Vienna Migration Summit: Hungary Will Not Execute the EU’s Decisions on Migration

Another summit of the intergovernmental cooperation between Austria, Hungary, and Serbia took place on 7 July in Vienna, Austria. Apart from the heads of state and government, the three nations’ ministers of foreign affairs, and domestic and law enforcement leaders also took part in the conference, held at the Austrian Chancellor’s residence. The Vienna Summit was organised in the wake of Hungary and Poland officially objecting to the migration package at the European Commission’s 30 June session.

The prime ministers of the V4 countries at their summit in Bratislava on 26 June 2023.

EU Migration Policy Revitalises Cooperation Between the Visegrád Four

It appears that the Visegrád Four cooperation is once again revitalising itself along the lines of common interests. The green transition and its impact on industrial investment in Central Europe, European security or illegal migration are issues that have prompted the V4 countries, and the Poles and the Hungarians in particular, to once again join forces.

Viktor Orbán about to kiss Ursula von der Leyen’s hand as Emmanuel Macron (C) looks on in Brussels on 21 October 2022.

Unravelling the Tug of War: Hungary’s Ongoing Infringement Battles with the EU

It appears that the European Commission and the European Court of Justice work hand in hand to move the union in the direction of a federal state. In fact, rarely does the Court rule in favour of a member state when the Commission initiates a lawsuit against it in connection with the exercise of powers affecting national sovereignty.

EU Approves €16 Million in Aid to Hungarian Farmers

The total amount of EU funds approved by the Commission is €100 million, which is to be distributed among the five member states most affected by the glut of tariff-free Ukrainian grain dumps: Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria. These five nations banded together and imposed bans on food product imports from Ukraine back in April.

MEP Deutsch: Has the EU Given the Development Funds to Ukraine?

Tamás Deutsch, during a public radio interview, drew attention to the concerning fact that the EU has been sending billions of Euros in military aid to Ukraine despite its current budget having been approved in December 2020, over a year before the Russian invasion began. He also pointed out that the exact amount spent on aiding the Ukrainian war effort is not even known.

Justitia and the EU.

The Key Findings of the 2023 EU Justice Scoreboard — Where Does It Leave Hungary?

‘In contrast to other indicators, the Hungarian judiciary performs below the European Union average in terms of the perception of its independence. Based on this, we might state that the rule of law conditionality procedure launched against our country is justified. However, the validity of this argument is undermined by the fact that there are no criteria in this area either in which Hungary would not be ahead of several other Member States. For example, the Spanish, Slovak, Bulgarian, Polish, and Croatian public have a worse opinion of the independence of their country’s judiciary than the Hungarian.’