Hungarian Conservative

‘Allowing a diversity of opinion to inform one’s judgment really can be a source of strength. And, to paraphrase Cicero, taking history seriously is necessary if you wish to be a grown-up on the world stage, not a child, stomping around looking for somewhere to bomb, and somewhere else to bully.’

According to a recent survey, Europeans express greater apprehension towards migration and radical Islamist terrorism than towards the threat posed by Russia. The findings of the poll suggest a significant disconnect between the issues European elites focus on and the genuine concerns of the general populace.

Our editor-in-chief’s take on the resignations of Katalin Novák and Judit Varga, and what they entail for Hungarian conservatives.

According to Italian press reports, on the margins of the latest EU summit Viktor Orbán indicated that Fidesz is ready to join the ECR after the elections. The move would significantly swell the ranks of the ECR, considering that Fidesz is projected to win 14 seats (of Hungary’s 21), sending quite a sizable delegation to the European Parliament.

Katalin Novák and Judit Varga have resigned in the wake of the scandal surrounding the presidential pardon. Such accountability would be deemed unthinkable on the left, where politicians continue to evade responsibility.

‘In America, we have so many horrible things happening, you know, with the gender ideologies, the LGBTQ, and the open border, and all these different things. So, when we conservatives in America look around for friends, we don’t have to look much further than Hungary to see that you guys are doing a lot of things right that we’d like to replicate.’

Tucker Carlson has just released his thorough, two-hour interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Evidently, the main topic of the conversation was Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, with Carlson vigorously searching for the reasons why President Putin decided to launch the invasion.

The European Commission has launched an infringement procedure against Hungary over the Sovereignty Protection Law, opening a new front in the unending battle over sovereignty between Brussels and Hungary.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has confirmed in several forums and personally to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that Hungary supports Sweden’s NATO accession. At the same time, the Hungarian ruling party also made it clear that the Swedish ratification of NATO may take place early in the regular parliamentary session, but this would first require a meeting between the two prime ministers in Budapest.

President Novák emphasized that this is Vahagn Khachaturyan’s first official presidential visit to Hungary. She said their discussions covered various topics including peace in the world, Hungarian humanitarian assistance to Armenia, demographic challenges, the importance of bilateral relations, the situation of minorities, and Armenia’s European perspective.

All MPs for the ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition, as well as some for the left-wing opposition, were absent from the extraordinary parliamentary session called for Monday, thus the vote on Sweden’s NATO membership did not meet the threshold to be legally binding. US Ambassador David Pressman was also present, but then left the House disappointed.

Disney sued Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for stripping them of special privileges in the Reedy Creek Improvement District, where Disney World is located. The feud between Disney and DeSantis originates from Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, which may have been inspired by Hungary’s Child Protection Act.

Citing concerns over the delay of the ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession, approving additional aid to Ukraine, and the Sovereignty Protection Act, Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland has proposed the possibility of the United States imposing sanctions on Hungary as a punishment.

‘In this country, the left accused the Orbán government of being alarmist and bigoted on LGBT questions, and of holding back progress. But in America, we have seen that almost every warning that social conservatives gave about where the LGBT movement was going—in particular, that it would target kids—was mocked at the time, but eventually came true.’

The 2023 elections in Slovakia were looked upon with great anticipation by both the conservative and liberal sides. The stakes were high: whether the Central European country would remain on a progressive road or take a national turn.

Tate, who is currently being charged with serious crimes in Romania, was most likely impressed by the Hungarian Prime Minister’s conduct in Brussels.

The Director General for the Center for Fundamental Rights told the One America News Network that this year, CPAC is planning to ‘go into action’ and become ‘woke busters’, as well as looking to ‘drain the swamp in Brussels’.

Orbán told public radio that Hungary only consented to financial contributions allocated towards efforts to prevent the collapse of the Ukrainian state at the Thursday Council meeting. He said peace was the crucial issue as regards the war between Russia and Ukraine but ‘the situation is not good in this respect, since Brussels is suffering from war fever’.

Concerning press reports suggesting that an Italian defendant charged with participation in last year’s Antifa attacks is being held in demeaning conditions in a Budapest prison, Gulyás said all detention conditions meet European Union and Hungarian standards. Inmates are given three meals a day, he stressed, dismissing the claim that prison cells are rat-infested. He reminded that foreign inmates are also informed of prison rules in their mother tongue upon admission.

Viktor Orbán has lifted his veto on €50 billion in financial aid for Ukraine, relying on the guarantees provided by EU leaders.

Similarly to the EU leadership, the Hungarian left tends to concentrate on issues of little concern for the people, and ignores the concerns of rural communities and farmers.

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.

The Prime Minister expressed concern about the lack of proper respect for agriculture as a crucial element of the European economy within the European Union. He criticized unfavourable regulations imposed in several countries, making the situation difficult for farmers.

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.

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.

In a joint press statement with the Moldovan Prime Minister, Orbán described the eight years since Moldova signed the Association Agreement with the European Union as ‘offensively long’ and expressed hope that some of the lost time may be regained by speeding up accession negotiations.

Wilders announced on the social media platform X that he will be part of CPAC Hungary, expressing gratitude for the invitation from Miklós Szánthó and the Center for Fundamental Rights. The right-wing Dutch politician whose party won last year’s elections in the Netherlands, stated: ‘Proud to be there and speak!’

‘We are nobody’s orderly,’ Hungarian House Speaker László Kövér stated in an interview with Index, addressing the question of the Hungarian ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession.

A brief review of the European policy of the Hungarian Government and of that of the domestic opposition.