Across the UK’s 2026 elections, the incumbent left-wing Labour Party has suffered heavy losses in England’s local councils and a historic setback in Wales, where it has collapsed from dominance to just a handful of Senedd seats in the newly expanded chamber. Meanwhile, the right-wing populist Reform UK has surged dramatically, gaining over 1,000 councillors.

Moscow’s preparations for what many describe as the most heavily secured Victory Day parade of the post-Soviet era reveal more than fear of a specific Ukrainian attack. They point to a deeper transformation in Russian strategic psychology following Operation Spiderweb and the collapse of assumptions about Russia’s internal security depth.

Hungary’s MOL is facing mounting difficulties in its planned acquisition of Serbia’s NIS oil company, as Belgrade hardens its negotiating stance and fresh political uncertainty emerges following Viktor Orbán’s electoral defeat. Questions are also growing over whether Hungary’s incoming Tisza government will continue backing the strategically important deal as the 22 May deadline nears.

Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar has nominated legal scholar Márta Görög, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Szeged, to serve as justice minister in the incoming Tisza Party government.

Márton Melléthei-Barna has declined Péter Magyar’s nomination for Minister of Justice after controversy emerged over his family ties to the prime minister-elect. Magyar is expected to announce a new nominee on Friday.

In a debate among mayoral candidates, incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of the Democratic Party stated that she is not willing to reject a proposal by an LA Council Member that would allow non-citizens to vote in local elections in the city. That is despite the fact that it would be against federal law; and an identical law passed by the New York City Council was ruled unconstitutional already.

Hungary’s newly elected parliament will convene on Saturday, with Tisza Party leader Péter Magyar expected to be elected prime minister following April’s decisive election victory.

Can the new government remove the President of the Republic? Does a two-thirds electoral victory give the authority to dismiss public dignitaries? What can an amendment to the Fundamental Law achieve and what are its limits? After the inauguration of Péter Magyar as Prime Minister, a serious public law battle is set to begin.

Alberta’s separatist movement reached a new milestone as organizers announced over 300,000 signatures for an independence petition—far surpassing the legal threshold required to trigger a referendum. Yet even as calls for a vote intensify, deep-rooted structural limitations continue to undermine the feasibility of the province leaving Canada.

PM Narendra Modi of India’s right-wing populist and nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the state legislative election in West Bengal, a state that Modi had never won in the three general elections in which he was elected Prime Minister by a landslide. In the state of Kerala, the last remaining communist-led state government in India was voted out.

Hungary could soon restore full access to the Erasmus+ programme, as Tisza Party officials say negotiations are underway to remove restrictions and reopen opportunities for students.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s call to revive the Visegrád Four highlights a rapid regional recalibration after Viktor Orbán’s electoral defeat, which stripped him of his closest EU ally. Yet the outreach is already overshadowed by emerging tensions with incoming Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, particularly over minority rights and the Beneš Decrees.

Hungary’s president has called for new legislation to balance child protection, EU law and constitutional requirements following a recent European court ruling.

Has President Trump so far lived up to expectations? What will be the fate of Ukraine? How strong is China? We spoke to Edward N Luttwak, Contractual Strategic Advisor to the US Department of Defense, about Ukraine’s chances of winning the war, China’s readiness to change the status quo, and the turbulence in the Middle East.

Marking the 235th anniversary of Europe’s first modern constitution, Polish President Karol Nawrocki unveiled plans to prepare a new constitutional framework by 2030. The initiative comes amid ongoing institutional conflict with Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government.

Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar criticized Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony for organizing a concert one day before a planned national celebration marking the new parliament, calling the move inappropriate.

Hungary will not implement a recent European Union Court ruling on its child protection law, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said, citing constitutional and sovereignty concerns in a letter to the president.

Hungary’s incoming Tisza government is facing accusations of nepotism after Péter Magyar nominated his brother-in-law as Minister of Justice. Although Márton Melléthei-Barna is widely regarded as a highly experienced legal expert, the appointment has opened an avoidable political front for the new administration—particularly sensitive given that Tisza repeatedly portrayed patronage networks and family-based loyalty systems as defining features of the Orbán era.

Hungary’s incoming prime minister Péter Magyar has completed the line-up of his Tisza government, naming ministers for interior and justice and finalizing a 16-member cabinet ahead of the new parliament’s inaugural session.

Prime Minister-Elect Péter Magyar and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to finalize a political agreement by late May aimed at unlocking billions in frozen EU funds for Hungary. Magyar stated that none of Brussels’s conditions run contrary to Hungary’s national interests; however, the deal could require politically sensitive concessions on more ideological issues, particularly LGBTQ rights.

‘The ruling has implications far beyond the single House seat presumably gained by the GOP in Louisiana. It gives legal license for Republican stronghold states in the South to redraw their congressional maps, this time without high regard for black-majority districts.’

Germany now leads the US in conventional ammunition production capacity, according to Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger, reflecting Europe’s rearmament driven by the war in Ukraine and the broader recalibration of US–NATO relations under Trump. The company, mirroring a wider European trend, has expanded production capacities across the continent, including through important facilities in Hungary.

Greek MPs have waived immunity amid an European Public Prosecutor’s Office probe into misused EU farm funds. The scandal cost minister Konstantinos Tsiaras his post. Athens accuses EPPO of political bias as scrutiny widens and past EU probes raise doubts about its effectiveness.

Romania’s deepening political crisis could create a strategic paradox for Hungary’s incoming government. While instability in Bucharest may strengthen Péter Magyar’s leverage in negotiations with Brussels over frozen EU funds, the growing influence of AUR simultaneously threatens the position of RMDSZ and could create unwanted tensions between Hungary and Romania.

Fidesz has unveiled its new parliamentary group following its election defeat, with a mix of experienced politicians and new faces as part of a broader renewal effort.

Viktor Orbán’s exit from parliament marks the end of an era—but also a deliberate attempt to shape what comes next. His move reflects a calculated effort to preserve his political myth and avoid becoming a constant, easily targeted opposition figure—or a liability for Fidesz after its crushing electoral defeat.

‘To be clear, this visit by King Charles III is more than welcome, and he will receive a proper reception, but American concerns won’t change. The special nature of our relationship was never under question in Washington. Rather, it is due to the special nature of the relationship that the U.S. will continue to push for more from its British allies.’

‘The Three Seas Initiative presents Hungary with a unique and timely opportunity to enhance its regional influence, accelerate domestic development, and reinforce national and alliance-level security objectives. While the initiative is not without its limitations, its potential to address infrastructure gaps, strengthen energy and digital resilience, and improve regional coordination makes it one of the most strategically relevant multilateral frameworks for the CEE today.’

For the first time since the regime change in 1989–1990, Viktor Orbán will not be serving as a Member of the National Assembly of Hungary, signalling the start of a new political era in the country. He has returned his parliamentary mandate, and the Fidesz faction will be led by Gergely Gulyás instead.

The incoming Minister of Education and Child Care Affairs of Hungary Judit Lannert, named by prime minister-elect Péter Magyar, has received backlash online after people found that she promoted LGBTQ activism on her Facebook profile in the summer of 2021, the time when the national Assembly of Hungary passed the Child Protection Act.