Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg are pushing for major changes to the EU enlargement process designed to stop future members from following a path similar to that of Viktor Orbán’s Hungary. The proposal would strengthen Brussels’ ability to sanction ‘democratic backsliding’ and restrict veto rights during the early years of membership.
As US-led mediation efforts fade, European leaders are signalling a willingness to take a more active role in pursuing peace between Ukraine and Russia. Kyiv is rallying support for renewed talks, but Moscow remains sceptical of European involvement. With fighting continuing and fresh EU funding flowing to Ukraine, the prospects for diplomacy remain uncertain.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could soon visit Budapest for talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, according to Ukraine’s ambassador to Hungary. The planned visit follows a political agreement on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia, helping clear the way for the first stage of Ukraine’s EU accession talks.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar said Hungary would return to the European table as a sovereign and constructive partner during talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin, while outlining plans to strengthen ties with Germany, advance negotiations with Ukraine, and expand regional cooperation in Central Europe.
European Commissioner Michael McGrath arrived in Budapest on Tuesday for talks with Hungary’s new government as Brussels prepares its 2026 Rule of Law Report. The visit comes only days after the agreement on the unblocking of €16.4 billion in previously frozen EU funds and amid an escalating constitutional stand-off between Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government and President Tamás Sulyok.
EU negotiators reached a political agreement on Monday on a sweeping new Return Regulation strengthening member states’ powers to deport illegal migrants and rejected asylum seekers. The deal introduces detention periods of up to 24 months, limits appeal-based deportation delays, expands entry bans, increases penalties for non-cooperation, and formally approves return hubs outside the EU.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a ‘historic agreement’ with Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government on Friday. The deal unlocks €14.2 billion in frozen EU funds, while another €2.2 billion could follow later. Brussels also confirmed Hungary’s return to the Erasmus programme and accession to the EPPO system.
The EU’s watchdog overseeing European political parties has formally launched a procedure that could ultimately strip the sovereignist Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) alliance—including AfD and Hungary’s Our Homeland—of its official status and EU funding. Supporters of the alliance described the move as a politically motivated attempt to suppress anti-immigration and nationalist forces across Europe.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected Friedrich Merz’s proposal to grant Ukraine EU ‘associate membership’ without full voting rights, insisting on complete membership instead. The debate has also shown that Viktor Orbán is far from the only obstacle to Kyiv’s integration into the bloc.
‘In recent years, the ECHR added a new legal rule, a new human right: the right for expelled foreigners to come back to Europe at the end of their re-entry ban.’
At a time when public debate is increasingly polarized and superficial, Hungarian Conservative remains committed to depth and independent thought.
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