Viktor Orbán was at a briefing at the European Commission’s plenary session when someone disrupted him in the middle of his speech.
Marton Gyekiczki, an activist and city councilor for Hungary’s opposition Democratic Coalition (DK), ran up to the podium where Orbán was sitting and tossed a pile of what appeared to be banknotes at the prime minister.
“He sold out to Putin, he sold out to Xi Jinping!”, the man cried.
“How much did you sell the country for? For how much did you sell the country, Mr. Prime Minister?”, he cried.
Orbán’s security bodyguard tackled the activist to the ground and then led him out of the room.
Orbán has received mixed reactions for his speech at Strasbourg, and has long attracted significant controversy with his pro-Russia, anti-migrant stance.
Marton Gyekiczki, an activist and member of Hungary’s Democratic Coalition party, serves as a local councilor in a suburb of Budapest.
Former Prime Minister Ference Gyurcsány, president of the Democratic Coalition party, later expressed his support for Gyekiczki’s actions on social media, stating that he was “proud” of the activist.
“We will say it everywhere and always: Hungary has a traitorous government!” Gyurcsány wrote.
A video posted online showed Gyekiczki approaching Orban before he was escorted out of the hall.
