‘What should Hungarians do? The question—and Orbán’s visionary answer—has meaning beyond Hungary, in ways that Americans and other Westerners only dimly recognize now. And it goes back to the prime minister’s 2014 advocacy of “illiberal democracy” for Hungary.’
With the victory of Giorgia Meloni and the rise of the centre-right in Italy, Warsaw and Budapest have gained another important ally in their pursuit of a European conservative renaissance.
‘The gains of the conservative and patriotic renaissance are clear. We are making unthinkable progress. We are advancing in Italy, Hungary, France, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the Czech Republic.’
Iran launched an unprecedented air strike against Israel on Saturday night. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán reacted by convening the Defence Council on Sunday. The PM reassured Hungarian families that the government is committed to protecting them should the conflict escalate.
Hungary strongly opposes Dutch PM Mark Rutte’s candidacy. There are alternatives to Rutte, however; candidates that might not enjoy widespread support as of now but are less divisive. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, for one, recently announced his candidacy for the role. But Hungary’s endorsement of President Iohannis is not self-evident, considering that Klaus accused the Romanian Socialist Democratic Party and the Hungarian minority party UDMR of conspiring ‘to give Transylvania to Hungary’ during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Weeks of farmers’ protests across Europe seem to have broken Brussels, with the European Commission making significant concessions to disgruntled farmers. However, quick symptomatic treatments will not resolve the deep-rooted problems of European agriculture.
The Eastern Opening policy has greatly enhanced Hungary’s ability to diversify its natural gas import sources and the commencement of Turkish natural gas deliveries on April 1st, 2024, will amplify this policy’s effectiveness. For further diversification, there’s an emphasized need for a firmer commitment to boost imports from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.
After vetoing the call for a ceasefire in Gaza in February, Hungary ultimately subscribed to a joint statement on 21 March for the first time since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war. Thus, EU leaders have unanimously called for ‘an immediate humanitarian halt leading to a sustainable ceasefire’ in Gaza.
The European Parliament is seriously considering legal action against the European Commission regarding the allocation of EU funds to Hungary. Despite Brussels releasing €10.2 billion last December, over €20 billion remain blocked due to ‘rule of law concerns’.
‘Is Pope Francis correct to suggest that this is a war Ukraine cannot win, and so, it should start seeking a truce with Russia? Ending the war, even a ceasefire, is not an act of cowardice, especially when there is no end in sight.’
Didier Reynders told the European Parliament that Hungary will not receive any funds from the Recovery Fund until specific reforms are enacted. The challenge for Hungary lies in the continual imposition of new conditions by Brussels, some of which are impossible to meet.
Despite concessions from the European Commission, farmer protests across Europe show no signs of abating. On 22 February, farmers from the Visegrád Group countries will hold a joint demonstration to protest against EU agricultural policies.
For Hungary, this is an unmitigated disaster. While Robert Fico’s return to power in Slovakia offers some reason for optimism, Hungary’s northern neighbours certainly will not replace the Poles as steadfast, influential allies in Europe.
Brussels recently unveiled its climate target, adjusted in the wake of the farmer protests. However, the ambitious plan is still founded on a flawed approach: the EU is prioritizing mitigation over adaptation, imposing a greater financial burden on member states than what is truly necessary.
May all penmen remember when they write their next article that the precise use of terms is the alpha and omega of all communication. And those who allow their words to be hijacked will fare ill—and they can only blame themselves.
As tensions continue to grow in the wake of farmer demonstrations, agriculture is set to become a major issue across the EU ahead of the European Parliament elections in June, when the political right is expected to make significant strides toward a majority in the EP.
Similarly to the French president, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck also spoke sharply in his assessment of Europe’s place and competitiveness. In his view, the progress made in the first decades of the existence of the EU has made Europe complacent, ignoring the pace of development in the US and Asia, as a result of which it is far behind its competitors today.
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.
A brief review of the European policy of the Hungarian Government and of that of the domestic opposition.
As the enlargement process advances, the imperative to reform the European Union becomes increasingly pressing. Opinions are divided on how this should be achieved; the European Commission may soon unveil its own plans.
Ursula von der Leyen’s recent remarks have confirmed it that the freezing of EU funds to Hungary was never primarily motivated by concerns about the rule of law. The withholding of the funds has rather been used as a tool to impose a leftist agenda on Hungary, including gender ideology and migration.
Debates about Hungary consistently bring to the forefront the Hungarophobic positions and opinions of the Left in the European Parliament. In the current session, left-wing MEPs targeted not only Viktor Orbán but also Ursula von der Leyen.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has called for the creation of a common European army. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the question of how Europe can defend itself against the threats it faces has become increasingly pressing.
Renowned Hungarian political analysts concurred on a recent talk show that US Ambassador David Pressman is a political activist rather than a diplomat.
The Security Service of Ukraine has confirmed that one of the concerns regarding Poroshenko’s trip was his planned meeting with Viktor Orbán, alleging that such encounters are exploited by Russian intelligence services to disseminate pro-Russian narratives.
It is high time the Ambassador (or rather, Embarassador) stopped hurling baseless accusations at the Orbán government, and instead, got down to doing what the real mission of an ambassador is: foster bilateral relations. Last time we checked, ruining the Hungarian-US relationship is not part of the job.
‘Once the power transition issue subsides, revenge is likely to become a central issue in Polish politics. Among the presumed incoming government’s proposals are journalistic purges and political show-trials, precisely the sort of banana-republic behavior anti-PiS voices have long alleged on the part of the outgoing government.’
Two major British publications have alleged that the Hungarian government’s new billboard campaign promoting its national consultation, which depicts EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen along with Alex Soros, is actually antisemitic. That is despite the fact the Hungary has been one of Israel’s staunchest supporters in the Palestinian conflict, while antisemitic demonstrations are on the rise in the West.
‘Governments have a duty to their own citizens to maintain the character of the country,’ Tony Abbott, former prime minister of Australia argues. An interview on migration, family policy, foreign relations, and the Russo-Ukrainian war.
People increasingly feel that liberal and left-wing politicians, hand in hand with the Brussels bureaucracy, have become detached from reality, and are unable to provide relevant answers to the everyday problems of citizens.
Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political, philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective.