Hungary – A member of ruling center-right party Fidesz expressed to be in favor of “Europe for the Europeans” and welcomes the work of the alternative media. Meanwhile, a MEP of the same party made jokes about the defense of the barrier not caring about political correctness.
On 20 August, during the National Day, Fidesz MP (center-right party of Viktor Orbán) László B. Nagy agreed to an interview for TV Libertés. He attended a ceremony giving Philippe Gibelin, president of a French association (NCI – La France Rebelle) that helped the citizens of the small Hungarian town of Ásotthalom to buy a pick-up in order to secure the border, the honorary citizenship.
Fidesz MP then testified his joy to see a French aid arriving to this small border town of Hungary undergoing illegal immigration since 2013. The MP B. Nagy then praised the alternative media networks that made this European operation possible and made it a success. He added that “it is leading us to the solution that will put an end to this invasion and make possible to have again Europe for the Europeans”.
A MEP made of humor on migrants and Islam
In parallel, another representative of the Fidesz made a buzz: MEP György Schöpflin got attention again for his acerbic humor. Euractiv writes that on 19 August, Andrew Stroehlein, Human Rights Watch’s Brussels-based European media director, re-posted on Twitter a Washington Post article and photos showing root vegetables carved into shapes of human faces and put up along Hungary’s southern fence.
These images had earlier appeared on a Facebook page that supports Hungary’s border troops, with the caption: “Instead of scarecrows, these are ‘scarepeople’ made from sugar beet. Seems to work, nobody cut through the fence here in four weeks.”
Stroehlein objected to the images, writing: “Refugees are fleeing war and torture, Hungary. Your root vegetable heads will not deter them”.
On Saturday (20 August), Schöpflin replied to Stroehlein.
“Might do so. Human images are haram,” he said, referring to forbidden acts under Islam. “But agree, pig’s head would deter more effectively”.
