Hungarian PM Orban claims the EU is 'drowning in corruption'

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban launched a scathing attack on the European Union on Friday, claiming the bloc is "drowning in corruption" and lacks moral authority. In a post on X, Orban stated, "Commissioners face serious charges, the Commission and the Parliament are engulfed in scandal, yet Brussels still claims the moral high ground." His comments follow the detention of several senior EU figures as part of a fraud investigation.

Context: The EU Diplomatic Academy Investigation

Orban's criticism coincides with an ongoing probe by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO). On Tuesday, Belgian police detained former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, a senior official from the College of Europe in Bruges, and a European Commission official. The investigation centers on whether confidential selection criteria for a lucrative EU Diplomatic Academy training contract were improperly shared before the tender's official publication in 2021-2022.

Orban's Broader Accusation Against Ukraine and the EU

Extending his critique, Orban alleged a pattern of mutual protection between Brussels and Kyiv. "Corruption in Ukraine should be called out by the EU, but once again it's the same old story: Brussels and Kyiv shielding each other instead of confronting the truth," he wrote. This links the EU's internal scandal to Ukraine's own anti-corruption challenges, a sensitive issue as Kyiv pursues EU membership.

Ukraine's Corruption Crackdown and EU Accession Path

Last month, Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies uncovered a major scheme in the energy sector involving at least $100 million, leading to the resignation of the energy minister and a top aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Fighting systemic corruption is a critical requirement for Ukraine's EU accession process, which formally began in June 2024. Orban's remarks highlight the political tensions surrounding Ukraine's bid and his longstanding skepticism of EU governance.