By Brigitte L. Nacos
The much-praised unity of the European-North American bloc since the Russian invasion of Ukraine has in reality weak links. The weakest is Hungary, a member of both the EU and NATO. The country’s newly reelected Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a long-time admirer of Russia’s dictator Vladimir Putin and a constant critic of EU and NATO leaders in Brussels.
Emboldened by his election victory last Sunday, Orban used his acceptance speech for a rhetorical slap in the direction of Brussels. And three days later, this Wednesday, he broke with the EU’s refusal to pay for Russian gas and oil with rubles. “If the Russians ask for it, we will pay in rubles,” he told reporters. While other neighbors of Ukraine facilitate NATO weapon transports into the embattled country, Hungary has refused to cooperate.
One wonders, whether Hungary is such an important part of EU and NATO that Orban can violate the European Union’s agreements, laws, and court rulings designed to strengthen democracy. After all, Orban destroyed Hungary’s developing democracy and replaced it with so-called illiberal democracy, a benign code for autocracy. While the democratic institutions are still in place, they are completely controlled by Orban and his Fidesz party.
Yet, along with Poland, which was before the Ukraine invasion moving to become a full illiberal democracy as well, Hungary receives the highest payments from the European Union.
As for the United States and NATO, things are not going well either: 63 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted yesterday, Tuesday, against a non-binding resolution in support of NATO. And that in the face of the horrific Russian invasion of Ukraine.
These are the main points of the resolution.
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) reaffirms its unequivocal support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as an alliance founded on democratic principles;
(2) calls on the President to use the voice and vote of the United States to adopt a new Strategic Concept for NATO that is clear about its support for shared democratic values and committed to enhancing NATO’s capacity to strengthen democratic institutions within NATO member, partner, and aspirant countries; and
(3) calls on the President to use the voice and vote of the United States to establish a Center for Democratic Resilience within NATO headquarters.
Why in heaven did close to one third of the GOP conference vote “no?”
They took exception to the following provision in the resolution’s full text:
“Whereas democracies across the alliance face external threats from authoritarian regimes such as Russia and China and internal threats from proponents of illiberalism [emphasis added]…”
The naysayers, close to one third of the GOP conference, rejected the highlighted part of the above sentence because they perceived it as a criticism of Hungary and Poland by the Liberal Left. After all, hard-core Trumpian GOPers admire those countries’ illiberal democracies and strive to introduce their authoritarian models right here at home.
These GOPers are fans of strongmen. And, of course, of one particular would-be strongman who does not support NATO and endorsed Orban's latest candidacy.
Reference URLs reposted without the link-ruining punctuation marks:
https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/infocus/freedomagenda
https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/11/20031106-2.html
https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/10/20051006-3.html
I'll add a topical reference of my own:
https://operationiraqifreedomfaq.blogspot.com/2014/05/regarding-david-brookss-saving-system.html
Posted by: Eric | April 12, 2022 at 12:49 AM
Professor Nacos,
To reify your position with a contemporary real exemplar, you should advocate for restoration of the Bush Freedom Agenda and President Bush's manifested resolute principled American leadership, especially regarding Iraq.
If you need a refresher, I suggest these references: https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/infocus/freedomagenda, https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/11/20031106-2.html, https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/10/20051006-3.html.
Posted by: Eric | April 12, 2022 at 12:41 AM