Former President Trump’s criminal trial has begun in Manhattan, which some polling data suggests could cost him his victory in the presidential election in November. However, President Biden is not in a great position either as the economy and the state of foreign affairs have recently worsened, and he was already struggling with a low approval rating on these issues. How will all this end?
Whether Budapest will remain a stronghold of the left is at stake in the municipal elections to be held on 9 June 2024. Mayor of Budapest is practically the highest political office directly elected by citizens in Hungary, but the outcome of the June election is exciting not only because of that but also because the capital has been the scene of daily party political battles ever since the last election in 2019.
Brussels police has attempted to shut down the National Conservatism Conference that began this morning in Brussels. The gathering features, among others, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The left has been striving to obstruct the right-wing event for days, seemingly resorting to extreme measures to suppress dissent.
‘Protecting the innocence of children against efforts to sexualize them, upholding the legality of borders and asylum procedures, safekeeping the right of states to exercise national sovereignty in areas where it remains their legal prerogative: pursuing these aims isn’t a bed of roses. It exposes one to media disinformation, financial blackmail, and attacks on personal honor.’
The authors examined the resolutions, annual fundamental rights and human rights reports adopted by the European Parliament between 2019 and 2024 to analyse and document the emergence of a ‘new language’ that serves to prioritize specific aspects in the protection of fundamental and human rights.
Hungary can play a key role in potentially warming EU–Türkiye relations. This can be achieved through agenda-setting during Hungary’s presidency of the Council. One such topic could be the modification of the illegal migration prevention deal to tighten regulations and increase financial support to Türkiye.
‘The Visegrad Group has reached a tipping point in the face of growing geopolitical and security challenges. The external and internal dynamics of the regional alliance of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia have encountered obstacles where the need for unity clashes with competing views, aims, and pressures.’
Local elections are an important episode in the power play for the leadership of the two largest parties in Poland. After the ultimate defeat of his party in the general election Jarosław Kaczyński came under heavy criticism, with demands that he resign and take responsibility for the electoral failure. PiS coming out on top on 7 April is expected to silence these voices and stabilize Kaczyński’s position.
The European Parliament today adopted a new regulation reforming the EU’s migration and asylum policy, including measures for expedited asylum processing and solidarity in distributing migrants among member states. The pact, strongly opposed by Hungary, aims to relocate asylum seekers, provide financial support to heavily burdened countries, and establish uniform procedures for refugee recognition and protection.
In Poland’s municipal elections a significant majority of farmers voted for the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party. As right-wing parties across the continent have consistently supported the farmers ever since the beginning of the Europe-wide protests, discontented farmers could play a key role in facilitating the long-awaited right-wing shift in the EU.
The majority of Europeans reject the European Union’s migration policy. Hungary, alongside France and Austria, stands out as one of the most critical of Brussels’ misguided approach.
Hungary strongly opposes Dutch PM Mark Rutte’s candidacy. There are alternatives to Rutte, however; candidates that might not enjoy widespread support as of now but are less divisive. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, for one, recently announced his candidacy for the role. But Hungary’s endorsement of President Iohannis is not self-evident, considering that Klaus accused the Romanian Socialist Democratic Party and the Hungarian minority party UDMR of conspiring ‘to give Transylvania to Hungary’ during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Weeks of farmers’ protests across Europe seem to have broken Brussels, with the European Commission making significant concessions to disgruntled farmers. However, quick symptomatic treatments will not resolve the deep-rooted problems of European agriculture.
While 13 per cent of Hungarians would vote for Magyar’s party in the EP elections, which represents a significant shift in just a few weeks, the new party has failed to attract uncertain or inactive voters, nor has it gained significant support from Fidesz voters; its voters come largely from supporters of left-wing parties, causing losses for each of them.
The roster of speakers for CPAC Hungary 2024 has been expanded with some real American ‘heavyweights’. This year’s event holds particular significance as it occurs amidst the campaign for the crucial European Parliament elections in June.
The voters of Wisconsin voted to amend their state constitution, putting stricter election rules in place. Also, just like in all other swing states, the Republican primary turnout outnumbered that of the Democrats. However, President Biden got a higher vote total (due to his higher vote share) than President Trump in a swing state primary for the first time—what does this all mean?
President Joe Biden issued a declaration marking 31 March as ‘Transgender Day of Visibility’. While that day has always been held by some odd people on that date, this year it coincided with Easter Sunday, causing outrage among many Christians in the United States.
The Eastern Opening policy has greatly enhanced Hungary’s ability to diversify its natural gas import sources and the commencement of Turkish natural gas deliveries on April 1st, 2024, will amplify this policy’s effectiveness. For further diversification, there’s an emphasized need for a firmer commitment to boost imports from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.
The Brazilian relationship is a valuable connection to an emerging power of the 21st century, without serious geopolitical cost attached.
Hungary has persistently advocated for a shift in the EU’s agricultural policy towards Ukraine. The prolonged farmer protests have influenced the stance of other member states, with France spearheading a coalition of states seeking to enforce stricter trade restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products.
Hungary stands as the sole EU member state purportedly failing to adequately diminish its energy reliance on Russia, a paid advertisement of the US Embassy in Budapest suggests. However, the truth is that numerous EU nations continue to rely on Russian imports, and the Hungarian government is actively striving to diversify its energy sources.
While conservative ethnic Hungarians mainly stood behind Alliance candidate Krisztián Forró, a significant part of the liberal camp either stayed away from the polls or voted for the liberal–progressive Slovak candidate in the first round. From the Hungarian perspective, it is also ominous that the participation in the Hungarian-majority Southern areas was well below that of the rest of the country. If this trend is not reversed shortly, it could lead to dire political consequences for the whole ethnic community.
‘Strategic uncertainty is not a universal elixir, but merely one of the tools in a politician’s and a strategist’s toolbox. It is important to know when to use it, but it is perhaps even more important to know when not to. For strategic uncertainty to be an effective tool, serious kinetic action must sometimes be added to the bluffing and the show of force.’
‘‘‘More power to Brussels! Down with the nations!’’ is the motto that best describes what the Commission and the EP agree on. As for the differences in opinion, they are only rooted in the question of where exactly in Brussels the power that has been taken from the Member States should be concentrated.’
According to POLITICO, Slovakia may soon find itself undergoing a rule of law procedure, possibly leading to the European Commission deciding to freeze EU funds due to the Central European state. The contrasting paths of Robert Fico and Donald Tusk serve as a clear illustration of Brussels’ ideological warfare on member states that refuse to surrender their national sovereignty.
Early in March Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli visited Hungary and met Hungary’s Minister for European Union Affairs János Bóka, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, several Hungarian Jewish community leaders, while also giving presentations on the Gaza War. Jews in Hungary can practice their faith in safety in contrast to many other European nations, he noted during his visit.
Based on his primary model, political scientist Helmut Norpoth gives incumbent Joe Biden of the Democratic Party a 75 per cent chance for re-election. However, the same model was widely inaccurate in 2020, giving Donald Trump a 91 per cent chance of becoming president again. Its 2024 forecast again goes against aggregate polling data and consensus in the news and betting industry.
The Hungarian price monitoring system, which will possibly be purchased by the Slovak government, is an online database developed by the government and the Hungarian Competition Authority. The system provides consumers with information on the selling prices of individual products.
‘The main criticisms against the four Slovak governments of the past three years were the lack of competence and the imposition of ad hoc solutions. The current government coalition has produced the exact opposite: it carries out the programme that its political opponents are most afraid of and does so with panache.’
Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is the frontrunner to become NATO’s next Secretary General, with the support of Washington, London, Berlin, and Paris. However, Hungary has expressed objections regarding the Dutch politician’s candidacy. As a consensus is required for his election, a Hungarian veto could potentially lead to Rutte’s downfall.