Orbán's speech in European Parliament interrupted by activist
Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary (photo: facebook.com/orbanviktor)
During a press conference by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, the event was interrupted by an activist and an opposition politician from Hungary, reports Associated Press.
The incident occurred when Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was outlining Hungary's plans for its six-month presidency of the European Union during an event on Tuesday. He was attacked by Márton Gyekiczki, a member of the Democratic Coalition party and a local councilor from the suburbs of Budapest.
During Orbán's speech, Gyekiczki rushed to the podium and threw a stack of banknotes at the head of the Hungarian government.
The interruption happened as Orbán was discussing his opposition to immigration issues.
As he threw the banknotes toward the Hungarian Prime Minister, the activist loudly accused Orbán of selling out the country's interests in favor of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
"How much did you sell out the country for? How much did you sell out the country for, Mr. Prime Minister? He sold out to Putin, he sold out to Xi Jinping!" Gyekiczki shouted.
Afterward, a security guard brought the attacker to the ground and subsequently escorted him out of the room.
The incident occurred just as Orbán was set to address the European Parliament on Wednesday during Hungary's six-month rotational presidency in the bloc.
Here's the video showing how a DK local council member interrupted Orbán's press conference in Strasbourg.
— Pete (@splendid_pete) October 8, 2024
The event was disrupted by Márton Gyekiczki, a DK councilor from Érd, who threw paper notes and yelled, "How much did you betray the country for, Mr. Prime Minister?"… pic.twitter.com/dZiVhtfFnd
Orbán's position and criticism
Orbán has faced ongoing criticism from leaders and top officials in EU countries for catering to the interests of Russia, using anti-Western rhetoric aligned with Kremlin narratives, and blocking EU assistance to Ukraine.
Additionally, in July, Poland's Foreign Ministry even suggested that Orbán should leave the EU and NATO to ally with the Russian President, Putin.
Moreover, during the summer, the EU decided to move meetings of foreign and defense ministers from Budapest to Brussels due to Orbán's stance and his peace tour, during which he urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop resisting the Russian invasion, lay down arms, and agree to peace negotiations.
