‘Increasingly, shops have delayed exit timers on their automatic doors to trap the thieves who steal with impunity otherwise. And in common with the rest of London, the plague of mobile phone theft is unavoidable. Foolish the person who walks around device in hand—it won’t remain there for long.’
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini was awarded the Hunyadi János Award by the Foundation for a Civic Hungary on Wednesday, with the honour presented by Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán. In his speech at the ceremony in Brussels, Orbán urged patriotic forces to reclaim the sovereignty of nation-states, which he argued had been illegally confiscated by the European Union in recent years.
The leader of Belgium’s most important Flemish nationalist movement in decades has been put in charge of a right-leaning coalition in the country he once vowed to split.
Hungary’s family support policies have attracted international attention, with US leaders praising them as exemplary. Following her visit to Washington, Secretary of State for Families Zsófia Koncz highlighted the country’s comprehensive approach to supporting families, which has contributed to rising birth rates and economic stability.
Hungarian business and government leaders are ramping up efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into the economy. Discussions between the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and government officials highlighted AI’s potential to enhance business efficiency, while new collaborations in the defence sector will focus on AI-driven technological advancements.
Hungarian officials signal potential legal consequences over USAID funding in Hungary. Government commissioner András László, after meeting US State Department officials, said many projects raise suspicions of political interference and legal actions will be examined. Meanwhile, Fidesz parliamentary leader Máté Kocsis proposed a constitutional amendment allowing the expulsion of dual citizens if their activities threaten Hungary’s sovereignty.
‘There is a historic chance for US–Hungary relations to peak, and it depends in no small part on the two leading players. Even though Hungary is a member of the EU and NATO, in the last two decades, American Democratic administrations have been explicitly hostile towards it…With the US president behind him, Orbán could be much more effective in strengthening his conservative agenda in Brussels, which until now has been an uphill struggle.’
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are set to hold talks on Tuesday over a potential ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia, which Kyiv has already accepted, while Moscow remains cautious. As peace talks progress, the positions of the involved parties are shifting rapidly: Ukraine no longer views the lifting of Western sanctions on Russia as a red line, and some European leaders are now openly discussing the normalization of relations with Moscow.
‘The final assessment in terms of the policy of appeasement would be that at the diplomatic and political level, the allies did indeed achieve their goals of buying time, mobilizing, as well as isolating Germany in the first months of the war from either Japan or Italy. They made Germany dependent on Soviet resources to sustain short-term operations, and pushed its economy on the brink of collapse.’
Although the regime change in Syria raised hopes for the restoration of stability, the protection of religious minorities has still not been realized. The mass killings committed in recent times indicate that minority communities remain in grave danger, which calls for decisive action from the international community.