German MEP Warns Forced EU Exit Would Harm Hungarian People, Not Orbán
German Green Member of the European Parliament Daniel Freund has warned that a forced exit of Hungary from the European Union would primarily harm the Hungarian population, not Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The statement addresses calls for Hungary's removal from the bloc due to Orbán's policies, which have been characterized as waging a war on Europe.
The Legal and Political Reality
"Some argue that Hungary should simply leave the EU. Yet the treaties contain no mechanism to expel a member state," Freund stated, citing the foundational legal constraints of the European Union. He further argued that even if such a mechanism existed, compelling a "Huxit" would be counterproductive. "And even if it were possible, a forced 'Huxit' would not weaken Viktor Orbán — it would weaken the Hungarian people," the German MEP concluded.
The Characterization of Conflict
The context for this warning is the direct characterization of Orbán's actions as a conflict with European institutions and values. The Hungarian Prime Minister is described as waging a war on Europe, a framing that underscores the deepening political and ideological rift between Budapest and the core EU establishment in Brussels.
The absence of an expulsion clause in EU treaties leaves the bloc reliant on other political and financial tools to address fundamental conflicts with member state governments. The debate continues over how to effectively respond to challenges against democratic norms and the rule of law from within the Union's own membership.