Elon Musk takes aim at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a US government-funded NGO, calling it a ‘scam’ and ‘rife with corruption’. Established under Ronald Reagan, NED lost its original purpose after the fall of the Soviet Union and is widely seen as an extended arm of the CIA, interfering in the domestic affairs of foreign countries.
Hungary’s government reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening ties with China during a Lunar New Year celebration in Budapest.
Despite the end of the Democratic administration in the US and the departure of Joe Biden’s controversial ambassador to Hungary, the interference in Hungarian domestic affairs continues. On the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration, the US Embassy in Budapest awarded millions of Hungarian forint in grants to opposition-aligned media outlets.
Poland aims to prepare Council conclusions on a European energy security strategy in the next six months, with the main objective of its programme being to fully divest from fossil fuels from Russia.
Since Hungary granted political asylum to the persecuted former Polish Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski, Donald Tusk’s government has launched a retaliatory campaign against Hungary’s ambassador to Warsaw, István Ijjártó. According to Polish media reports, this campaign could culminate in Ijjártó’s expulsion from the country.
‘A Hungarian grand strategy for the 21st century must be based on principles that go beyond the question of Eastern or Western orientation.’
Former Polish Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski has been granted political asylum in Hungary. Romanowski is currently the subject of a European arrest warrant for alleged misappropriation of funds. Chief of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás stated that there is a possibility Poland may not ensure a fair trial in his case due to political considerations.
‘We achieved great success in the European elections, then very quickly formed this large Patriots for Europe group, the third force of the European Parliament, with the help of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Fidesz, with whom we have a common ambition in Europe: changing everything without destroying anything.’
Six months ago, many questioned whether Hungary could fulfil the role of ‘honest broker’ required for the EU Presidency. Now, as the semester concludes, it is evident that Budapest has delivered one of the most successful and memorable presidencies in the history of the European Union.
European competitiveness was made the top priority of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2024, thus the meetings of the EU Competitiveness Council have carried special, added significance to them. The last of these meetings took place last week under the Hungarian Presidency, where five conclusions were adopted by the Member States.