Orbán Welcomes Political Shift in Germany as AfD Breaks Down Firewall

On Wednesday, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) finally broke through the firewall that German mainstream parties had imposed on them since the party’s foundation, securing a majority alongside the CDU on a motion for stricter migration rules. Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán welcomed the development in a post on his X account.

Demonstrators hold up Polish flags outside the European Union Commission representation in Warsaw, Poland, on 3 January 2025 during a protest against EU agricultural policies.

Polish Farmers and the Hallsteinian Vision for Agriculture

‘One is constantly reminded of Hallstein’s [Stresa] speech when analysing the turbulences of the recent years in Europe’s fields and countryside towns, occasionally bringing the distinct view of columns of tractors and piles of hay to the polished streets and thoroughfares of European capitals. And, out of the several farmers’ movements that have swept the EU since 2022, few dialogue so much with Hallstein as the Polish one.’

Trump Admin Left EU on Read — And It Couldn’t Be Better

Despite desperate efforts to capture the attention of the new US administration, Donald Trump’s foreign policy team does not appear interested in engaging with the European Union as a bloc. Instead, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has prioritized bilateral discussions with individual member states. This approach offers European nations an opportunity to reclaim their sovereign foreign policy, which has increasingly been overshadowed and taken over by Brussels in recent years, often against their will.

Gyula Benczúr, Saint Stephen Offering the Hungarian Crown to the Virgin Mary (1901). Altarpiece of the Saint Stephen Basilica, Budapest, Hungary

Twelve Pillars of Conservative Policymaking

‘Despite the different—and certainly debatable—approaches and priorities in specific policy areas, the fundamental objectives of conservative parties largely align. Public discourse and media representation in the West sometimes portray the self-determined policymaking of conservative governments in a polarized manner, focusing more on potentially divisive issues than on constructive dialogue.’

‘Hop on the Trump train’ written in chalk on the pavement at Virginia Commonwealth University after the night of the 10 October 2016 presidential debate

What Trump’s Administrations Have Meant and Will Mean for Europe

‘Across various European nations conservative and right-wing parties have capitalized on issues like immigration, national identity, and dissatisfaction with traditional political establishments to gain substantial electoral support…without the epochal change on 6 November 2016 in the United States, these shifts in Europe would have taken much longer.’

Serbian PM Resigns Amid Growing Tensions After Deadly Railway Station Accident

After months of demonstrations following the accident at the Novi Sad railway station, Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigned on Tuesday, with Novi Sad Mayor Milan Đurić also expected to step down. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is set to decide later today whether to appoint a new prime minister or call snap elections.