Péter Szijjártó didn’t mince words in criticizing Ursula von der Leyen, calling her a diplomatic embarrassment and slamming the US–EU trade deal as a humiliating defeat for Europe. Speaking on the Warriors’ Hour podcast, he said the EU would now pay the price for eight years of insulting Trump.
The euro plunged to $1.1565 on 29 July, down 1.6 per cent since the US–EU trade deal was announced—despite Ursula von der Leyen calling it a ‘huge deal’. Markets, however, delivered their verdict: the agreement heavily favours Washington, leaving Europe with rising energy dependence and economic uncertainty.
‘The week before last week, the interior ministers of six EU member states…and the European Commission’s migration commissioner met in Germany to agree on a common position on the future of European migration and asylum policy.’
After months of negotiations between Brussels and Washington, Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump announced a new EU-US trade deal. Though hailed as a success by the Commission President, the agreement disproportionately favours the United States, risking Europe’s strategic overdependence on Washington. Additionally, the deal delivers a serious blow to Hungary’s economy.
‘The EU accession of a country financially subjugated to Brussels would have far-reaching implications for the functioning of the Union. If Ukraine were to join the EU as a Member State, it would gain veto power in the Council, a Commissioner in the European Commission, and dozens of MEPs in the European Parliament—amounting to significant voting influence within EU institutions.’
A united European army remains an illusion, argued Hungarian and regional experts at Tusványos. Citing historical, political, and structural obstacles, panellists instead urged member states to focus on NATO, develop national defence industries, and prepare for a shifting global security landscape.
The Ukrainian legislature fast-tracked a new bill that would put the Ukrainian independent anti-corruption agencies under the purview of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, an appointee by President Zelenskyy. The move sparked concerns over conflicts of interest—people took to the streets to protest in Ukraine, and EU officials have spoken out about it as well.
Will Brussels dictate the future of Europe, or can member states reclaim control? A high-profile panel at Tusványos, including Hungarian EU Affairs Minister János Bóka and Rod Dreher, criticized the EU’s centralization drive, arguing that the European Commission now holds more power than many national governments.
Hungary has refused to comply with the EU’s migrant quota system, citing national security concerns and growing public dissatisfaction across Europe. György Bakondi warned that Brussels’s approach ignores the realities faced by member states.
The European Commission’s budget proposal for 2028–2034 has drawn unprecedented criticism from across the European Union—from the European Parliament and member states to NGOs representing a wide range of sectors. In this article, we seek to explain why.