Quiet Collapse of Deterrence: NATO’s Strategic Dilemma

‘For more than three decades after the Cold War, deterrence in Europe was largely taken for granted…Security debates focused less on territorial defence and more on crisis management, expeditionary missions, and stabilization operations far from Europe’s borders. That strategic comfort has now decisively ended.’

A tractor moves past the EU Parliament building in the background as farmers protest against the free trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur countries, on the day of a vote on a referral to the courts, in Strasbourg, eastern France on January 21, 2026.

The EP Debates Mercosur and Hungary’s Access to the SAFE Fund

The European Parliament’s first 2026 plenary session saw debates on the fourth motion of censure of the Commission, the Mercosur trade deal, and Hungary’s SAFE defence fund. Von der Leyen skipped the censure debate, Mercosur was referred to the Court of Justice, and Hungary’s access to SAFE funds faces opposition over alleged ‘corruption’.

Liberal–Progressive MEPs Attack Orbán, Commission over SAFE Funds in Absurd EP Debate

The European Parliament’s liberal–progressive camp has renewed attacks on Hungary after the Commission approved €16 billion in SAFE defence funding, with Green MEPs urging delays until after April’s election. Despite Kaja Kallas insisting funds will be audited, critics again weaponize the ‘rule of law’ to block Hungary’s military modernization and influence its election.

Fact Check: Hungary Won’t Pay $1 Billion for Orbán’s Board of Peace Seat

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s invitation to Donald Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ has sparked immediate controversy at home, after reports claimed Hungary would have to pay $1 billion for a seat. Yet the board’s charter states membership carries no financial obligation by default, with the billion-dollar contribution only offering an automatic extension beyond the standard three-year term.

Progressive ‘Anti-Far Right’ Game Backfires as Antagonist Amelia Becomes Viral Meme

Hull City Council rolled out Pathways, an anti-extremism game, hoping to steer students away from so-called ‘far-right ideas’. But it didn’t go as planned. The game’s goth character, Amelia, meant to be a warning sign for nationalism, quickly turned into an internet sensation. People turned her into a meme, showing how clumsy progressive messaging gets when it paints normal patriotism as a threat.

Exiled Venezuelan Politician Warns Fragile Democratic Transition after Maduro Arrest

The US arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has sparked global controversy over sovereignty and interventionism. Budapest-based Mathias Corvinus Collegium organized a high-level panel featuring Venezuelan opposition figure Alejandro Peña Esclusa to examine the operation’s impact on Venezuela, as well as its regional and international implications.

O. Carter Snead  PHOTO: Tamás Gyurkovits/Hungarian Conservative

A Child Is Not a Project or a Product to Be Optimized — An Interview with O Carter Snead

What does it mean to be human? What are the limits of the transhumanist idea that humans can overcome their biological constraints? What are the ethical issues with abortion and assisted reproduction? We asked O Carter Snead, a professor of law and an expert on bioethics, at the Axioma Center’s conference in Budapest about the concept of the human being from the perspectives of transhumanism and Christianity.

Orbán Seeks Talks with Fico on Beneš Decrees — Will It Yield Any Results?

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has vowed to conclude talks with Slovakia over a new law criminalizing criticism of the Beneš decrees, warning that it revives the principle of collective guilt. The legislation has strained bilateral relations and reignited long-standing disputes over the treatment of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia.