The European Court of Justice issued a €200 million fine, as well as additional fines of €1 million per day to Hungary for failing to comply with migrant quotas in June. Hungary has failed to pay up by the first deadline, so now the European Commission is looking to deduct the penalties from the EU funds due to Budapest.
A key factor in the European Union’s courting of new partners will be how it balances its ideological inclinations and the necessity of compromise for meeting its needs. The break from Russian sources has been seen by some as an opportunity to accelerate the conversion of the continent into a green energy-powered utopia.
EU Member States are soon set to vote on the introduction of punitive tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China. In the informal vote held in July, only four member states opposed the measure, while 11 abstained. Now, it falls to Germany and Hungary to lead the effort to shift positions and prevent an unnecessary trade war with China.
Prior to the start of Hungary’s current presidency of the Council of the EU, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó stated that the country plans to initiate the opening of a new chapter in accession negotiations with Serbia. This intention was also extended to the entire region, as the Hungarian foreign minister highlighted the country’s aim to hold intergovernmental talks with all five Western Balkan countries.
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought was established in 1988 and is awarded annually by the European Parliament. It is primarily given to individuals or organizations who have made outstanding efforts in the defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The prize is named after Soviet physicist, dissident, and political exile Andrei Sakharov. Thirty-four years ago the first recipient was Nelson Mandela.
Ukko Metsola is a top lobbyist for the Royal Caribbean Group, the world’s second-largest cruise ship company. So ironically, while Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, has been apparently making efforts to have green regulations adopted by the EP, her husband is lobbying for a global polluter. In addition, thanks to the new code of ethics she pushed through, she is not required to disclose potential conflicts of interest.
‘Although the political forces thinking in terms of a European alternative failed to replace the Brussels Grand Coalition in the 2024 EP elections, there is a real chance that they could organize themselves into a new right-wing pole in the next five years, which could bring about a real systemic change in Brussels politics.’
‘The Hungarian presidency is focusing on finding real answers to real problems,’ Hungarian State Secretary for International Communication and Relations Zoltán Kovács stressed during a panel discussion on Thursday evening in Budapest. The event centred on the Hungarian EU presidency, with fellow panellist Enikő Győri, MEP for Patriots for Europe, adding that despite constant political attacks, the professional work of the Hungarian presidency has been widely praised in the corridors of Brussels.
The European Union’s industrial strategy prioritizes the green and digital transformation of the automotive industry, with a strong focus on promoting electromobility. Hungarian State Secretary for Industrial Policy and Technology Gergely Fábián highlighted at a recent event in Brussels that Hungary is at the forefront of this effort, viewing the automotive industry and battery production as strategic sectors. Hungary was also one of the first member states to call for an EU-level action plan to promote electromobility.
Hungarian EU Affairs Minister János Bóka gave a detailed presentation on the first day of the conference co-organized by the Danube Institute, outlining the key priorities of the Hungarian EU Presidency. Bóka highlighted an early success of the presidency, noting that while six months ago the importance of developing European competitiveness was rarely discussed, it has now become a central topic in the European political debate.