Renew Europe chief Valérie Hayer has demanded that Ursula von der Leyen ‘use her power to act’ over reports of an alleged Hungarian spy network in Brussels tied to Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi. Hungarian officials strongly denied the story, calling it a foreign-funded smear campaign designed to damage Budapest ahead of next year’s election.
Israel and Hamas have accepted the first phase of Donald Trump’s peace plan, agreeing to a ceasefire, hostage releases, and Israeli troop pullback. The breakthrough, hailed by Benjamin Netanyahu as a ‘turning point’, comes just days before the Nobel Peace Prize announcement, with Trump emerging as a leading contender.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán hit back at Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the Ukrainian leader vowed his country would join the EU ‘with Orbán or without him.’ Orbán accused Zelenskyy of ‘moral blackmail’, stressing that accession requires unanimous approval by member states and recalling Hungarians’ overwhelming rejection of Ukraine’s bid.
Hungary has signed its longest-ever liquefied natural gas supply deal with French energy giant ENGIE, securing 4 billion cubic metres of LNG between 2028 and 2038. The government says the agreement strengthens national energy security amid global uncertainty.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Hungary of flying reconnaissance drones across the border, warning Budapest it was engaging in a ‘dangerous’ game. Hungary firmly rejected the claim, calling it fabricated and politically motivated. The row adds to a long list of clashes between the two uneasy neighbours.
Hungarian Gripens scrambled from Šiauliai, Lithuania, on 25 September to intercept Russian jets near Latvia. NATO praised Hungary’s role in protecting Baltic airspace, even as Budapest faces criticism within the Alliance for its stance on Ukraine.
Hungary is urging the EU to classify Antifa as a terrorist organization following the assassination of free speech activist Charlie Kirk. With past violent attacks in Budapest and controversial EP immunity for suspect Ilaria Salis, officials argue that Antifa poses a serious threat to public safety and that Brussels must align with US counterterrorism measures.
Relations between Hungary and the United Arab Emirates are set to deepen as recent high-level meetings signal a new phase of strategic cooperation. With a focus on sectors like energy, digital infrastructure, space, and defence, both nations aim to expand economic ties and strengthen their partnership within the EU framework.
‘Hungary is on Israel’s side,’ fighting against Islamist terrorism and hate propaganda against Jewish people.
Just after Ursula von der Leyen vowed in Strasbourg that ‘Europe is in a fight’, she now faces no-confidence motions from both flanks: Patriots for Europe will table one at midnight, citing EU weakness and escalation in Ukraine, while the Left files separately, denouncing her Gaza inaction and trade agenda.