The PM’s press chief, Bertalan Havasi told MTI that in a letter sent on Saturday, Viktor Orbán expressed his gratitude to Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu for having received him in Bucharest earlier this week, and for having ‘ensured the safety and security of the Tusnádfürdő Free University and making it possible for me to deliver my remarks today in undisturbed and peaceful circumstances.’
The Hungarian justice minister stated that the cost of environmental protection should not be imposed on the poorest countries or the most vulnerable members of societies, but primarily borne by major polluting countries and corporations.
After the recent repeated defiling of the Úzvölgy military cemetery, Hungarians in Romania are now bracing themselves for another provocation in Tusványos.
The Hungarian foreign minister announced that Budapest will not consent to further arms shipments to Ukraine as long as Kyiv fails to remove OTP Bank from its list of international war sponsors.
Her first trip to Texas was motivated by the desire to ‘strengthen cooperation among conservatives across continents,’ the justice minister said, stressing that ‘We need to make friendships, get to know each other, and find common ground…While there might be differences in the details, when it comes to fundamental principles, I believe we understand each other.’
Gergely Gulyás emphasized that ‘if there is a political change in the United States, which, of course, depends on the decision of the Americans, then it is certain that Hungarian–American relations can greatly improve with a conservative American administration.’
The minister recalled that the Factory Rescue Programme was launched by the government following the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, to enable domestic companies to strengthen their independence from the highly unpredictable fluctuations of international energy markets and to preserve jobs and maintain economic performance.
Mihály Varga recalled that during the pandemic, it became evident that Hungary needed to increase its self-sufficiency in the health industry. Therefore, in 2020, the government launched the Healthcare Industry Support Programme, which, among others, has now facilitated Medicor’s investment.
Katalin Novák pointed out that it was the first time a Hungarian President visited Tanzania and emphasised the importance of understanding the Tanzanian people’s mentality and way of life, with bilateral relations based on mutual respect.
The embassies of the United States, Germany, Slovakia, and 35 other nations have put out a joint statement ahead of the Budapest Pride March, condemning the Hungarian government for allegedly not protecting the rights of LGBTQ people in the country. US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman was also present at the March, where also gave yet another critical speech.
At the UNSC session on the situation in Ukraine, the Hungarian foreign minister stated that the resolution of the armed conflict is not to be found on the battlefield but at the negotiating table.
Another summit of the intergovernmental cooperation between Austria, Hungary, and Serbia took place on 7 July in Vienna, Austria. Apart from the heads of state and government, the three nations’ ministers of foreign affairs, and domestic and law enforcement leaders also took part in the conference, held at the Austrian Chancellor’s residence. The Vienna Summit was organised in the wake of Hungary and Poland officially objecting to the migration package at the European Commission’s 30 June session.
Enumerating the factors strengthening the positive outlook for the economy, the Hungarian finance minister stated that the country’s export performance is very good, and in terms of population, Hungary ranks 94th among the countries of the world, while it stands at 34th place in terms of export indicators.
The PM’s political director stated that as opposed to how the European asylum system is currently working, Hungary’s position is that no one who is not eligible for legal entry should be allowed into the territory of Europe and the Schengen area. Those wishing to submit an asylum application should do so outside the Schengen area, and only those entitled to refugee status should be allowed to enter.
Katalin Novák emphasised that this is the first occasion for a Hungarian President to visit Rwanda, and it could therefore be a milestone in bilateral relations.
Orbán noted that according to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Joe Biden could put an end to the war, adding that he actually agrees with the Ukrainian President. ‘If the United States said they want peace, it would happen by tomorrow morning,’ the PM opined, stating that he cannot comprehend why the Americans do not want to do that, and there was no answer at the NATO summit to that question either.
In response to the ruling of the Veszprém regional court, Fidesz MP Gergely Gulyás and KDNP MP Zsolt Semjén have submitted a legislative amendment proposal to parliament on 13 July which states that only women who have worked for 40 years as women are eligible for early retirement.
‘This drone is the result of several years of development work and the cooperation of Hungarian engineers,’ Imre Porkoláb, Ministerial Commissioner for Defence Innovation underlined.
‘If the measure regarding mandatory migrant quotas is adopted, a migrant camp accommodating 20,000 to 30,000 people should be established in Hungary,’ the PM’s Chief Security Advisor told public M1 television.
The Veszprém Regional Court ruled that a trans woman named Elvira is eligible for early retirement under the government’s ‘Women 40’ programme. Fidesz MP Gabriella Selmeczi and president of the Interest Group of Hungarian Women Kinga Szőnyi spoke out against the decision.
The environmental permit of CATL, which has significant water and energy requirements, was challenged in court by six private individuals and two civil organisations.
On 12 July, one day after the correction issued by the Ukrainian foreign ministry, some Ukrainian media, including the English language Kyiv Independent, were still posting articles about WizzAir having removed ‘a Ukrainian war veteran’ from its flight. Obviously, the fake news was too conveniently painting a negative picture of Hungary to be just let go by the unapologetically anti-Hungarian Ukrainian press.
According to the European Parliament, Romania and Bulgaria’s industries and inhabitants are negatively impacted socially and economically by the two nations’ continued exclusion from the visa-free zone.
The deepening of cultural dialogue can be the solution to the domestic tensions in France, Hungarian Institute of International Affairs Gladden Pappin told the audience at a roundtable discussion titled The BLM-Moment of France? – Political and Security Implications of the Riots in France, held by the institute on Friday, 7 July in Budapest, Hungary.
‘We have managed to make a decision that does not carry the risk of war escalation, and the member states have made it clear that Ukraine can only receive an invitation to join NATO if the country fulfils all the necessary conditions and if the allies unanimously agree on it in the future,’ the Hungarian foreign minister stated.
The facility aims to produce 700–800 million aluminium beverage cans annually, with approximately half of them filled, mainly to meet the demands of local and regional third-party brands. Additionally, the company plans to serve its own local and regional markets from this plant.
Erdoğan spoke about the issue of Sweden’s NATO membership during a press conference held at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport before travelling to the alliance’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. He stated that Turkey would approve Sweden’s NATO membership if the European Union resumes accession negotiations with his country.
The minister reminded all that the independent Hungarian Ministry of Finance was the first lasting success of the revolution. In April 1848, Lajos Kossuth began working on the establishment of the ministry, and it started its operations in May of that year.
With the recent large-scale build-up of the national defence industry, Hungary is not only ensuring its own military equipment supply, but also contributing to the development of European defence industrial capabilities and thus enhancing the EU’s security.
With this victory, Blanka Kata Vas achieved the biggest win of her career. Within the past three weeks, she won a stage in the Swiss Tour, as well as gold medals in the Hungarian Time Trial Championship.