Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has “retired” up to 200 senior officers in his army. Those who have served at least 25 years and turn 45 can be fired with just two months’ notice under the new rule.
The opposition is stunned. Officially, the army needs to be rejuvenated, as Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said. NATO is concerned and fears that Hungary could become a similar problem child in the defense alliance as in the EU. However, the background probably lies in the refugee crisis of 2015.
The reason was the refugee crisis of 2015
The Hungarian military has never been disloyal to Orbán, let alone made any political statements. However, during the 2015 refugee crisis, Orbán wanted to use the military for border control. Hungary has had its own border guard unit since 2007. For the first time there was subtle resistance from agents. “The soldiers are neither trained nor equipped for this,” the Defense Ministry said at the time.
Orban, however, remained adamant. He decreed that the army build and guard the fence (pictured below) on the Serbian border. In response, Defense Minister Csaba Hende resigned in September 2015. The successors would have to implement an army reform. Management positions in the Ministry of Defense were not held by the military, but by managers loyal to Orban.
Four defense ministers in seven years
“Orban has become paranoid. He constructs problems where there are none,” says his former adviser Istavn Teplan in the interview with Krone. He too fears – and parallels with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin can be seen here – a possible successor. That is why relative uncertainty in the civil service does not suit him. “You can see that in the numerous personnel changes at the Ministry of Defense.” Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky is the fourth defense minister in seven years. Without previous experience, but with excellent business contacts in Russia.
The same happened with the foreign service. “Untrustworthy people” have been eliminated in recent years by Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. Like Tibor Stelbaczky, former Hungarian ambassador to the EU. “For Orban, nothing but unconditional loyalty counts,” says Teplan. This also applies to the military. The officers involved formed the “backbone” of the Hungarian army, which had military experience. Also and especially in NATO missions.
Orban wants agents to surrender to him
For Prime Minister Orban, it’s not about being the cuckoo’s egg in NATO. But should friction ever arise with the military alliance, he wants officers loyal to him. And a controversy is likely to arise: besides Turkey, Hungary is the only member of the alliance that has not yet ratified the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
