Hungarian Conservative

‘The unfreezing of funds is a turning point in the EU⁠–⁠Poland relationship—one that had become very strained in recent years—and of course a major political success for the new cabinet. But that is not the only reason why the Commission decision is so instructive: the damage to the rule of law in Poland, which was so widely reported on in the European press in recent years, appears to have been reversed in less than two months, to the extent that the European Commission was willing to waive the withholding of EU funds, which is undoubtedly a very effective tool for blackmailing reluctant member states.’

Tamás Sulyok visited Poland on the Day of Polish⁠–⁠Hungarian Friendship, marking the extraordinary and long-standing relationship between the two Central European nations.

Despite the attack on public media and the political imprisonment of former government members, the Polish government led by Donald Tusk could soon gain access to some of the EU funds that were frozen due to concerns about the rule of law.

After Poland’s left-wing government launched an overt campaign against the country’s public media, Spanish Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is attempting to ban opposition journalists from parliament. The left’s attacks on critical right-wing voices are intensifying, and the Hungarian opposition would certainly not shy away from emulating the Spanish and Polish examples.

The 76-year-old former Oscar nominee lauded the Eastern European countries for protecting their borders and actually enforcing their immigration laws, unlike his country of the US.

The new Polish government is quite likely to not be able to deliver on many of its crucial election promises, which may create legitimacy problems. And this is far from being the only difficulty: if the new government is unable to change the laws that led the EU to launch the Article 7 and the so-called rule of law proceedings against Poland, there may be serious economic consequences for the country.

‘The effective exploitation of the sentiments of disappointment and hatred towards those in power and the embarrassment of parochial Polishness in opposition to an enlightened Europe triggered an incredible effect in the form of votes from young voters. Young voters most of whom, despite their youthful ideological fervour, do not recall the consequences of the rule of the opposition parties, especially the left-wing one, which they once again helped enter parliament.’

While Prime Minister Morawiecki stated at PiS’s last congress before the 15 October elections in Katowice that Polish voters would in less than two weeks decide whether Poland becomes a ‘European land, a European province,’ or remains a sovereign country, a large opposition rally was held in Warsaw.

The confetti cannon has been fired and the Polish campaign is officially underway: at the beginning of August, President Andrzej Duda set 15 October as the date for the parliamentary elections, an event that is making not only the Poles but also Hungarians hold their breath.

‘I am not disappointed by the attitude of Poland and Hungary, I am never disappointed by those who defend their national interests,’ the Italian premier declared following the meeting of the European Council, adding that ‘there is an excellent relationship with Poland and Hungary’.

Hungary will not allow a slew of agricultural products to be imported from Ukraine until 30 June. A spokesperson of the European Commission called the actions of the Central European countries ‘not acceptable’.

‘We cannot look at the European Union as those who must be listened to and must always have the best solutions in a suitcase to Bucharest or Warsaw,’ Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki stressed in Bucharest.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán emphasised that Budapest and Warsaw will join forces to protect the agricultural workers of Central Europe from the negative effects of ‘grain dumps’ coming from Ukraine.

Balázs Hidvéghi spoke up at a session of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), calling on the European Left to stop its incessant attacks on Poland.

Warsaw eagerly supported the USG commitment to increase American military presence in the region right from the start, as the country has been pushing for a stronger stance on Russia for years. With the additional 1,700 US troops that Poland welcomed this year, now there are 10, 000 American soldiers stationed in the country.

The investigation of communist crimes and the bringing of perpetrators to justice may give closure to the families of the victims. Some argue, however, that tearing up old wounds may make it more difficult for post-Communist societies to move past old grievances.

Gergely Gulyás spoke at a conference organised by the Mathias Corvinus Collegium and stated that Hungary’s dependence on the EU is not due to its 1.4 per cent contribution to the Hungarian GDP, but rather because Hungary is a part of a unified Europe and Schengen area, and the common market is essential for Hungary’s economy.

Ambassadors Varga-Haszonits and Fałkowski were the only diplomats to be present at the Tehran event with President Raisi. Despite that, other European nations also refrain from fully committing to cutting ties with the Middle Eastern nation.

PiS General Secretary Krzysztof Sobolewski warned that if ‘the Commission tries to push us against the wall…we have no choice but to pull out all the weapons in our arsenal and respond…eye for an eye’, including by wielding the right to veto EU policies.

According to press reports, Poland officially objected to Hungary’s request on Wednesday to remove nine names from the list of Russian individuals to be sanctioned.

Poland’s efforts to turn its growing military power into political influence may be hampered by criticism of its alleged rule of law issues and concerns over its arms purchases from non-NATO countries outside Europe.

After months of negotiations, EU ambassadors on Monday reached an agreement on the funding package that may allow Hungary to have access to part of its frozen EU funds. However, Poland’s unexpected veto on Wednesday may upset the plans.

Warsaw has inked contracts worth billions of euros with US and Korean companies to build nuclear power plants.

The war in Ukraine has renewed the controversy over Communist era statues in Poland. The country is now being purged of the remaining Soviet monuments.

At the end of April, a Danube Institute research group completed their first fieldwork trip to examine the unique situation in Poland, which has been included in their research as a case of internecine violence. Find out more about the situation of Christianity in Poland!

It is our position that the Russian troops must be withdrawn from the occupied territories. Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the human and minority rights within its borders must be restored.

Several European press outlets interpreted the Polish decision as a declaration by Poland’s Constitutional Court that parts of European Union law, as it stands, are ‘unconstitutional’.

From 2010 the Hungarian government changed the previous approach to taxation entirely. This meant a significant reduction in taxes on labour, leaving more money for employers and employees, a huge improvement in the efficiency of consumption tax collection, and the most attractive corporate tax rate in the EU. The government has no plans to increase tax rates but is developing innovations that will make tax compliance simpler, less administrative and more efficient for both the tax administration and the taxpayer. It is fair to say that Hungary’s tax innovation has now become a best practice for the EU.

Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and Fabrice Leggeri, former head of the EU border agency Frontex and current lead candidate for the right-wing National Rally (RN) party participated in a public discussion held in the European Parliament on Tuesday. They shared their concerns regarding migration and the newly adopted Migration Pact, agriculture, and green policies.

We have moved from our absolute fertility low in 2011, last in the EU, to sixth in 2022, with the highest growth in 2022. According to the latest Eurostat data, we moved up five places in 2022, the first year of the Russian-Ukrainian war, even though we had fewer children that year than in 2021. This fall was much smaller than in other EU countries.