Hungarian Conservative

The attempt to shut down the National Conservatism Conference has ignited a new battleground in the EP election campaign: the fight for freedom of speech. While progressives were quick to lay blame on Brussels district mayor Emir Kir, this incident is hardly about him only: it is a culmination of a longstanding process of anti-freedom of speech tendencies in the European Commission and the European Parliament.

As one of the keynote speakers, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addressed the issues of migration, freedom of expression, and the war in Ukraine on the second day of the National Conservatism Conference.

Even liberals did not take kindly to the decision by Brussels district mayor Emir Kir to use police force to try and shut down a right-wing conference featuring Viktor Orbán among the speakers. Kir faced severe criticism from Belgium’s left-wing prime minister, and the Conseil d’État, Belgium’s highest court, subsequently annulled his order.

‘The lessons of human history suggest that the future is rarely bright and happy where the state is unable, or worse, unwilling, to contain the hypersensitivity of certain political camps. The precedent of the terrible terrorist attacks in Brussels or the common immigrant riots show that Belgium has already lost the battle against the hypersensitivity of radical Islam. It does not seem to want to take a firmer stand against the left either.’

General Amir Avivi, the founder of the Israel Defence and Security Forum, also highlighted in his briefing following the IRI attack that the fact that Israel and its allies intercepted 99 per cent of the rockets ‘showed that Israel could cope with a direct attack from Iran, and can coordinate efficiently with its allies to defend itself.’

Brussels police has attempted to shut down the National Conservatism Conference that began this morning in Brussels. The gathering features, among others, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The left has been striving to obstruct the right-wing event for days, seemingly resorting to extreme measures to suppress dissent.

‘Protecting the innocence of children against efforts to sexualize them, upholding the legality of borders and asylum procedures, safekeeping the right of states to exercise national sovereignty in areas where it remains their legal prerogative: pursuing these aims isn’t a bed of roses. It exposes one to media disinformation, financial blackmail, and attacks on personal honor.’

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.

‘Why did the left-wing oligarchy (a political-administrative and academic-media apparatus) mobilize its militant wing against a conference of a few hundred conservatives? Did it fear that its political opponents would win too many hearts, minds, and Euros? No. Canceling the original, sought-after venue was a naked exercise of its power. Réseau Ades warned that the agitation efforts will persist until NatCon Brussels 2024 is entirely aborted.’

‘The Visegrad Group has reached a tipping point in the face of growing geopolitical and security challenges. The external and internal dynamics of the regional alliance of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia have encountered obstacles where the need for unity clashes with competing views, aims, and pressures.’

The European Parliament today adopted a new regulation reforming the EU’s migration and asylum policy, including measures for expedited asylum processing and solidarity in distributing migrants among member states. The pact, strongly opposed by Hungary, aims to relocate asylum seekers, provide financial support to heavily burdened countries, and establish uniform procedures for refugee recognition and protection.

In Poland’s municipal elections a significant majority of farmers voted for the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party. As right-wing parties across the continent have consistently supported the farmers ever since the beginning of the Europe-wide protests, discontented farmers could play a key role in facilitating the long-awaited right-wing shift in the EU.

Following the example of Wizz Air, Ryanair is relaunching its flights from Budapest to Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, the Hungarian government has confirmed that it is only a matter of days or weeks before Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport becomes majority-owned by the Hungarian state.

92 years ago today, Hungary’s first freely elected prime minister in the post-communist era, József Antall, was born. His legacy continues to wield significant influence in Hungarian politics today.

‘In the Hungarian leader, the EU faces a new type of Eurosceptic, one who doesn’t want to leave the bloc but instead shape it, putting his stamp on policies from support to Ukraine to the fight against climate change to migration,’ POLITICO wrote in their recently published analysis about PM Orbán’s foreign policy approach to the Brussels leadership.

Roger Scruton had a special interest in and affection for Central Europe, cultivating a symbiotic relationship with the region. His work influenced the political, cultural, and social dynamics of many CEE countries just as profoundly as they shaped his own work and worldview. In tribute to the British conservative philosopher, a conference was held in Budapest, with a specific focus on Scruton’s ties to Central Europe.

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.

Borjana Krišto emphasized the good cooperation between the two friendly countries and welcomed the work of the Joint Economic Commission between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Hungary, noting that there is significant space and demand for increasing bilateral trade.

The roster of speakers for CPAC Hungary 2024 has been expanded with some real American ‘heavyweights’. This year’s event holds particular significance as it occurs amidst the campaign for the crucial European Parliament elections in June.

Tamás Deutsch, the leading candidate of Fidesz–KDNP in the 2024 European Parliament elections, declared that the list of candidates of the Hungarian governing parties has been finalized. Alongside numerous familiar figures, the list also includes several newcomers who will champion Hungary’s sovereignty in the forthcoming term.

A Ministry of National Economy statement released on Wednesday confirmed that the repurchase of the Ferenc Liszt International Airport continues to progress as scheduled, as opposed to press rumours.

‘Cultural Christianity is not enough. Nor is voting for pro-Christian conservatives. Without a return to the faith, the sad, sorry state of Britain at Eastertide today is going to be Hungary’s fate tomorrow. You can’t have the benefits of Christianity without making the sacrifices necessary—on Sunday and every day—to make the faith live in the hearts of the Hungarian people.’

Hungary has persistently advocated for a shift in the EU’s agricultural policy towards Ukraine. The prolonged farmer protests have influenced the stance of other member states, with France spearheading a coalition of states seeking to enforce stricter trade restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products.

Both Viktor Orbán and Péter Szijjártó have extended their condolences to Russia over the tragic events that occurred last Friday at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow. The circumstances surrounding one of the most brutal terrorist attacks in decades remain unclear.

‘The fact that Hungary has to fight like hell for its right to be normal is a sign of the times. So is the fact that in America, as in almost every Western country, the borders are a fiction, our heroes are hated, our free speech is taken away from us, scientists proclaim the desirability of sculpting the genitals of children into works of art—and these things barely make news. We have grown accustomed to decadence.’

‘The way PM Orbán has redefined Hungarian identity and sought to maintain, develop and foster relationships with Hungarians who were dispossessed of their homeland in the Treaty of Trianon is something I personally have tremendous respect for. ’

In his regular Friday morning interview with public Kossuth radio, Viktor Orbán stated that in terms of European political struggles, traditional categories have been used so far, such as right-wing, left-wing, globalist, or sovereigntist forces, but now a new dimension has opened up: the decisive question will not be about party affiliation, but about who is for peace and who is for war.

According to Nicola Procaccini, those who attempt to demonize Viktor Orbán are seeking to impose their minority political perspectives onto others. The remarks made by the co-chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists signify another indication that Fidesz may indeed join the conservative political group following the European elections in the summer.

According to POLITICO, Slovakia may soon find itself undergoing a rule of law procedure, possibly leading to the European Commission deciding to freeze EU funds due to the Central European state. The contrasting paths of Robert Fico and Donald Tusk serve as a clear illustration of Brussels’ ideological warfare on member states that refuse to surrender their national sovereignty.

The pontiff mentions his experience with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary and the EU bureaucrats in his new autobiography titled Life: My Story Through History, opining that Brussels should ‘respect Hungary’s uniqueness’.