A Special Tribunal for Ukraine: What Practical Consequences?

‘Although the Court has automatic jurisdiction over member states having ratified the Rome Statute, it cannot prosecute a crime if the states involved have not recognized its jurisdiction. Neither Russia nor Ukraine have accepted the ICC’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression, the very crime with which the Russian regime is accused.’

The Arctic and IMEC — The Future of Global Trade?

‘To some, it may seem like time for the world to throw in the towel and give in to the reality that the future of international trade lies in the hands of Moscow and Beijing, whose plans benefit first and foremost them. However, an alternative route has been proposed.’

Balatonfüred: A Place Where There Is No Need to Choose Between Culture and Flip-Flops

‘As András Szöllősi-Nagy emphatically states, their task and goal is nothing less than “to justify the existing cultural continuity in Europe, which the terrible dictatorships of the last century could not break by any kind of prohibition or eradication. What drives us is to prove, through art, that this region, Central Europe, has always been part of European culture, and vice versa.”’

OTS Leaders Convene in Budapest for Informal Summit

Hungary is the first country to host leaders of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) for a summit as an Observer State, as opposed to a Member State of the organization. The event hosted by Prime Minister Orbán will be taking place on 20⁠–21 May in Budapest.

IMEC Conference Co-hosted by the Israeli SIGNAL Group and the Danube Institute

Budapest-based Danube Institute and the Israeli SIGNAL Group co-organized a conference on the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC)—an alternative transport route proposed in 2023 by G20 countries to link Asia to Europe while countering China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Experts and policymakers argued that IMEC could represent a new vision of multipolar cooperation, economic resilience, and strategic autonomy.

Von der Leyen’s Week Marred by Private Jet Scandal, Pfizergate Ruling

Despite their advocacy for increasingly stringent green policies, EU leaders—including Commission President Ursula von der Leyen—took a private jet last week from Brussels to Luxembourg, a journey that would have taken just over two hours by car. The scandal has cast a shadow over von der Leyen’s week, already clouded by an eagerly anticipated EU court ruling concerning the so-called Pfizergate text messages.