Europeans are looking at Hungary’s parliamentary election on April 12 as a pivotal moment for the continent.No single member state has stymied the European Union’s ability to express a common foreign, defence, energy and migration policy as much as Hungary.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listUnder Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Hungary has refused to participate in a common EU asylum policy or shared defence mechanism; opposed Europe’s swift turn towards energy autonomy based on solar and wind power while continuing to import Russian oil and gas; and vetoed the opening of talks to admit Ukraine as a member, as well as 90 billion-euro ($105bn) in low-cost loans to Ukraine.For this reason, say observers, the victory or defeat of Orban’s Fidesz party, in power for 16 years, will likely have far-reaching effects on how the European Union governs itself in future.“We have two governments in the EU [Hungary, Slovakia] and another outside it, North Macedonia, which are fanatically Trumpian and at the same time fanatically pro-Russian,” said Angelos Syrigos, a conservative New Democracy MP in Athens, referring to United States President Donald Trump, who opposes the EU.“In the European Council [of 27 government leaders], the threat of a veto pushes states to find mutually agreeable solutions. We don’t want vetoes. Orban constantly vetoes things,” he told Al Jazeera.He defined Fidesz as “a party that is opposed to the …
