An interview with US geopolitical analyst and Visiting Fellow at the Danube Institute Carlos Roa on the challenges of the EU, keystone states, the dangers of decoupling, and the ideological reading of the Russo–Ukrainian war.
Tensions are escalating between the political and military leadership in Ukraine, as press reports indicate that Volodymyr Zelenskyy attempted to dismiss Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny. The Ukrainian president’s room for manoeuvre seems to be diminishing, and he needs his European allies now more than ever to survive.
Brussels is allegedly considering economic retaliation against Hungary should Viktor Orbán vetoe further funding for Ukraine, as indicated by a leaked document. However, the conflicting statements surrounding the purported plan suggest only one thing: there is chaos in Brussels, with EU funds having long been viewed as a tool for political blackmail.
With Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressing a desire to negotiate with two pro-peace leaders on the right, Donald Trump and Viktor Orbán, it appears that the Ukrainian president is anticipating a potentially unfavourable scenario for Ukraine: a right-wing shift in both Europe and overseas.
Serbia’s Minister of Defence and Deputy Prime Minister, Miloš Vučević, expressed gratitude for Hungary’s consistent support for Serbia’s path to European Union membership. He emphasized the strategic partnership and an exceptional relationship, almost surpassing mere friendship, between the two countries.
At a gala dinner in Gyula on Thursday, Katalin Novák mentioned that it was in Békés County that, for the first time as part of a county visit, she hosted a foreign head of government outside Budapest. The Moldovan Prime Minister, Dorin Recean, was received at Gyula Castle during his recent visit to Hungary.
With just over four months remaining until the European Parliament elections in June, no European political group has managed to present a real top candidate for the presidency of the European Commission, except for the European People’s Party. This raises the likelihood of 2024 marking the end of the Spitzenkandidat system.
Balázs Hankó underscored Hungary’s strides in scientific and educational excellence, noting that 12 Hungarian universities now rank among the top five per cent globally. He outlined ambitious goals, aiming for one Hungarian university to enter the world’s top 100 by 2030, with three making it into the top 100 institutions in the European Union.
The book is extremely valuable in many aspects, for instance because it sheds light on the complex structure of the Hungarian immigrant society as well as of those of the Hungarian minorities in Transylvania and Vojvodina, and historical episodes less known to readers in the Hungarian homeland, thus providing valuable insights for those involved in diaspora studies, not only for interested non-professional readers.
The minister noted a ruling by Hungary’s Supreme Court, declaring that Budapest could not be even partially exempt from its obligation to pay its taxes. Varga said if the Budapest city council failed to meet its obligations, the government ‘will follow the given legal provisions along the clear decisions taken by the judiciary’.