Hungarian government releases anti-Ukraine petition to be sent out ahead of election
The Hungarian government has released the text of a petition it plans to send to voters soon, inviting them to say "no" to EU financial support for Ukraine in the coming years.
Source: European Pravda citing the text of petition released by the Hungarian government on social media
Details: On 16 January, Viktor Orbán announced a step aimed at mobilising his voters, giving them a way to oppose European Union funding for Ukraine. The government has now unveiled the petition it intends to mail out.
The petition features the image of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with his hand outstretched. Beside him are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European People's Party leader Manfred Weber, who are depicted as encouraging people to fill the Ukrainian leader's palm.
It is claimed in the text that Ukraine is set to join the European Union within the next four years and that, as an EU member, it would supposedly receive US$800 billion from the union.
Quote: "Brussels is also preparing not only to supply weapons. Brussels has decided to enter the war on Ukraine's side. Ursula von der Leyen says 'Europe must fight!'. And Europeans, including us Hungarians, will pay the costs of the war. Brussels is hiding from Europeans the obvious fact that Ukraine will never repay the hundreds of billions of euros in aid. Brussels bureaucrats are preparing to take hundreds of billions from Europeans and from us Hungarians, promised to Ukraine,"
More details: It is also claimed that Hungarians will be stripped of 13th and 14th pension payments, face higher taxes and lose reduced utility tariffs, "and the money will be taken to Ukraine".
The petition then invites respondents to tick three statements: "I say 'no' to further funding of the Russo-Ukrainian war!", "I say 'no' to us paying for the functioning of the Ukrainian state for the next 10 years!", and "I say 'no' to higher utility tariffs because of the war!".
The petition form can be returned free of charge by 23 March. Less than a month later, on 12 April, Hungary is due to hold parliamentary elections, in which Viktor Orbán's party faces the prospect of losing for the first time in a decade.
Background:
- Hungary's Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine's ambassador in Budapest on 27 January over alleged attempts by Kyiv to influence the country's parliamentary election in favour of the opposition Tisza party.
- Last week, Zelenskyy said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that "every 'Viktor' who lives off European money while trying to sell out European interests deserves a smack upside the head". He did not specify which Viktor he meant.
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha believes that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is a threat to the Hungarian people.
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