The deaths of seven AfD candidates before North Rhine–Westphalia’s local elections stirred controversy after economist Stefan Homburg called the cluster ‘statistically almost impossible’. Despite official findings of natural causes, AfD leader Alice Weidel echoed concerns—highlighting broader tensions around democratic pluralism in Germany.

With a federal government shutdown likely coming in the US, it is worth asking: why not include appropriations bills for annual federal budgets in the list of exceptions that do not need to clear the 60-vote threshold in the Senate to overcome the filibuster?

Hungary is urging the EU to classify Antifa as a terrorist organization following the assassination of free speech activist Charlie Kirk. With past violent attacks in Budapest and controversial EP immunity for suspect Ilaria Salis, officials argue that Antifa poses a serious threat to public safety and that Brussels must align with US counterterrorism measures.

‘While the EU promotes green energy…in every possible forum, EU bodies may keep Hungary in complete uncertainty for decades regarding the feasibility and conditions for implementing its investment in the transition to safe and clean energy.’

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warned that introducing the so-called ‘TISZA tax’ is part of a Brussels plan to finance war preparations and Ukraine’s EU accession. He pledged that Hungary will resist such pressures and remain on the side of peace.

Has Hungary made efforts to diversify its energy resources since 2022? What alternative energy supply routes does Hungary have? What will Hungary do if Donald Trump asks it to stop buying Russian oil? We spoke with the Hungarian State Secretary for Energy about Hungary’s energy policy.

‘Sadly, this time it isn’t one of the important outlets taking pot shots. Instead, it is the EU Observer. While a tiny fraction of the size of Politico and Euractiv, the rarely-read paper has opted to repeat the same tired tropes about Hungary—that the country is some tired, authoritarian hellhole where the public is just crying out for some liberal democracy.’

Viktor Orbán warned on X that Sweden is collapsing into ‘barbarism’, citing reports of organized crime using minors for murders. The Hungarian PM accused Stockholm of failing to protect its citizens despite lecturing others on the rule of law.

‘Borders must be enforced, constitutions defended, and citizenship laws tightened,’ Fabrice Leggeri declared at the Geopolitical Summit in Budapest. The former Frontex chief set out a detailed plan to reclaim sovereignty, warning that EU ideology has blurred lines between residence, rights, and national identity. Panellists from both sides of the Atlantic agreed.

London witnessed an unprecedented anti-immigration rally on 13 September as Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march drew up to a million participants, according to organizers. The event honoured assassinated US activist Charlie Kirk, with Elon Musk and Eva Vlaardingerboek delivering fiery speeches against mass migration.

“Hungary’s relations with Turkic countries on critical projects in energy, both green and traditionally sourced, as well as in trade and diplomatic spheres, put it in a unique position to become the hub between the EU and Turkic countries.”

‘Although its powers are limited, the Commission and Parliament are increasingly incorporating housing into cohesion policy and future MFF planning and are seeking new policy instruments. The goal is to ensure affordable, sustainable, and secure housing.’

‘The Patriots for Europe have called the allegations and the investigation a politically motivated attempt to discredit their political community. “The use of bureaucratic instruments to discredit or dismantle political opponents is reminiscent of practices common in totalitarian regimes. We will not remain silent,” the Patriots stated in their X post.’

Ukraine’s issues with systemic corruption in its government and the deficiencies of its public administration prevent it from meeting the criteria for EU accession, and this will likely remain the case in the foreseeable future, a new study from the Center for Fundamental Rights finds. Ukraine’s premature accession hurts both Hungarian and European interests, the paper also warns.

Just after Ursula von der Leyen vowed in Strasbourg that ‘Europe is in a fight’, she now faces no-confidence motions from both flanks: Patriots for Europe will table one at midnight, citing EU weakness and escalation in Ukraine, while the Left files separately, denouncing her Gaza inaction and trade agenda.

‘Bulgarian courts, relying also on constitutional jurisprudence, have rightly held that “sex” in the Constitution means biological sex. The Advocate General effectively dismisses this constitutional boundary as irrelevant, subordinating it to freedom of movement and asserting that the “authenticity” of a document lies in its consistency with subjective self-perception.’

‘We are Generation Remigration and we claim our countries back!’—a slogan turned viral by Eva Vlaardingerboek—is giving Europe’s anti-migration youth a new rallying cry. Backed by influencers across the continent, the movement reflects mounting anger at rising assaults, failed EU border policies, and the political elite’s betrayal.

Prime Minister François Bayrou of France has lost the vote of no confidence he called on himself, with the motion passing 364–194, triggering the collapse of the government. He served for less than a year in office. The leader of the left-wing La France Insoumise party has also called on President Emmanuel Macron to resign.

‘When asked which three areas the European Union should focus on most in the future in order to increase its global political influence, respondents highlighted security and defence policy cooperation, increasing European competitiveness, and achieving energy independence.’

Hungary’s relations with Ukraine are at a historic low, but Budapest remains open to dialogue, Péter Szijjártó said on Monday. Blaming Kyiv for curtailing Transcarpathian Hungarian rights, he announced that Ukrainian FM Andrii Sybiha will visit Budapest this week despite recent tensions over the Druzhba pipeline and Ukraine’s EU accession.

‘80 years after its publication, the message of the novella seems to have lost none of its relevance. Among the challenges of modern governance around the world, numerous phenomena remind us of the dynamics described by Orwell…The rule of law, autonomous institutions, and transparency are not merely theoretical concepts, but safeguards against autocracy.’

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, fresh from nearly an hour-long private meeting with Vladimir Putin in Beijing, announced he will deliver a ‘very serious message’ to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. Fico’s role echoes Viktor Orbán’s earlier peace missions, though the Slovak leader emerges at a moment when Putin insists no peace is possible without addressing NATO expansion.

Talk of the Democratic Party’s extinction has surged since Trump’s 2024 win, fueled by party registration drops and the looming census set to take away electoral votes from blue states. But history shows that, since 1856, both Democrats and Republicans have survived long losing streaks, electoral setbacks, and predictions of demise—proving that in US politics, fortunes can shift fast.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s remark calling Vladimir Putin ‘an ogre at our gates’ marks a dangerous shift in Europe’s war rhetoric. Once confined to online echo chambers, dehumanizing language is now openly used by Western leaders—laying the ground for escalation, while exposing the blatant hypocrisy of those who once condemned such tactics when used by Donald Trump.

What is the relationship between the Romanian and Hungarian governments like, and what role does the RMDSZ play in it? Can Szeklerland be granted autonomy? And why does Romania support Ukraine? We spoke with Romanian foreign policy analyst and former presidential adviser Iulian Chifu in Tusványos.

At the SCO summit in Tianjin, leaders from Russia, China, India and beyond gathered to deepen trade ties, challenge Western influence, and promote a new Eurasian vision. With Europe largely absent, and figures like Modi, Putin and Xi taking centre stage, the summit signalled a significant shift in global power dynamics.

‘For American and Hungarian conservatives, Louis Sarkozy should move from curiosity to priority. He marries a US-honed operating style with a surname that still opens doors from Budapest to Paris, and he is testing both in a consequential border city.’

At a campaign event, TISZA Party Vice Chair Zoltán Tarr said: ‘I won’t tell you everything, because if I did, we would fail,’ referring to the party’s plans. TISZA’s PM candidate, Péter Magyar, urged journalists to hear the full context—then admitted he hadn’t listened to the full discussion himself.

Western media suggest Viktor Orbán could ‘climb down’ from Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s EU bid after alleged pressure from Donald Trump. Yet officials stress the call itself is disputed—and insist accession would drag an open war into the EU, a step Hungary refuses to take.

‘Through Japan’s growing business and cultural ties with Hungary, the Hungarian–Japanese relationship is poised to grow at an exponential rate in the coming years. Japan’s use of Hungary as a central manufacturing hub for vehicles and electronics equipment is only going to grow as a result of increased defense industry cooperation between NATO and Tokyo.’