Hungary’s Orban accuses Europe of ‘Soviet-style’ meddling

(Reuters) – Hungary accused the European Parliament on Friday of resorting to Soviet-style methods that challenged the country’s sovereignty by passing a resolution deploring recent changes to the constitution.

The European Parliament told Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday he risked isolating Hungary in Europe unless he repealed the “anti-democratic” changes, the latest in a series of spats between Budapest and Brussels which fears EU member Hungary is drifting back to authoritarianism.

“Since the rule of Soviet empire, no other external power has dared to try to curb the sovereignty of Hungarians openly, choosing a legal form,” Orban told public radio, saying some of the European Parliament’s recommendations violated the EU treaty.

European lawmakers say Orban, who has used his two-thirds majority to enact hundreds of laws since sweeping to power in 2010, has weakened democratic checks and balances in the former Soviet satellite by changing the constitution.

Orban has denied the charges.