Easter, the European elections and Christianity

A pro-government commentator calls on the European Union to embrace Christian values, namely respect for the equality of human communities, including all nations, and the redistribution of wealth to the poor.

In an Easter Monday editorial in Magyar Nemzet, Tamás Fricz, one of the founders and leaders of CÖF, the NGO behind the so-called Peace Marches (established to support the previous Orbán government), argues for the spiritual renewal of the European Union ahead of the forthcoming elections for the European Parliament. Jesus Christ, he recalls, embraced mankind as a whole, and recognised the fundamental value of all people, regardless of their origins. What that message means today, Fricz claims, is that all nations are equal; therefore a European Union under the leadership of certain powerful nations is not the right solution. He also accuses the European Union of following anti-egalitarian values, according to which if the upper strata of society get richer, that wealth will ultimately “filter down” to those at the bottom. That model is flawed, he suggests. On the contrary, the wealth gap has only widened both within and among nations. Fricz praises the example of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett who pledged the donation of half their fortunes to charity. “These were laudable efforts, but on too small a scale”, he adds, implying that Europe, too, should redistribute more of its wealth to poorer EU members.

Tags: Christianity, Europe