The name Ilaria Salis may be familiar to readers of Hungarian Conservative. She is the Italian antifa ‘activist’ who, along with her comrades, attacked innocent civilians in Budapest in February 2023, simply because they appeared to resemble ‘neo-Nazis.’ The 39-year-old woman faced charges of attempted life-threatening bodily harm committed within a criminal organization, serving as an accomplice in two cases and as an accessory in another. Salis was initially remanded in custody and subsequently placed under house arrest in Hungary, leading to a significant diplomatic rift between Budapest and Rome—two EU members that otherwise maintain good relations.
Salis has since become a Member of the European Parliament, managing to evade punishment. The antifa ran on the list of the Italian far-left Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra (AVS) in the European Parliament elections. Ironically, the former antifa attacker-turned-politician is now a member of the Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs Committee.
With no political track record, Salis often makes headlines by attacking Hungary in her speeches. This was evident recently when she accused the Hungarian authorities of violating her fundamental during her detention. Zoltán Kovács, Hungarian State Secretary for International Communication and Relations, was quick to respond to Salis’s accusations. In a post on X, he urged her defenders to ‘stop whitewashing a communist terrorist who led a group that nearly killed someone on the streets of Budapest in broad daylight’.
Salis Versus Orbán
On Wednesday, 9 October the European Parliament (EP) will debate the agenda of the Hungarian EU Presidency at a plenary session, during which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is also scheduled to make remarks. As anticipated, Salis has registered to speak at the debate. ‘I will speak about my experience and the Hungarian presidency in general,’ Salis, a member of the far-left GUE/NGL political group in the EP, confirmed in response to a question from the Hungarian opposition outlet Telex.
‘I have witnessed the worst side of Hungary, as I spent 15 months in a prison cell,’ the MEP stated. She described the experience as a political trial, noting that government officials labelled her a criminal even before she was brought to court. Salis also addressed the issue of Hungary’s EU presidency, arguing that it is entirely inappropriate for Hungary to hold the position. She found it paradoxical that Orbán criticizes the EU while simultaneously seeking to remain part of it and benefit from it financially, all the while speaking about ‘occupying Brussels.’
Long-Awaited Debate
Viktor Orbán is scheduled to deliver the customary presentation of the Presidency programme in the European Parliament this Wednesday. Traditionally, this presentation occurs during the first sitting following the formation of the new Parliament; however, the EP deviated from this tradition for various reasons and did not permit the Hungarian PM to speak in July. Orbán was also set to present the Hungarian programme in September, but he cancelled to be in Hungary during the defence efforts against the floods that hit Hungary and other Central and Eastern European countries.
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