Speech of MEP Tamás Deutsch, Head of Delegation at CPAC Hungary, Budapest (20 May 2022)

We Central Europeans, including Hungarians, were kept under house arrest for nearly 50 years by Soviet teachers. Through the windows closed off with rough iron bars, we could only look stealthily and with longing eyes at the colourful neon-lit movie poster of the Europa Cinema across the street for many years. The cinema’s loudspeakers constantly announced: We are with you, we are waiting!

Then, 30 years ago, we put an end to this captivity with our own efforts, drove the Communist teachers home and immediately ran, ran, ran to Europa Cinema. We thought, we hoped, that at last we could enter.

We were received by unsmiling ushers who told us that Europa Cinema was only open to those with pre-booked tickets. First confined to your room, then the feeling of newly earned freedom, an inviting colourful poster, a loud advertisement, and off to the box office where we were ushered to the back of the queue. After 45 years of being confined, we had to queue for another 15 years, 15 long years, before we were graciously allowed to finally buy a ticket to Europa Cinema.

In the cinema, the feature film “European Union” was aired in colour, widescreen, dubbed in 24 languages. But by the time we were seated, all we had left of the film were the end credits. And for 18 years now, we’ve had to watch these endless credits. The soundtrack plays in Dolby surround sound, the ushers wear volunteer police armbands, and a flashlight shines in our faces to tell us we are being checked on because the usher said we hadn’t followed the cinema’s rules.  

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends,

I thank the organisers of the conference for having invited me and for the honour to speak here today on the future of the European Union.

Let us first examine how it looks like in reality that the European Union has come to an end.

Allow me to call on the talented young representative of national conservative journalism, Mátyás Kohán.

Start of quote:

“That there is a problem is something that pretty much everyone agrees on. The symbolism couldn’t be stronger: The European Union, which we joined for Western prosperity, is now coming to our house to order 700-forint petrol and to encourage us to give up markets and energy sources.

Added to this is the immense colonialist arrogance with which the European Union is treating Hungary, which has been experimenting with its own model for 12 years (…)

And then we arrive in 2022, when EU membership may well be accompanied by actual financial sacrifices in the wake of sanctions, when Schengen is dead for the seventh year, and they’re messing with EU funds.”

Quote ends.

I must add to Kohán’s precise and, given the gravity of the situation, extremely restrained description of the situation, that, in addition to the everyday and mass violence (arrests, deportations, labour camps, imprisonment, torture, trials by force, and executions) of Communist dictatorships, their methods included the deliberate twisting of language and words from their original meaning; the imposition of ideological and political exclusivity; and the persecution of differing views and the use of administrative measures against dissenters as a means of restricting freedom. They pursued an anti-national and anti-religious empire-building policy and aimed at the complete abolition of personal and communal sovereignty.

Brussels, by comparison, is using a method of deliberately twisting words out of their original meaning – for example, by calling open infringements of the rule of law a rule of law procedure; using the method of increasingly asserting ideological and political exclusivity; stigmatising differing views; and using administrative measures against dissenters. Brussels’ favourite tune: If you don’t act as we expect, you will be prosecuted. It pursues empire-building policies that attack national commitment and Christian traditions, and it has also targeted personal and community sovereignty.

Let’s call a spade a spade: This is soft or liberal totalitarianism.

Once again the ancient wisdom has been proved true: Everything must change in order for everything to remain the same.

Dear Conference,

Today, the European Union is building a Europe that denies traditional European values.

We, on the other hand, believe that Europe is nourished by its Judaeo-Christian roots, and its building blocks are our traditional communities: nations, families and historical churches.

The European Union today is building a Europe based on a hegemony of opinion.

Europe is not united in diversity but in conformity and self-censorship.

We stand for freedom and pluralism.

Today, the European Union is building a Europe without nations.

However, we believe that nation-states are the masters of the future of European integration.

Today, the European Union is building a Europe without democracy. Under the pretext of achieving the rule of the European people, what is actually happening is the dismantling of democratic control of European nations over EU institutions.

Today, the European Union is building a Europe without Europeans: It is only providing financial aid for mass immigration.

We, on the other hand, see the future of Europe in supporting families and encouraging the birth of children.

Dear friends,

Thirty years ago, we thought that Europe was our future. Today we think we are the future of Europe.

Thirty years ago, we had the strength, the courage and the audacity to chase away the Communists and win our freedom. We are regime-changers.

Today, we have no choice but to have the strength, the courage and the audacity to drive out the progressive liberals and defend our freedom. Let us also be regime-changers in Europe.

That is all. 

Thank you for listening, it was an honour to have your attention!