Brussels Censorship Strikes Again: Right-Wing ID, ECR Excluded From EP-Election Debate

The European Broadcasting Union has not invited the right-wing Identity and Democracy and the European Conservatives and Reformists to the EP election debate scheduled for 23 May. The decision, explained on ridiculous grounds, is yet another sign that what is at stake at the upcoming European elections is to defend freedom of speech against the left-wing progressive dictatorship of opinion.

Gustave Doré, Arrival of Charon (1857). Illustration to the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. Private Collection

Navigare necesse est: The Reshuffling of the World Order as Seen from Hungary

‘As opposed to the European mainstream, which proclaims multiculturalism but in reality wraps itself up in cultural arrogance, Hungary’s openness and pragmatic stance towards the seven eighths of the world that is outside the Western realm already confer an advantage upon us. If the framework of the world as we know it crumbles against our will, this cultural openness of ours may well supply the footing for us from which to enter the next period with confidence. For navigare necesse est—Sail we must.’

Brussels to End Article 7 Procedure Against Poland

Despite minimal action from the Polish government under Donald Tusk, the European Commission has chosen to conclude the Article 7 procedure against Poland. This serves as another clear example of the double standards that Brussels applies to member states.

Qur'an copied by Abdullah Zühdi. Ottoman Empire, 1848-49 (1265 AH). Sadberk Hanim Museum

How Jihadists Justify Violence in the Name of Islam

‘One can then argue that the so-called Muslim fundamentalists wrongly justify their acts of violence. All this being said, there is confusion as to who speaks for Islam and how Islamic law (the sharia) is to be employed, especially in light of the Sunni-Shi’ite division. Nevertheless, the manner in which both physical and cultural jihadists invoke their legal tenets in order to justify their jihad leads one to confirm that their indiscriminate acts are sanctioned by the Islamic texts.’

Jacques-Louis David, Oath of the Horatii (Le Serment des Horaces) (1784). Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

Constitutionally Immune to International Disorders Affecting Sovereignty

‘Democracy, as a concept, is inherently subject to interpretation and enforcement from within. This underscores the imperative: political disputes find resolution within domestic arenas and nowhere else, and unwavering loyalty is owed solely to one’s political adversaries, without allegiance to any foreign entity.’

Carpets are laid on the streets of the historical Icerisehir within the scope of the National Carpet Festival organized for the first time by the Icerisehir State Grove Administration in Baku, Azerbaijan on May 04, 2024.

Enhanced Strategic Partnership in Energy and Beyond: Hungary and Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan has the potential to become one of the major natural gas suppliers to Hungary if the current determination to increase import volumes continues. However, the bilateral relations between the two countries extend beyond natural gas exports and are characterized by an enhanced strategic partnership. Given the commitment to construct an undersea high-voltage power line through the Black Sea, Azerbaijan could also become a key exporter of renewable energy to Hungary. On 1 May 2024 Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, ahead of the Tashkent International Investment Forum, reached an agreement to construct a similar high-voltage undersea power line through the Caspian Sea.

An aerial photo shows the West Land Sea New Channel train waiting to depart from the railway Container Centre station in Chongqing, China, 22 October 2023.

China’s Apparent Belt & Road Initiative Impasse

‘It was thought that the BRI, aside enhancing China’s geo-political clout, would have not just boosted trade and growth, it would have also created sustainable development and social stability in the countries involved. On the contrary, the social impact of large infrastructure projects were are often implemented through human rights violations.’

Von der Leyen Shows Readiness to Break Traditional Ruling Coalition in Favour of ECR

Ursula von der Leyen has signalled her willingness to depart from current practices and collaborate with the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) political group should she secure a second term as Commission President. Von der Leyen unveiled this idea during her speech at the Maastricht Debate on Monday, a move that has stirred considerable backlash from the traditional allies of the EPP.