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12 Feb, 2019 12:47

EU will dissolve like Soviet Union unless Europeans ‘wake up’, George Soros warns

EU will dissolve like Soviet Union unless Europeans ‘wake up’, George Soros warns

The “sleeping pro-Europe majority” must “wake up” before the EU goes the way of the Soviet Union, billionaire George Soros has warned, adding that Europe’s political parties must give the bloc’s interests first priority.

Pro-EU political parties must rally support ahead of crucial European Parliament elections in May, the Hungarian-American businessman and controversial influencer wrote in an op-ed published by Project Syndicate.

The bloc is “sleepwalking into oblivion” and could soon meet the same end as the Soviet Union, Soros prophesized. In order to avoid catastrophe, he argued, right-minded political parties must resist the lure of EU skepticism sweeping across the continent and “put Europe’s interests ahead of their own.” He chastised Germany’s ruling coalition for not being adequately pro-EU out of fear of losing votes to the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), while praising the German Greens for being “the only consistently pro-European party in the country.”

Also on rt.com ‘George Soros-type seance’: Orban mocks EU opposition to Hungary’s anti-migrant law

The outspoken opponent of Brexit suggested that it wasn’t too late for the UK to hold another referendum, “or, even better, for revoking Britain’s Article 50 notification” – advocacy which appears to clash with Soros’ self-declared affinity for democracy. In the UK, the billionaire has been sharply criticized for forking over £800,000 (US$1,062,000) to pro-EU campaigns, including £400,000 to Best for Britain, a campaign group that has been at the forefront of anti-Brexit activism.

On the topic of Italy, Soros chided the EU for “strictly enforcing” an agreement “which unfairly burdens countries like Italy where migrants first enter the EU.” As a result, the massive influx of migrants into Europe has transformed the once pro-EU Italy into a bastion of populism, Soros lamented.

Curiously, he failed to mention that he is a leading champion of the EU’s open-door migrant policy – a policy which is directly responsible for Italy being swamped with asylum seekers.

Addressing Soros’ arch-nemesis – the Hungarian government under Prime Minister Viktor Orban – the billionaire businessman said that trans-European alliances must show more backbone and not be “dictated by party leaders’ self-interest.”

Also on rt.com George Soros’ Open Society foundation ends operations in Hungary

He argued that the European People’s Party (EPP) is “the worst offender” in this regard because it continues to grant membership to Orban’s Fidesz party, allegedly “in order to preserve its majority and control the allocation of top jobs in the EU.”

Soros has been repeatedly accused by Orban of using his wealth to push pro-migrant policies on conservative, anti-immigration Hungary and much of the Western world.

“Soros has antagonized not only us but also England, President Trump, and Israel too,” Orban said in February. “Everywhere he wants to get migration accepted. It won’t work. We are not alone and we will fight together… and we will succeed.”

Hungary has even passed a Stop Soros Law, aimed at punishing those who provide assistance to migrants trying to illegally enter the central European country.

If Europe’s political leaders fail to stamp out the rise of populist political parties within the bloc, “the dream of a united Europe could become the nightmare of the 21st century,” Soros wrote in closing. Sadly, Soros doesn’t elaborate on why he believes the democratic will of Europeans poses such a fearsome threat to his grand vision for a “united” Europe.

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