Hungary slams Hillary Clinton's criticism of PM Orban
2 Min Read
The director of PM Orban's office responds to Clinton's recent comments on X, listing her contentious policies and actions which he described as the "death of democracy".
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Hillary Clinton waves as she arrives on stage to speak on the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, August 19, 2024. (AFP)
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should reflect on her own actions before accusing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban of suppressing democracy, one of the leader's senior advisors said.
Political Director of Viktor Orban's Office, Balazs Orban (no relation to PM), responded to comments made by Clinton on X describing the prime minister as a "democracy-killing Hungarian dictator" after former president Donald Trump praised him during the presidential debate with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
Clinton shared a 2018 article labeling the prime minister's strict immigration policies, contentious judicial reforms, and the expulsion of NGO financier George Soros’ Open Society Foundations as “soft fascism.”
“Dear Mrs. Clinton,” Balazs Orban wrote on X. “May I share with you what I think the death of democracy is: the desire to imprison your political opponents, the failure to organize elections transparently, and the attempt to replace dissatisfied voters with migrant voters. Which country do you think this applies to?”
“Every reasonable person thinks of this when reading your remarks: ‘first take the log out of your own eye’,” he added.
Dear Mrs. Clinton,
— Balázs Orbán (@BalazsOrban_HU) September 11, 2024
May I share with you what I think the death of #democracy is: the desire to imprison your political opponents, the failure to organize elections transparently, and the attempt to replace dissatisfied voters with migrant voters. Which country do you think this… https://t.co/0cGgnCg8BC
PM Orban has publicly expressed his support for Donald Trump, endorsing his election campaign and meeting with him in Florida earlier this year. He has asserted that Trump is the only US politician able to end the Russia-Ukraine war, reiterating his belief that the conflict would not have started if Trump was in office in 2022.
Clinton was less critical of Viktor Orban when she was former president Barack Obama's secretary of state. During her 2011 visit to Budapest, Clinton said Washington was “strongly supportive of the prime minister’s commitment to rebuild and strengthen Hungary’s economy,” praising his efforts to “eliminate corruption that discourages foreign investors and entrepreneurs.”
