Visit to Vienna

SPÖ and Greens: Orbán as a role model harms the country

From left: National Council President Walter Rosenkranz and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán(Bild: APA/Tobias Steinmaurer)

Today, Thursday, the Hungarian head of government Viktor Orbán met National Council President Walter Rosenkranz (FPÖ). The Greens and the SPÖ are sharply critical. "This is about symbol and signal, and this signal is fatal," said Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler.

Orbán was received in Parliament on Thursday morning and is the first guest of the newly elected President of the National Council. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl, Secretary General Christian Hafenecker, Head of the EU Delegation Harald Vilimsky and Member of the National Council Susanne Fürst were also present at the meeting in the reception room.

"Who is he inviting? An anti-democrat, anti-European and Putin apologist," said Green Party leader Werner Kogler in the direction of National Council President Walter Rosenkranz (FPÖ). The Hungarian head of government had dismantled democracy and at the same time "pocketed many billions", while young people in his country would no longer have any prospects without the "EU billions". "We Greens do not want and will not allow these undesirable developments in our country."

Orbán on his way to parliament(Bild: APA/Tobias Steinmaurer)

The Hungarian head of government at the reception with Walter Rosenkranz (right)(Bild: APA/Tobias Steinmaurer)

Kogler's party colleague Sigrid Maurer criticized Orbán's image of women on Thursday: "In Hungary, parents are rewarded for having children, while single mothers go away empty-handed." The SPÖ takes a similar view: "Anyone who has Orbán as a role model is harming the country and its people. Instead of working on solutions for the major challenges, Kickl and Co. are once again demonstrating that they want to seal off Austria and Orbanize our country," said party leader Andreas Babler.

No meeting with Nehammer
A visit by Orbán to Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) is not planned. It is actually a private visit. For example, the Hungarian Prime Minister will take part in a panel discussion organized by the Swiss weekly newspaper "Weltwoche" and talk to the former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder about peace in Europe.

The Hungarian leader has been criticized for his asylum policy and his understanding of democracy, among other things. The "systematic undermining of the rule of law", the "targeted attacks on civil society" and the discrimination against marginalized groups by the Hungarian government are violations of international human rights standards, Amnesty International's Executive Director, Shoura Hashemi, said in a press release.