Hungary: The Nazi response to Orban’s statements, the reactions and a resounding resignation

The International Auschwitz Committee expresses its disgust at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s statements about “mixed races” and calls on the European Union “to distance itself from such racist behavior”.

The nationalist Hungarian prime minister’s “stupid and dangerous” rhetoric is reminding Holocaust survivors of “the dark times of their own exclusion and persecution,” said Commission Vice President Christoph Huebner, calling on Austrian Chancellor Karl Neuhammer, who is hosting tomorrow the Hungarian Prime Minister on his official visit to Vienna, to receive distances on behalf of the European Union.

“We must make it clear to the world that a Mr. Orbán has no future in Europe … whose values ​​he systematically rejects.”

In a speech on Saturday in Romania’s Transylvania, home to a sizeable Hungarian minority, Orban, known for his anti-immigration policies, strongly rejected a “multi-ethnic” society.

“We don’t want to be a mixed race” mixing “with non-Europeans,” he said.

Countries “where European and non-European peoples coexist are no longer nations. These countries are nothing more than a jumble of peoples,” said the Hungarian prime minister, who has expressed similar views in the past, without however using the term “race “.

He also made reference to the gas chambers to criticize Brussels’ plan to cut European gas demand by 15%. “I don’t see how they can convince the member states, although there is a German know-how in the field, as the past has shown,” he said sarcastically.

“Pure Nazi text worthy of Goebbels”

In an extremely rare event under Orbán, Susa Hegedus, a sociologist and longtime adviser to the Hungarian prime minister, tendered her resignation on Monday.

In a letter distributed to the Hungarian media, he denounced “a disgraceful view” and “a purely Nazi text worthy of (Joseph) Goebbels,” Nazi Germany’s propaganda chief.

In response, Viktor Orbán highlighted his government’s “zero tolerance policy for anti-Semitism and racism”. “You can’t seriously accuse me of racism after working together for twenty years,” he wrote in a message.

But Hungary’s Jewish community also reacted at the beginning of the week. “Many different species inhabit our planet. On two legs, working, talking and sometimes thinking, one and only species lives on this earth: Homo Sapiens Sapiens. This race is one and indivisible,” wrote Chief Rabbi Robert on Facebook Frelich.

The European Commission announced that it never comments on statements made by European politicians.

“What is clear is that the European Union has certain values ​​that are inscribed in the treaties and implements policies linked to these values ​​and the articles of the treaty,” said Commission spokesman Eric Mamer.