Katalin Novák, Andor Grósz (L) and President of the Budapest Jewish Religious Community Tamás Mester light candles in memory of the victims of the Hamas attack outside the Dohány Street synagogue on 11 October 2023.

Israel’s Darkest Day and Its Message to the World

On Wednesday, the Dohány Street Synagogue filled with people for a solidarity service held by the Hungarian Jewish communities. Dr Andor Grósz, head of the Hungarian Jewish Federation MAZSIHISZ, said: ‘The mourning and grief of the Jewish community is shared by Hungarian society,’ adding that the Hamas terrorists ‘brutally violated the Ten Commandments, a gift of the Torah to mankind.’

Giorgia Meloni Holds Migration Summit in Rome

The conservative Prime Minister of Italy is aiming to ease the migration pressure on Europe by having the migrants’ transit countries and countries of origin more involved in managing the migration flow. She has already made some headway on this front.

Viktor Orbán to Attend Silvio Berlusconi’s Funeral

Before the ceremony at the Milan Cathedral, which begins at three o’clock on Wednesday afternoon, Silvio Berlusconi’s coffin will be briefly exhibited at the main entrance of the cathedral, and then placed at the main altar.

‘Rule of Law’ Discussion at the Danube Institute with János Bóka, István Stumpf, and More

Highly respected experts, such as former Constitutional Court Justice István Stumpf, Gadi Taub, Senior Lecturer at the Federmann School of public policy from Israel, and James Allen of the University of Queensland in Australia, shared their views on the controversial concept of ‘rule of law’. Their lectures were followed by a discussion between State Secretary for European Affairs János Bóka and Ákos Bence Gát, head of foreign affairs at the Danube Institute.

Liberal MEPs Share Concerns Over Hungary’s Council Presidency

While officially, the conference’s main agenda point was the shadow rapporteurs on the current state of the rule of law in Hungary, more time was devoted to Hungary’s Council of the EU presidency set to happen in 2024, a concept none of the MEPs was thrilled about. The ongoing negotiations about releasing the frozen EU funds were often talked about as well.

The Challenge of Upholding Democracy

A major problem with the structure of the EU is that it is not fully based on representative democracy. A case in point, notwithstanding the fact that EU Parliament members are elected by the citizens of the member states, EU leaders picked Ursula von her Leyen to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as the leader of the European Union’s executive branch behind closed doors.