The wheels turn slowly in the European Parliament, but one finally turned this week when they voted to launch “rule of law” proceedings against Hungary and Poland. It’s rather unfortunate when the EU has a no holds-barred war on its doorstep, to be bickering with two of the frontline states that are struggling with millions of refugees from the Ukraine.

For Hungary, this is the same old story. Political spite from the European Left who have repeatedly used the EU machinery as a weapon against the country. Again and again, the EU has launched investigations and come up with little to nothing. 

Let us look at their supposed arguments. It’s a recurring fantasy for the Left and the Left-leaning media that there is no independent media in Hungary, or that it’s being muffled. If you go into any newsagent in Budapest, you’ll see that at least half the titles have it in for Orbán, and even those that aren’t inherently hostile, like the best-selling tabloid Blikk, are quite prepared to harry and embarrass him if they scent a good story.

Is there low-level corruption in Hungary? Are EU funds being misused? I’m sure all that is happening, but please tell me which EU country does not have the same problems? Hungary is constantly judged by a double standard, the belief that there is something fundamentally off in the country. The reality is that Orbán’s biggest transgression in their eyes is being a successful Right-wing politician.

The Hungarian prime minister has been frequently described as “Putin’s ally” (again another idea promoted by the Hungarian opposition and swallowed hook, line and sinker by much of the media). Why? Because he did business with Putin. That is, Orbán did business with Putin in those rare moments when he could squeeze through the crowds of Germans, Brits and Americans vying for Russian cash and gas. If anyone merits the title of Putin’s sidekick it is Germany, which until a few weeks ago could barely bring itself to send a few thousand helmets to Ukraine.

There is a comic irony that Germany has been the chief appeasers of Putin. Angela Merkel, who grew up in East Germany, who speaks Russian, should have known better than anyone else that she was dealing with a hardcore KGB thug. Chechnya, Syria, the Crimea, the shooting down of a civilian airliner: the Germans, the EU, the West did little in response to Putin’s butchery, but now it is Orbán who is Putin’s ally. 

The war in the Ukraine will cause massive economic pain in Hungary, which along with Poland is carrying the vast share of Europe’s burden when it comes to the refugee crisis. 

In the short term at least, the constant sniping from the opposition that he is a ruthless strongman will probably only help Orbán, and if he can clear the hurdle of the upcoming election in April, he will be able to fight whatever the European Parliament comes up with.