PM Orbán: Hungary’s ruling parties ‘the opposition to pro-migration Brussels’
Hungary’s ruling parties are “the opposition to a pro-migration Brussels”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a video uploaded to Facebook on Tuesday.
Speaking after a board meeting of his ruling party, Orbán said Fidesz MEPs “fighting in Brussels” had presented “a report from the battlefield.” He said the EU had “launched a campaign of lies” against Hungary by claiming that Hungary was not obliged to accommodate illegal migrants.
He said Hungary opposed the EU migration pact because it would force member states to allow migrants in and set up “migrant ghettos, completely dismantling Hungary’s border protection system”.
Orbán said
Hungary has spent some 2 billion euros on border controls so far and “deserves an award rather than punishment.”
“When it comes to migration, it’s enough to make just one mistake; countries with weak governments and leaders allowed migrants in and they will never be able to get rid of them,” he said.
“We won’t allow that … they can appoint a governor or install a puppet government, but we won’t give in,” he said while the video showed images of Péter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza Party.
read also:
PM Orbán’s adviser concerned for EU migration pact
Orbán: The West is panicking over migration, the greatest problem threatening to pull the EU apart
Council of Europe: troubling findings on Hungarian prisons
According to the latest report by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), Hungarian prisons are still overcrowded, with most inmates “having no or limited access to work, education or other out-of-cell activities.”
CPT delegation
Based on its visit to Hungarian detention facilities in May this year, the CPT said that “material conditions in police detention facilities were adequate for short periods of police custody (of up to 72 hours). However, according to the relevant legislation, persons remanded in custody may still be held in such facilities for longer periods, up to 60 days. Although it would appear that this rarely happens in practice, the conditions of detention in police holding facilities remain unsuitable for extended stays.”
The report singled out the prison in Tiszalök, in the north-east, where it said “physical ill-treatment by staff, such as slaps, punches, kicks, and truncheon blows to the head and body” appeared “particularly problematic.”
“The alleged ill-treatment took place in areas not covered by CCTV cameras, notably in the storage room on the disciplinary/security block, in the medical consultation room, in communal showers and in cells,” the report added.
Furthermore, the report said that “not only do the findings of the visit suggest that staff did not always intervene promptly, but the delegation also heard credible allegations that certain prisoners were allowed or even instructed by staff to mistreat their cellmates.”
related article – Outrageous: Hungarian government frees another almost 1000 human traffickers
Hungarian prisons: the impact of the guards on the inmates
Most prisoners asked did not complain about treatment by their guards, though “several credible allegations of physical ill-treatment of detained persons were received. The CPT also heard several allegations of excessively tight handcuffing, sexual harassment of female detainees by male police officers, verbal abuse, including of a racist nature, of detained persons by police officers, and of humiliating remarks in respect of transgender persons,” the report said.
The CoE delegation visited psychiatric institutions in Kistarcsa, outside Budapest, and Berettyóújfalu, in the east, and received no reports of physical violence against patients.
“Material conditions in both establishments were adequate in many respects,” the report said, adding however that “patients accommodated on closed wards had in practice virtually no access to outdoor areas, which is unacceptable.”
The delegation consulted with the Hungarian authorities regarding illegal migrants and concluded that “it is regrettable that there is still no legal procedure offering effective protection against informal forcible removals of foreign nationals (pushbacks) and refoulement, including chain refoulement.”
Read the full report here.
Read also: Woman in Hungarian prison with severe allergies given bread and lard to eat, loses 13 kgs
Hungarian minister: We are working with the Russians on a solution to avoid US sanctions 🔄
European leaders have “missed a great opportunity” to amend their “failed” Ukraine strategy, and they should have doubled down on peace efforts amid the current danger of escalation, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in Pécs, in southern Hungary. He also said that the Hungarian Foreign Ministry is working with the Russians to find a solution to avoid US sanctions.
Addressing a National Consultation campaign event on Monday evening, the minister said Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election had brought closer a peaceful resolution to the war, but the danger of escalation had also grown, “due to the measures of the outgoing Washington administration that ignore the will of the people”.
Szijjártó said EU leaders could have used the US developments as an excuse to amend their “failed Ukraine strategy, which is also weakening the continent”.
He said his latest visit to Moscow had been aimed at bolstering peace efforts and further guaranteeing Hungary’s energy security, as US sanctions against Gazprombank had put countries purchasing Russian energy resources in a difficult situation.
The background to this case is that the US introduced sanctions back in November, excluding 50 other Russian financial institutions from the international financial system in addition to Gazprombank. The measure is aimed at preventing the financing of the war in Ukraine. Gazprombank manages Gazprom’s finances, and all purchases and payments for energy are made through this bank.
“We are now working together on a solution with the Russians, company leaders and the deputy PM for energy…” Szijjártó said.
In a Facebook video on Monday, Szijjártó indicated from Moscow that a solution to the US sanctions on Gazprombank would soon be found, meaning that payments for natural gas, oil, and nuclear fuel purchased from Russia could be resolved.
According to experts, the solution is likely to be the insertion of a Turkish, Azeri, Arab, or possibly Serbian player in the payment chain, which would circumvent the US sanctions, Forbes said.
It is also interesting to note that since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the Hungarian government has not reduced but drastically increased its purchases of Russian raw materials. Thus, Hungarian energy diversification is still far away, and there is no intention to do so.
He slammed the “hypocrisy of certain colleagues” who “regularly emphasised their support” ahead of EU foreign council meetings “but never stand by me in the debate”. “There is a great deal of hypocrisy in the world regarding the ties with the East, Russia as well as China,” he said.
Szijjártó praised Hungary’s policy of economic neutrality, which allowed the country to trade with Eastern and Western partners alike, “despite the ongoing discourse to decouple the European and Chinese economies.”
Related article from Monday: Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov again received the Hungarian Foreign Minister in Moscow
Read also – Slovak interior minister: Possible Hungarian terror attack against the Friendship crude oil pipeline
UPDATE
Solution to problems caused by US sanctions on Gazprombank close, says Hungarian minister – details HERE
Minister Bóka: Hungary wants to be the catalyst of change in Europe
János Bóka, the European affairs minister, told a parliamentary committee on Monday that Hungary “wants to be the catalyst of change” in Europe.
Speaking at an annual hearing before the European affairs committee, Bóka said 2024 has been a year of “institutional and political transition” for the community, which “offers an opportunity for change”. “Hungary wants to be the voice of that change,” he said.
According to Bóka, change is needed because the EU “cannot guarantee security for Europe and its immediate vicinity”. The community has been unable to come up with a “real strategy” concerning the war in Ukraine; it has only been “drifting with the events” while “spending an increasing portion of its resources on this conflict”, he said.
The EU cannot ensure the community’s welfare, either, with companies “struggling with overregulation and bureaucracy that negatively impact their competitiveness,” Boka added.
He said European companies paid two or three times as much for electricity and four to five times more for natural gas than their competitors. “Therefore we cannot speak about real global competitiveness,” the minister said, adding that the EU was facing “the greatest crisis in its history”.
The EU cannot stop illegal migration, nor can it “provide agriculture with a future perspective,” Bóka said, adding that the community had been struggling with those problems for more than a decade. “The EU cannot come up with solutions, and that raises issues of personal and institutional responsibility,” Bóka said.
While last summer’s European Parliament elections reflected a demand for change, “incumbent leaders and institutional structures cannot be expected to come up with new directions,” he said. “We must force the change to happen … if possible, in cooperation with EU institutions, if not, even in opposition with them,” Bóka said, and called for a “constructive opposition approach”.
read also:
PM Orbán’s adviser concerned for EU migration pact
EU leaders risk dragging Europe into war, Orbán’s Fidesz believes
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov again received the Hungarian Foreign Minister in Moscow 🔄
The Hungarian government must increase its efforts towards peace as the risk of escalation in the war in Ukraine is more serious than ever before, the Hungarian foreign minister said in Moscow on Monday, adding that efforts had to also be made to keep the channels of diplomacy open.
Lavrov
Sergei Lavrov began the meeting by saying in the first three minutes that Russia appreciates Viktor Orban’s “independent policy”, that they see Hungary’s sincere efforts to restore peace, and that he believes there is sustainable growth in both the Russian and Hungarian economies.
Szijjártó
At talks held with his Russian colleague, Sergei Lavrov, Péter Szijjártó underlined that the risk of escalation of the war “is more serious than ever before.”
“There have been many dangerous and irresponsible decisions made in the recent past that for a country neighbouring Ukraine, such as Hungary, pose particular threats,” he said.
He said the past one thousand days had proved that the war had no solution in the battlefield, it could only be ended through negotiations for which “the channels of diplomacy have to be kept open”.
“Those who close those diplomatic channels or attack those who keep them open do not really want peace,” he said.
Szijjártó said developing bilateral ties with Russia in areas not affected by sanctions “is a clear and open goal” of the Hungarian government.
Lavrov
Then, the Russian Foreign Minister took the floor again, but in the next 10 minutes or so, he did not give it to Szijjártó, so only Lavrov spoke.
The Russian Foreign Minister returned to the themes often voiced by Moscow, the situation in Ukraine, and spoke at length about how anyone who speaks out against peace does not even represent the interests of his own people, saying that they see the likes of Viktor Orban’s peace mission from China, South Africa and several Arab countries. He also criticised the Western double standards they see in Russia.
Practically every month there is a meeting between the Russian and Hungarian Foreign Ministers:
- End of October – Szijjártó in Minsk: Record gas deliveries highlight Hungary’s energy cooperation with Russia
- September: Hungarian foreign minister met again with Russian FM Lavrov to discuss cooperation
UPDATE
“Russia committed to maintaining Hungary energy supply”
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Moscow on Monday that Russia will continue to deliver crude, gas, and nuclear fuel to Hungary in spite of new sanctions.
In a statement issued by his ministry, Szijjártó said he had held talks with Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and a number of executives of energy industry companies and acknowledged the important role deliveries from Russia play in ensuring Hungary’s secure energy supply.
He added that the issue was not a “political matter” , but one of “physical reality” and of infrastructure.
“We have no intent of giving up this good cooperation. If for the only reason that nobody has given us a better offer. We know of no other energy sources that are more secure or more competitively priced,” he said.
Szijjártó said
the inclusion of Gazprombank on the United States’ sanctions list was an attempt to put countries in Central and Southeastern Europe that use Russian energy in a difficult position.
Discussing the matter on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Novak and the energy company executives affected by the measure affirmed their interest in cooperation and the continuation of energy deliveries, he added.
“We’ve committed to finding a solution to the situation,”
he said. He added that the Hungarian government would do everything in its power to ensure the country’s secure energy supply.
He noted that other countries in the region were “in the same shoes” and were working together to resolve the situation.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov again received the Hungarian Foreign Minister in Moscow
The Hungarian government must increase its efforts towards peace as the risk of escalation in the war in Ukraine is more serious than ever before, the Hungarian foreign minister said in Moscow on Monday, adding that efforts had to also be made to keep the channels of diplomacy open.
Lavrov
Sergei Lavrov began the meeting by saying in the first three minutes that Russia appreciates Viktor Orban’s “independent policy”, that they see Hungary’s sincere efforts to restore peace, and that he believes there is sustainable growth in both the Russian and Hungarian economies.
Szijjártó
At talks held with his Russian colleague, Sergei Lavrov, Péter Szijjártó underlined that the risk of escalation of the war “is more serious than ever before.”
“There have been many dangerous and irresponsible decisions made in the recent past that for a country neighbouring Ukraine, such as Hungary, pose particular threats,” he said.
He said the past one thousand days had proved that the war had no solution in the battlefield, it could only be ended through negotiations for which “the channels of diplomacy have to be kept open”.
“Those who close those diplomatic channels or attack those who keep them open do not really want peace,” he said.
Szijjártó said developing bilateral ties with Russia in areas not affected by sanctions “is a clear and open goal” of the Hungarian government.
Lavrov
Then, the Russian Foreign Minister took the floor again, but in the next 10 minutes or so, he did not give it to Szijjártó, so only Lavrov spoke.
The Russian Foreign Minister returned to the themes often voiced by Moscow, the situation in Ukraine, and spoke at length about how anyone who speaks out against peace does not even represent the interests of his own people, saying that they see the likes of Viktor Orban’s peace mission from China, South Africa and several Arab countries. He also criticised the Western double standards they see in Russia.
Practically every month there is a meeting between the Russian and Hungarian Foreign Ministers:
- End of October – Szijjártó in Minsk: Record gas deliveries highlight Hungary’s energy cooperation with Russia
- September: Hungarian foreign minister met again with Russian FM Lavrov to discuss cooperation
UPDATE
“Russia committed to maintaining Hungary energy supply”
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Moscow on Monday that Russia will continue to deliver crude, gas, and nuclear fuel to Hungary in spite of new sanctions.
In a statement issued by his ministry, Szijjártó said he had held talks with Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and a number of executives of energy industry companies and acknowledged the important role deliveries from Russia play in ensuring Hungary’s secure energy supply.
He added that the issue was not a “political matter” , but one of “physical reality” and of infrastructure.
“We have no intent of giving up this good cooperation. If for the only reason that nobody has given us a better offer. We know of no other energy sources that are more secure or more competitively priced,” he said.
Szijjártó said
the inclusion of Gazprombank on the United States’ sanctions list was an attempt to put countries in Central and Southeastern Europe that use Russian energy in a difficult position.
Discussing the matter on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Novak and the energy company executives affected by the measure affirmed their interest in cooperation and the continuation of energy deliveries, he added.
“We’ve committed to finding a solution to the situation,”
he said. He added that the Hungarian government would do everything in its power to ensure the country’s secure energy supply.
He noted that other countries in the region were “in the same shoes” and were working together to resolve the situation.
Hungarian reserve soldiers in the freezing trenches – video, photos
The Training Headquarters of the Territorial Defence and Military Supplementary Headquarters of the Hungarian Defence Forces has developed a training system for reserve riflemen consisting of 7 thematic modules.
The three-year program includes basic, intermediate, and advanced levels, with 48 hours of complex training at each level. The modules were designed with attention to detail to reflect real life in the field, honvedelem.hu said.
At the end of November, at the end of the Combat 1 module, the training site of the Kőrös Hill firing and training range provided a real-life environment for the reserve soldiers from the various field regiments participating in the training. They spent the night in cold tents and the day in the trenches, where food was delivered to the troops by drone, reminiscent of a battlefield.
Photo gallery:
VIDEO (subtitle with translation)
read also:
New Gidran combat vehicles and Leopard tanks arrive in Hungary – video, photo gallery
Hungary gets brand-new military choppers, troops prepare for Chad mission amid French withdrawal – details and PHOTOS
Fidesz has maintained its lead – Real-PR 93’s latest poll
Pollster Real-PR 93 said on Monday that if elections were held this weekend, the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance would garner support from 44 percent of decided voters.
In the same group, the opposition Tisza Party would be supported by 36 percent, the pollster said.
Commenting on the survey, conducted between November 25 and 27 on a sample of 1,000 people, the pollster said support for the ruling parties had not changed from October, adding that among Fidesz supporters, “there is no sign of uncertainty.”
Concerning Tisza, Real-PR 93 said support for the opposition party “increased to the detriment of minute leftist parties” could have “reached its maximum”.
The pollster said Radical Mi Hazánk (Our Homeland) had a 7-percent backing, followed by the leftist Democratic Coalition with 5 percent and the satirical Two-Tailed Dog with 3 percent. The latter party did not clear the parliamentary threshold.
As we wrote in November, Péter Magyar’s Tisza party ahead of PM Orbán in latest polls but won’t field candidates on next election – Medián poll
Another poll says also, Tisza Party gains momentum, outshining Hungary’s leading Fidesz Party, details HERE.
PM Orbán ‘has betrayed’ Hungarians in Slovakia, Former PM Gyurcsány’s DK says
The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) has accused Viktor Orbán and his government of “betraying” Hungarians in Slovakia by buddying up with an “openly anti-Hungarian” administration that “will close or merge schools that provide teaching in Hungarian”.
DK calls on Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, to speak out and stand up for the interests of Hungarians living beyond the borders, senior DK politician Sandor Ronai told a press conference in front of the foreign ministry building, where the party also held a demonstration on Sunday.
The new Slovak government had promised not to curb Hungarian-language use in Slovakia, but then they back-peddled, he said.
“Fidesz is silent,” he said, adding that when it came to the issue, everyone from Orban to Szijjártó was “snoozing”.
“This is the real problem with the Orban government: when they want to exploit the Hungarian people, they bring them up as a point of reference; but otherwise the Orban government cannot be counted on either within or beyond the country’s borders,” he said.
Ronai said Orban had been “silent” when his “friend”, President Vladimir Putin, “invaded Ukraine”. And neither he nor Szijjártó had spoken up when the Russians attacked areas inhabited by Hungarians in Transcarpathia, he insisted.
Read also:
EU leaders risk dragging Europe into war, Orbán’s Fidesz believes
Developments over the last few weeks have shown that the “European Union elite” is doubling down on defying the will of the voters, an MEP of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz said on Sunday, warning that this could have “tragic consequences” when it comes to the bloc’s policy on the war in Ukraine.
Csaba Dömötör told public radio that the coalition agreement signed by the European People’s Party, the Socialist and Liberal EP groups this week and adopted on Thursday, reinforcing their support for Ukraine, also contained “the most aggressive EP resolution yet”.
He said the resolution calls for member states to commit 0.25 percent of their annual GDP to providing military support to Ukraine, noting that in Hungary’s case this would amount to 200 billion forints (EUR 483.8m). The resolution also lists the types of weapons member states are expected to send and proposes expanding sanctions on Russia to cover natural gas and uranium, he added.
This, he said, would render Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant inoperable and gas would become far more expensive.
Dömötör said the resolution also calls on member states to “actively put pressure on Hungary to give in” on matters related to the war.
He said the EP wanted to continue the US Democratic administration’s policy, “even though it was defeated a few weeks ago”.
The MEP said that “although there are now slightly more references being made to peace and peace talks”, the call for peace was absent from the resolution, “and the slogan remains that Ukraine should be supported for as long as necessary”.
Meanwhile, Dömötör said the resolution also called for supporting the Russian opposition, adding he believed that the bloc should instead be focused on fixing its economy and ensuring peace.
He said the resolution’s call for cooperation with South Korea was a reaction to reports of North Korean troops being deployed in Ukraine, calling it “grossly irresponsible” for the EP to call for “further escalatory steps” in the current situation.
Noting that the resolution was not legally binding, he said history showed that binding decisions in the bloc tended to be preceded by these kinds of resolutions.
Read also:
Hungarian foreign minister: EU sanctions are dangerous
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó met with leaders of the World Meteorological Organization, the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organization as well as the general secretary of the United Nations Trade and Development Conference in Geneva on Friday. He also talked about how dangerous the EU sanctions are.
Hungary is using its strategy of economic neutrality as its defence against the European Union’s dangerous sanctions-based policy, and the government will not let economic policy be held hostage by ideological issues, Szijjártó was quoted as saying by his ministry in a statement.
Szijjártó warned that the EU sanctions introduced in recent years were causing serious damage, especially for countries that are deeply integrated into world trade and the global economy.
“It is time for the European Union to abandon its policy of sanctions and restrictions,” he said. “Let it be clear what incredible damage sanctions and restrictions have caused the European economy, including the economies of the member states,” he added.
He also noted that the general secretary of the World Trade Organization also praised the government’s approach and the strategy of economic neutrality and congratulated on the results achieved in the midst of serious difficulties.
Szijjártó pointed out that Hungary trades with both Eastern and Western countries and companies, and attracts job-creating investments from both East and West.
Read also:
- PM Orbán talked about the importance of abolishing the EU’s anti-Russia sanctions
PM Orbán’s adviser concerned for EU migration pact
The EU migration pact is “full of holes”, György Bakondi, the prime minister’s domestic security adviser, said on Saturday, arguing that a big drawback from Hungary’s point of view was that illegal migrants must be distributed among the EU member states according to quotas.
Also “massive” open refugee camps would have to be built to process refugee applications within a deadline, he told public broadcaster M1, adding that many migrants would simply leave and continue their journeys.
As well as migrants who receive asylum, many submit applications that are not accepted, while others do not even try to seek asylum at all, he said. Possibly hundreds of thousands bypass the authorities and work illegally or resort to crime, he added.
United Nations data shows that almost 1 million irregular migrants come to Europe each year, he said.
The latest EU pact that three EP party families backed “is all about keeping this situation alive, with unforeseeable consequences for the future of Europe,” he said.
Also, people who gain political asylum and legally reside in a given country are aided with housing support and jobs, he added.
Bakondi insisted that most terrorists in Europe were illegal migrants who had not been expelled, so their presence on the continent “poses a serious threat” to everyday public security, he added.
Europe’s competitiveness in space relies on competence, resilience, says minister
Europe’s competitiveness in space relies on developing competences to ensure Europe’s autonomous access to Earth’s orbit and strengthening the resilience of its space infrastructure, a national economy ministry official said in a statement on Saturday. Richárd Szabados, the state secretary for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and technology, on Friday chaired a competitiveness council meeting on space activities in Brussels, where member states adopted a report on strengthening competences in European space activities and the interim evaluation of the EU Space Programme.
New projects in addition to the Galileo and Copernicus programmes such as the EU governmental satellite communications (GOVSATCOM) programme are essential to the bloc’s ability to maintain its technological independence, the statement said. A well-run space policy plays a strategic role in ensuring the EU’s technological sovereignty, as well as bolstering the resilience of space infrastructure and stimulating economic growth, the statement said.
Szabados said the rapid development of space technology and its potential applications required legal regulation, so Hungary supports the development of a space legal framework at the EU level. “It is essential to establish a legal framework to regulate the activities of state and non-state actors in space,” he said, adding that the relevant legal framework for this was scheduled to be a highlighted aspect of the Polish presidency’s agenda, the statement added.
Read also:
- Tourists and immigrants revitalise Budapest’s iconic region as 1/5th of shops change
- Viktor Orbán’s defying declaration: Hungary will not pay EU fines!
Unprecedented: Trump asks for PM Orbán’s advice on how to end the war in Ukraine ASAP
It is unprecedented for an American president to ask for advice from the Hungarian prime minister about a global armed conflict. According to the insiders of Szabad Európa, Trump has talked with PM Orbán on the phone multiple times since his reelection on 5 November about the situation in Ukraine and asked for Orbán’s opinion about how the war in Ukraine should be ended ASAP.
Long was to establish a friendship between Orbán and Trump
PM Orbán was the first of the world’s acting presidents and prime ministers to endorse Trump as a presidential candidate in the summer of 2015. Ever since, Hungarian diplomacy has tried to improve the personal relationship between Trump and Orbán, and it seems they were successful.
During Trump’s first presidency, the American president did not know who Orbán was, and, consequently, the Hungarian prime minister received an invitation to Washington only in 2019. The situation has changed a lot since then.
The Orbán cabinet made huge efforts to attract Trumpist Republicans by e.g. organising the CPAC in Budapest, which costs a fortune for everybody, so not everybody can afford it. Moreover, they have been saying from the start that Trump could bring peace to Ukraine and that had Trump ruled the White House, Putin would not have attacked because the Russian president is afraid of the American entrepreneur and showman.
The relationship between the two leaders developed quickly, and Trump regularly praised Orbán and his policies in his speeches during the campaign. Despite several Republican leaders having doubts about Orbán, media reports agree that the two strongmen’s relations are strong.
Trump called only Orbán and Netanyahu
Therefore, it is not surprising that Trump called Orbán after his victory. The only other leader receiving that “gift” was Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. According to an informant of Szabad Európa, the “others had to queue”. The first talk between Trump and Orbán was ceremonial but more followed.
Mar-a-Lago calls Budapest, Orbán wrote:
According to Szabad Európa’s insiders, Trump is deeply interested in Orbán’s opinion about Russia’s capacity to continue the war, how he measured the durability of Putin’s system and what milestones he would regard as important for a settlement.
Orbán expressed his views on that issue multiple times. He said Russia has more reserves than Ukraine, consequently, Putin can continue the war as long as he feels, but Ukraine solely depends on Western donors. Therefore, Kyiv needs a ceasefire as soon as possible. Trump seems to be on the same page concerning Ukraine.
Analysts believe Trump would like to score some spectacular successes after his inauguration, and one could be Ukraine. It seems he may have other allies in Europe. There is a chance that Romania’s new president will be Călin Georgescu, who hailed Putin several times. In Czechia, Andrej Babiš may return, who was labelled a pro-peace politician by Orbán. In Germany, early elections will decide the next government, while France’s Barnier government is also shaking.
Orbán prepares for another peace mission
Insiders say Orbán is preparing for another peace mission. He carried out the first “mission” in early July when he took the EU presidency. He talked with Putin, Xi, Zelensky and Trump then. Now, he seems to be doing that tour again. Szabad Európa writes that the leaders are flexible enough to receive the Hungarian prime minister even on short notice.
Botond Feledy, a foreign affairs expert, told Szabad Európa that he might deliver Trump’s message to the Russian, Ukrainian and Chinese leaders.
The Hungarian media outlet wrote that Hungary’s problems will not be among Trump’s primary concerns after January. However, the Hungarian government expects to welcome a new American ambassador next autumn. Based on reports, several volunteers have first-hand experience with Hungarian hospitality from the Budapest CPACs.
New ambassador may arrive in Budapest in autumn
Concerning practicalities, the two countries may agree on a new concord to avoid double taxation and visa-free travel to the USA for Hungarian citizens born abroad. Furthermore, Hungary would like to host Trump for an official visit soon. The Orbán administration also hopes he will not launch a tax war against China because that would harm the Hungarian government through Chinese investments like the BYD in Szeged.
Read also:
Orbán’s Fidesz slams Tisza for supporting Budapest’s “ultra-liberal” drug policies
The opposition Tisza Party has signed up to “ultra-liberal” drug policies in Budapest, Alexandra Szentkirályi, the Fidesz-Christian Democrat group leader in the Budapest assembly, said on Saturday.
The Fidesz-led group in the assembly recently proposed abolishing the Budapest drug strategy and drafting an expressly anti-drug plan, she noted in a video uploaded to Facebook.
The “ultra-liberal” policy of the Budapest administration and its supporters concentrates on mitigating the harm done to drug users rather than on prevention.
Rather than supervise and support drug users by making their habit safer and more comfortable, a policy directed towards complete recovery, zero tolerance towards dealers and producers, and prevention was preferable, Szentkirályi added.
Drug rooms in entertainment venues, drug party services, testing and needle disposal points supported drug use instead of fighting against drugs, she said.
This is why Fidesz has urged the Budapest assembly, and specifically the Tisza group, to support a new anti-drug strategy. Even then, “Peter Magyar’s people” voted “resoundingly against” Fidesz’s proposals, she said.
So the “liberal rainbow coalition’s pro-drug strategy remains in place”, she said.
“Let’s put an end to the collusion between the drug lobby and political parties,” she added.
Read also:
- Drugs situation in Budapest serious, leading politician says
Slovak interior minister: Possible Hungarian terror attack against the Friendship crude oil pipeline
The Slovak interior minister, Šutaj Eštok, talked about a possible terror attack against the Friendship crude oil pipeline. The pipeline delivers Russian crude to Central Europe via Ukraine, and the destinations include Slovakia and Hungary. The minister talked about the possible threat in a debate broadcast by the Slovak public media.
According to the local Hungarian newspaper Új Szó, Šutaj Eštok (Hlas party) said that Slovak authorities found traces pointing toward preparations of a possible terror attack against the country’s critical infrastructure. According to Slovak intelligence services, even organised groups active in Hungary are involved. His debate partner, Juraj Krúpa (SaS), voiced his scepticism concerning the issue, saying that Eštok is trying to calm the public, showing that they are doing what they can to protect the critical infrastructure.
The Friendship crude oil pipeline was built between 1959 and 1964. It connects Russia with Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. It goes through Ukraine, and it’s mainly the Hungarian MOL (and its subsidiary in Slovakia) that processes the crude coming through it.
Hlas is a Social Democratic party founded by former PM Peter Pellegrini and dissidents of the Smer (Direction – Social Democracy). They agreed to form a coalition government with Robert Fico’s Smer and the Slovak National Party in October 2023. Fico seems to be a big friend of PM Orbán, supporting him in several European and global issues, including the urge to end the war in Ukraine.
Hungarian schools may close or be merged
According to Telex, a proposal would close or merge 16 Hungarian schools in Slovakia due to optimisation. It’s not only Hungarian schools that are involved, as Telex reported that the proposal affects Slovakian schools where the number of children is low.
Based on Napunk, a local Hungarian media outlet, the Fico cabinet has already discussed the proposal with experts but not the institutions.
Before, we wrote about a bill by the cultural ministry that would ban Hungarian language use on trains, buses, trams, and post offices. PM Fico said that his government would not support any setbacks concerning the rights of the indigenous national minorities in Slovakia.
Read also:
- Slovak PM Fico may sacrifice his good relations with PM Orbán to keep his governing coalition
- According to FM Szijjártó, there is no threat to Hungarian minority language rights in Slovakia
Hungarian army chief of staff Böröndi visited Hungarian troops serving in Lebanon
Hungarian soldiers serving abroad deserve recognition for performing their duties successfully, while Hungary is committed to maintaining its contribution to the UN peacekeeping missions in the future, Chief of Staff Colonel General Gábor Böröndi said after being briefed on the security situation in Cyprus and Lebanon by the army’s commander, Zoltán Kaszab.
Böröndi, who served in Cyprus in 1997-98, said Hungarian soldiers were serving in an exemplary way at UN headquarters in Nicosia and were making a big contribution towards ensuring the conflict moved towards a resolution, “though this takes time”, according to a ministry statement.
Meanwhile, at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, Lebanon, the Hungarian chief of staff met Hungarian commanders.
He noted that Hungarian soldiers had recently spent more than 600 hours in a shelter in Lebanon, “a sign of quite how dangerous the place they are serving in is”, adding that morale was good and the soldiers appreciated the care of their superiors and the gifts, including packages sent by their loved ones, that have been sent to them ahead of the upcoming holidays.
The soldiers serving in Lebanon deserved special respect, he said, noting they were working in “an extremely complex and challenging environment” in the midst of the armed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which is currently subject to a ceasefire.
Böröndi also talked with the Lebanese army chief, Lieutenant General Joseph Aoun. The Hungarian Defence Forces have been participating in the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since 2006, mainly seeing to patrols and guard duties.
Hungarian servicemen have also taken part in the UN Cyprus mission (UNFICYP) since 1993.
Read also:
- PHOTOS: Hungary gets brand-new military choppers, troops prepare for Chad mission amid French withdrawal
- “Hungarian Iron Dome” deployed near the Ukrainian border, expert says Putin will attack Hungary
Featured image: illustration
New National Bank governor would “further weaken” the forint, says Gyurcsány’s DK
The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) and Socialist parties have criticised the prime minister’s decision to nominate Mihaly Varga, the incumbent finance minister, to serve as the next central bank governor, saying he would “further weaken” the forint.
DK spokesman Balázs Barkóczi told an online press conference that by nominating Varga to head the National Bank of Hungary, Viktor Orbán had “essentially sentenced the forint to death”.
He said the forint is currently trading at 412 against the euro, but the 2025 draft budget assumes a EUR/HUF exchange rate of 397.5. Barkoczi insisted that the draft budget and Varga’s nomination were the reason “why the forint is falling again”.
Socialist Party lawmaker Zoltán Vajda said the prime minister should have nominated “an independent leader recognised in the field” to head the central bank instead of a “party politician”.
“It had been suspected for months that Mihály Varga will be the next NBH governor, which is another concerning development when it comes to the future of Hungary’s economy,” Vajda said in a statement.
He said the prime minister’s decision suggested “that the government doesn’t intend to make any changes to the policies that have led to the forint’s depreciation and the weakening of the financial security of Hungarian families”.
Read also:
Zelensky’s adviser defends PM Orbán: Claims Hungarian leader is ‘not pro-Russian at all’
The war in Ukraine has intensified with North Korean troops bolstering Russia in Kursk, prompting Ukraine, with Western backing, to expand the use of its longer-range weapons. Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak was questioned about PM Orbán’s perceived pro-Russian leanings and shared insights on Hungarian-Ukrainian ties, highlighting doubts about Russia’s rational leadership in an interview with Telex.
Russia is not rational
According to the interview with Telex, Mykhailo Podolyak thinks that PM Orbán’s calls for early negotiations in the EU reflect a belief in dialogue over escalation, a stance rooted in rational diplomacy. However, Ukrainian officials argue that this approach misunderstands Russia’s motivations and leadership under Vladimir Putin. While PM Orbán’s preference for dialogue aims to foster alliances and stability, the Ukrainian adviser warns that Russia operates on emotional, not rational, grounds. Driven by resentment over its Cold War defeat, Russia seeks revenge rather than cooperation, prioritising territorial aggression over lucrative economic opportunities with Europe. This, they argue, highlights the futility of negotiating with a state fuelled by hatred and ambition rather than pragmatism.
Is PM Orbán pro-Russian?
Mykhailo Podolyak says that despite perceptions, Ukraine does not view PM Orbán as pro-Russian but rather as a pragmatic leader prioritising Hungary’s national interests. While his actions may occasionally align with Russian goals, Ukrainian officials stress that Hungary remains committed to its shared values and agreements as part of the EU. Ukraine actively engages with Hungary through high-level dialogue and specialised committees, aiming for gradual progress in their relations. Ukrainian officials emphasise that no European leader, including PM Orbán, is ideologically aligned with Russia, recognising the long-term dangers of its violent and destabilising policies despite any short-term advantages.
Hungarian-language education in Transcarpathia
PM Orbán’s government has long expressed concerns over the preservation of Hungarian-language education in Transcarpathia, a sensitive issue in Hungarian-Ukrainian relations. As the adviser notes, Ukrainian officials acknowledge ongoing dialogue on this matter, with steps being taken to ease tensions. However, the process is still in progress, and concrete outcomes remain to be finalised.
Talks between Zelensky and Orbán
Mykhailo Podolyak highlights that direct talks between President Zelensky and PM Orbán, initiated during the European Political Community summit in Budapest, mark a significant step forward. These discussions encompass economic, political, and cultural issues, signalling renewed bilateral engagement. Hungary’s potential involvement in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction aligns with its interest in EU-wide economic growth, underlining a shared pragmatic vision. Supporting Ukraine, including military aid, is seen as a mutual benefit, fostering stability, market expansion, and a future free of new European conflicts.
Read also: