Hungary Becomes Net Contributor to the European Union

Hungary has become a net contributor to the European Union for the first time since its 2004 accession, as frozen EU funds continue to distort the financial balance. With Budapest paying more into the common budget than it receives, the economic impact of the European Commission’s political blackmail campaign is increasingly visible ahead of the 2026 election.

Mar Menor

Acknowledging the Rights of Nature in Europe: The Mar Menor Case

‘The recognition of the rights of nature is not novel—it is rooted in longstanding Indigenous legal traditions, and it has directly challenged anthropocentric legal frameworks inherited from colonial systems. Incorporating such rights into Western legal traditions by applying them to ecosystems like the Mar Menor raises complex and as yet unresolved legal, political, and social questions.’

European Security Amidst the Russo–Ukrainian War Discussed at HIIA

The Hungarian Institute of International Affairs’ first EastSec Forum examined Europe’s shifting security landscape amid the Russo–Ukrainian war. Speakers, including HIIA President Gladden J Pappin and Zachary Paikin of the Quincy Institute, stressed Hungary’s growing mediating role, the collapse of post–Cold War security structures, and the need to rebuild guarantees for lasting peace.

JD Vance, American politician and 50th vice president of the United States speaks at the Munich Security Conference 2025 in Munich, Germany, 14 February 2025

Europe and Twenty-First Century Geopolitical Strategy

‘Rather than embracing theoretical frameworks like the concept of the EU as a “liberal empire”, what is now needed is a far more pragmatic approach—one that focuses on enhancing economic competitiveness and developing strategies aimed at strengthening the role of the EU in the global economy.’

EU Once Again Violates Its Principle of Subsidiarity

‘The paradox, if not hypocrisy, on the part of the EU is that its so-called enforcement of the rule of law or founding values, whatever those are supposed to be, is in direct violation of the principle of subsidiarity…’

EU Eyes Russian Energy Ban Despite Hungary’s US Exemption

‘Shortly after the press conference between the two countries, the mainstream media began to sow doubts about Hungary’s diplomatic achievement. Citing anonymous sources, Reuters and the BBC started to spread rumours that Hungary received its exemption for only one year.’

Photo taken by Gokturk-1 observation satellite showing the stuck container ship Ever Given in the Suez Canal in Egypt on 27 March 2021

The Need to Recalibrate European Foreign Policy Thinking

‘By being responsive to changes at the system level, multilateralism can contribute to maintaining peace during the shifts in the balance of power that we are currently living through. Europe’s peoples would benefit from it, as would their governments’ reputation and diplomatic standing in the world.’