In brief
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was met with a musical protest at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where members sang an antifascist song in opposition to his illiberal policies.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, known for promoting illiberal democracy, faced a musical protest during his address at the European Parliament on Wednesday. After Orban finished speaking in Strasbourg, France, progressive members of the parliament expressed their dissent by singing "Bella Ciao," an Italian resistance anthem from World War II. This spontaneous act of defiance lasted only a short moment before being halted by Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, urging members to maintain decorum. While Orban's stance often clashes with European Union values, tensions rose due to his nationally conservative policies and controversial support of former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Hungary has frequently been criticized by the E.U. for Orban's approach to minority rights, immigration, and the rule of law, exacerbating internal and external political frictions.
