki-Zays’ time in the United States as evidence that he represents foreign interests.

The Orban government also Submit your own referendum Current legislation limits the ability of schools to teach homosexuality and transgender issues, and the prime minister sees it as part of an ideological war with the European Union.

Eastlet said that in the end, the election will be a referendum on Orbans’ ability to govern and the country’s position after Fidesz has ruled for 11 years. Ultimately, the election will boil down to domestic political issues.