Polak, Węgier, dwa bratanki, i do szabli, i do szklanki – Poles, Hungarians, two brothers, they fight together, they drink wine together. (Polish proverb)
There were few relationships between right-wing political parties closer than the alliance of the ruling Polish PiS and Hungarian Fidesz. Party bosses Orbán and Jaroslaw Kaczynski have pledged to wage a “cultural counter-revolution” and reform a post-Brexit EU. They have profusely praised each other. “I love talking to chairman Kaczynski because politicians are short-sighted in Europe. But we are not,” said Orbán.
Orbán and Kaczynski in happier days.
At the Krynica conference, in southern Poland Orbán said “There is a saying in Hungary that if you trust somebody, we say ‘you can steal horses together’.” A smiling Kaczynski responded: “There are a few stables, and one particularly large one called the EU, where we can steal horses with Hungarians.”
This cozy friendship has come to a dramatic end.
Poland wanted to block the election of Donald Tusk’s second term as European Council president. Tusk, a former Polish Prime Minister, is a bitter domestic political enemy of PiS. At the end, in a formal vote, 27 of the EU’s 28 governments supported Tusk, including Hungary!
Polish Prime Minister, Beata Szydło was angry. She claimed that Poland would retaliate by blocking the EU summit communique and accused stronger nations that they conspire among themselves at the expense of weaker ones like Poland. Szydlo attacked French President Hollande who suggested stopping EU funds to Poland since the country was “not behaving properly”. “Poland would not accept a multi-speed Europe.” – thundered the Polish politician.
Viktor Orbán and Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło in Brussels.
There were desperate last minute negotiations between Poland and Hungary. The Poles had hoped that Orbán would join them in opposing Tusk’s presidency and that the two counties would show a common front as they discussed that many times before. At the last minute, the Hungarian Prime Minister turned around and betrayed his Polish friends. Orbán supported Tusk reelection!
In Warsaw Kaczynski did not mince words, he was upset. His close friend and Visegrad 4 ally betrayed him in a critical moment.
Now Poland is isolated in the EU and Orbán has lost his right-wing Polish friend.
György Lázár
Not to sound too superficial, but I have to say that Canada’s prime minister, or any leading politician in this country would never greet a foreign leader the way that Mr. Orbán is dressed.
Also not to be superficial, the 2 dwarfs disillusion themselves to be the 2 giants. Taking a look again on the pic, he indeed seems to take a break in the sausage filling in the cellar:)
Gyuri, misspelling the country word towards the end looks a bit Freudian:)
Btw, this is a typical friendship between sociopaths.
The difference between Kaczynski and Orban is that Orban’s opportunism Trumps his turul-strutting…
Dear Miklos Banfi, you are very kind… it was not a Freudian slip, just a typo. :))
As a few well informed retired Romanian judges told me this week: ” the EU is done” Benelux countries will be the new EU and all these others are going the way of Sears, JC Penney, Gimbels… Poland, Hungary, Romania and the others WERE admitted with many conditions. They didn’t deliver and now they’re done. They knew the conditions…
Pity the people of Poland and Hungary – their lives, and those of more than one generation are in the hands of good ol’ boys, like Orbán and Kaczynski who look upon the EU as a warehouse they can loot, to satisfy their desire for personal gain. What a disgusting lot those two are, but what a tragic world – the EU establishment included – that tolerates, compensates, such criminals. If this is progress, I shudder to think, what is backwardness.