Orbán's campaign uses manipulation and lies to urge Hungarians not to support Ukraine's accession to EU

The Hungarian government, along with  ballots to "poll" Hungarians on Ukraine's EU membership, has distributed  counterarguments based on manipulation and downright lies.

Source: European Pravda 

Details: On Saturday, Hungarian government spokesman Zoltán Kovács announced that Hungarians had begun to receive ballots for a "survey" along with an information sheet outlining seven "risks" of Ukraine's accession to the EU from Budapest's perspective.

The first risk is that in the event of Ukraine's membership, Hungary would allegedly lose EU funding, "and all the money would go to Ukraine" (why "all" of the funds will be directed at Ukraine is not explained).

"In addition, Brussels is calling for huge joint borrowings, which means that we will all become debtors together because of Ukraine's accession," the Hungarian government's video says (which also does not explain what kind of borrowings they are talking about or how they are related to Ukraine).

Other "risks", according to Hungary, are related to the fact that Ukraine is a huge agricultural producer, so after accession "all EU funds will go to Ukrainian farmers", and the European market will be "open to low-quality, genetically modified Ukrainian goods".

Meanwhile, the Hungarian government ignores the fact that joining the European Union requires Ukraine to adopt all European norms, including those in the field of agriculture, so this statement is outright false.

The Hungarian government spokesperson also claims without evidence that Ukraine was "the centre of drug trafficking and organised crime in Eastern Europe" before the war, so "joining the EU will open up the Ukrainian mafia to enter Europe, and therefore Hungary."

Other arguments from Budapest are that after Ukraine's accession to the EU, Ukrainians as cheap labour will "threaten jobs and pensions" in the EU.

Ukrainians will also pose a threat to public health because "there is no mandatory vaccination in Ukraine" (in fact, there is mandatory vaccination in Ukraine), and "Ukraine's hasty accession to the EU" will jeopardise the payment of the so-called 13th pension by the Orbán government.

Background: 

• The "poll" was announced in early March by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who already acknowledged that it would take place in the format of "national consultations."
• Such polls are not legally binding, and only a small (up to 30%) share of Hungarian voters actually participate in them. Meanwhile, the Orbán government often refers to the results of such polls as proof that its policies have the support of citizens.
• The Hungarian government has already held "consultations" on Ukraine, with questions formulated in a manipulative manner.

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