Csaba Dömötör, an MEP of ruling Fidesz, has criticised MEPs of opposition Tisza for supporting an EU proposal “to introduce new sources of revenue partly to the detriment of members’ revenues” adding that “the room for manoeuvre of the bureaucracy in Brussels would increase and that of national governments would be reduced.”
“This is what curbing sovereignty in practice looks like,” Dömötör said on Facebook on Thursday.
Fidesz also slammed Tisza Party
Dömötör also slammed Tisza for their voting for the EU’s migration pact, supporting a proposal “to allocate more funds for LGBT propaganda” as well as supporting that “Hungary should continue to be prevented from accessing EU funds due to the country.”
The MEP insisted that leaders of the EU “throw money to the wind of war without counting”, and said that those amounts needed to be re-allocated from other areas or they should “increase revenue collection”. To that end the EU would reduce farm subsidies, withhold amounts from members and seek the introduction of revenues in a way that could financially impact members.
Péter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza Party, has slammed deputies of the leftist Democratic Coalition (DK) and ruling Fidesz in the Budapest municipal assembly for “voting together with the mayor [Gergely Karácsony] to sell a part of Hotel Gellért below the market price to István Tiborcz’s circles”.
DK and Fidesz also voted down a proposal to change the assembly’s rules of operation under which “the mayor would have lost his unlimited power in the assembly,” Magyarsaid.
DK and Fidesz “do not want” deputies to control the selection of the heads of large municipal companies; neither do they want those officials to have a reporting obligation to deputies, Magyar insisted. “Surely they want to continue in the shady dealings they have shared,” he said.
Photo: FB/Hotel Gellért
Tisza votes down low household energy bills ‘yet again’, Fidesz’s Budapest leader says
The opposition Tisza Party in the city assembly has yet again voted against the government scheme which saves Hungarian households hundreds of thousands of forints each year on utility bills, Alexandra Szentkirályi, the leader of the Fidesz-Christian Democrat group in the assembly said on Thursday.
Szentkirályi said the party led by Péter Magyar had effectively voted in the energy committee to abolish the scheme, and she cited him as saying previously that the country had been held back because of the “useless” subsidy.
She noted that Fidesz put forward a motion in the city assembly on protecting and maintaining the utility scheme. “But all they could say — led by the Tisza Party — was that they did not support our proposal, and they voted it down,” she said.
The Fidesz politician said Hungarians paid the lowest utility bills in Europe, yet Tisza would “put an end to this in Hungary and Budapest as well”.
“They have proven this for the second time…” she added.
Multiple Fidesz proposals voted down by Budapest assembly, Szentkirályi added
The Budapest municipal assembly voted down several of ruling Fidesz’s proposals concerning housing affordability, Alexandra Szentkirályi, the head of the party’s Budapest chapter, said on Thursday.
Fidesz’s proposals had been aimed at getting the city council to take more effective steps towards resolving the housing crisis, Szentkirályi told public news channel M1.
She said the municipality’s housing agency had only managed to rent out eight flats over the last six months.
“The capital will be receiving billions in European Union funds, and the proposal was to use those funds to help build dorms or company flats instead of channelling the money into … the housing agency,” she said.
“There’s no shame in admitting that you can’t do something and asking for help,” Szentkirályi said. “If the city council is incapable of resolving the housing problem, the government will help.”
She added that she had held “promising talks” in the matter with the national economy minister.
Meanwhile, she said the city assembly had also voted down a proposal from Fidesz which would have called for exploring whether city housing stock could be used to resolve the housing crisis.
Szentkirályi added, at the same time, that the assembly had approved a proposal to look into the city council’s “inefficient” model aimed at keeping utility prices low.
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The communications director of the Fidesz-Christian Democrats said on Wednesday that polling showed the ruling alliance ahead of its main rival “by a large margin”, and this level of support would be replicated in the 2026 general election.
In a video message on Facebook, Tamás Menczer vowed that Fideszwould protect the values underpinning peace and security and launch an economic programme that would have a “positive and tangible” effect on the everyday lives of Hungarians. He listed affordable housing, loans and subsidies, opportunities for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, favourable financing for employees and wage increases as key government policies.
Menczer said it was realistic to expect 2025 to turn out to be “exceptionally good”. “We will protect our achievements: one million jobs, the tax exemption for young people and the 13th month pension, family support … and we will double the tax relief…” he said.
MEPs of the opposition Tisza party “felt it their duty” to align with the European People’s Party’s approach to LGBTQ issues and to the migration pact, a Fidesz MEP said on Monday.
Fidesz MEP calls out Tisza Party
While Tisza leader Péter Magyar stayed away from the vote last week, Tisza MEPs voted in favour of proposals “based on which more funding will be earmarked for LGBTQ propaganda”, Csaba Dömötör said on Facebook.
The proposals involve ensuring sufficient funding to promote the protection of LGBTQ+ rights and further strengthen the work of NGOs and journalists in this area, he said.
In another vote, Tisza MEPs contributed to the withholding of EU funding “Hungary is entitled to”, he said.
The MEPs’ votes outlined “a clear Tisza policy, namely that funding should flow into the migrant pact promoting redistribution and into sensitivity training, but not to Hungary,” Dömötör said.
“What we see here is the same old liberal record,” Dömötör said.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Monday extended the Hungarian government’s congratulations to Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party on “winning the trust of the Georgian people” in the election this past weekend.
FM Szijjártó shares his thoughts on the Georgian election
Hungary’s government is prepared to develop cooperation with Georgia based on mutual respect and support the European integration process, Szijjártó said in a post on Facebook.
Photo: Facebook / Szijjártó Péter
“Saturday’s election in Georgia was not won by those appointed by Brussels and the liberal mainstream, but rather the pro-sovereignty, pro-peace and pro-family ruling party which openly puts national interests first,” the minister said.
“And because the liberals failed miserably, the attacks have already started, with claims that the election wasn’t fair and that there’s no democracy in Georgia,” he said. “What’s most pathetic is that one of the biggest critics is the Lithuanian foreign minister whose party was benched by the Lithuanian voters in yesterday’s election,” he added.
Hungary’s leading alliance of Fidesz and the Christian Democrats continues to hold a comfortable lead over the other parties, according to a new poll by the government-close Századvég.
Hungary’s leading parties are still strong
Taking the voting population as a whole, the ruling parties are backed by 40 percent of voters, with their nearest opposition rival, the Tisza Party, on 31 percent, Századvég told MTI on Monday. The radical Mi Hazánk (Our Homeland) party and the Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP) are third with 6 percent each.
The left-wing opposition parties are currently below the 5 percent threshold for seats in parliament, Századvég said.
Altogether 8 percent of the poll’s respondents were undecided.
Among decided voters, Fidesz and the Christian Democrats would capture 43 percent of the vote if an election were held now, the Tisza Party would get 32 percent and Mi Hazánk and MKKP 7 percent each. The left-wing parties would fail to reach the parliamentary threshold.
Századvég conducted the poll this month with a sample of 1,000 adults.
Budapest’s concept for hosting the Olympics in the future should come with “historic” levels of urban development instead of just sports-related investment projects for their own sake, Gergely Karácsony, the city’s mayor, told a press conference on Friday.
Historic urban development needed for the Budapest Olympics, says Karácsony
Karácsony’s remarks come after the Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB) and the Hungarian Paralympic Committee (MPB) on Thursday presented a request to the city assembly regarding the participation of his administration and party officials in an exploratory process regarding a possible future Budapest Olympics.
The mayor said Budapest could only host the Olympics if the event had majority support behind it and if it involved “historic” urban development.
Budapest will have to examine what hosting a Summer Olympics would mean, Karácsonysaid, pointing out that the MOB and the MPB’s request did not mean that an immediate decision had to be made, but that the city should debate what kind of an Olympics it could host.
Photo: FB/Karácsony
He said the request could not be denied, and the city would have to explore this opportunity without making any commitment to host the event.
Budapest residents will decide
Karácsony said that at next week’s session of the city assembly he will recommend that he and elected city representatives take part in the planning process together.
He said that if they could find common ground with the MOB and the MPB then they would also have to hold talks with the government because its guarantee was a necessary part of the process. He added that once a concept was finalised, it would be up to Budapest residents to make a decision on bidding for the Olympics.
Karácsony said Budapest already had the sports infrastructure for hosting the Olympics, adding that the city’s plan should involve “historic levels” of developments in transport, green infrastructure and housing rather than more sports-related investment projects. He said it needed to be made clear that Budapest was facing a housing crisis, and a future Olympic village should also be suitable for increasing the number of student hostel spaces and rental homes.
The Olympics Park in Budapest, Hungary. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Meanwhile, Karácsony said there was “no point” in talking about a Budapest Olympics if the city and the government could not put their relationship on a new footing.
In response to a question, the mayor said he still believed a local referendum on the Olympics was necessary, but a national referendum may also be a possibility. He also said a realistic timeframe for a possible Budapest Olympics would be between 2036 and 2044.
He pointed out that the Hungarian government had not fulfilled its obligations regarding the 2023 World Athletics Championships. When questioned, he indicated that the government had failed to transfer half of the EUR 123 million “Healthy Budapest” support scheme.
Liberal rainbow coalition must get the capital’s budget “back on its feet”
Responding to the press conference, Alexandra Szentkirályi, the head of Fidesz’s Budapest chapter, called on Karácsony to clarify the city’s financial situation and “manage the bankruptcy”.
Szentkirályisaid on Facebook that though an Olympics could bring with it developments that would serve the long-term interests of Budapest’s residents, “until the liberal rainbow coalition gets the capital’s budget back on its feet, no serious discussion on the Olympics is possible.”
She said Fidesz had always supported an Olympics to be hosted by Budapest, adding however that “as long as the city is nearing bankruptcy, the matter is not timely”.
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Pro-government media is undeniably one of the most potent tools for Prime Minister Orbán’s administration. For instance, the government controls all regional newspapers, providing a significant advantage over opposition parties. However, PM Orbán remains dissatisfied with current government messaging and intends to make substantial changes.
Orbán’s discontent and planned overhaul
As we detailed in THISarticle, based on Szabad Európa’s information, PM Orbán has voiced dissatisfaction with the performance of his candidates, pro-government media outlets, and overall strategy following the 9 June European Parliamentary elections. Sources informed Szabad Európa, an independent Hungarian media outlet, that Orbán plans to replace underperforming MPs and candidates, potentially including Fidesz deputy head Szilárd Németh. The prime minister appears dissatisfied with the newer generation of Fidesz leaders, who, he feels, have not worked hard enough for their successes. Additionally, Orbán is encouraging more public endorsements to deflect future criticisms.
Who will be in target during Orbán’s purge? Photo: MTI
Despite these measures, the prime minister faces a strong challenger for the first time in over 15 years. Recent polls show Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party leading Fidesz by 1-2%—a situation Hungary has not witnessed since 2006. Magyar’s success has multiple roots, from Hungary’s economic crisis and stagnant GDP and wage growth to recent Fidesz scandals, such as the resignation of President Katalin Novák, alongside Magyar’s exceptional communication skills.
Orbán’s critique of pro-government media
Unwilling to risk a potential defeat in the 2026 elections, Orbán has begun sharpening his focus. In his 23 October speech, he labelled Péter Magyar a “Brussels puppet” who would uncritically implement EU policies. However, he recognises that only a stronger, more dynamic pro-government media network can effectively convey this message to the public.
23 October commemoration of the Tisza Party in Budapest. Photo: MTI/Balogh Zoltán
According to Forbes, Orbán intends to diversify the pro-government media network. This restructuring aims to create a broader, more intellectual communication spectrum, with a wider range of content and outlets, as an insider revealed to the Hungarian press.
In a recent speech at Kötcse, a private gathering for his supporters, PM Orbán was critical of government-aligned influencers and the homogeneous nature of current messaging. He emphasised that they must not only hold but win the debate on various key policies, from healthcare and education to transport infrastructure.
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A survey conducted between 9 and 15 October with 1,000 participants reveals that the dominance of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz Party could be at risk, as the rising Tisza Party gains significant ground among key voter groups, particularly in urban areas and younger demographics. Here’s what a political analyst has to say about the newest numbers.
Tisza to leave Fidesz in the dust?
As Szeretlek Magyarország reports, a recent poll by the 21 Research Centre reveals that the Tisza Party has overtaken Fidesz among voters who are certain to cast their ballots, with 42 percent support compared to Fidesz’s 40 percent. However, among the broader population, the governing Fidesz party still holds the lead with 29 percent, while the Tisza Party trails at 26 percent.
Besides these two, only the Mi Hazánk Party (Our Homeland Party) would enter parliament, as other parties such as the Kétfarkú Kutya Party (Two-tailed Dog Party) and DK (Democratic Coalition) stand at 4 percent each. In the poll, 98 percent of Tisza Party voters believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, a sentiment shared by 71 percent of all respondents.
Demographical data
The recent poll also highlighted party preferences across demographics. The Tisza Party holds a strong lead over Fidesz among younger voters aged 18-39, while Fidesz dominates among those aged 65 and over. Educational attainment also shows a divide, with Fidesz leading among those with primary and secondary education, whereas the Tisza Party is favoured by voters with higher qualifications. A surprising finding is the geographic breakdown: Fidesz leads only in villages and smaller municipalities, while the Tisza Party has overtaken them in the capital, county capitals, and other cities.
Photo: FB/Péter Magyar
Political analyst reacts to the poll’s results
Szeretlek Magyarország also writes that political analyst Gábor Török noted on Facebook that while the Tisza Party’s lead falls within the margin of error, this marks the first time in 18 years that such a result has emerged. He also highlighted that opinion polls not only reflect political realities but can influence voter decisions and political behaviour. The survey data, particularly regarding gender, age, education, and location, offer insights into the shifting dynamics between Fidesz and the Tisza Party.
According to Török, the poll shows a notable gender divide: Fidesz remains more popular among women, with 30 percent supporting the ruling party, compared to 22 percent backing the Tisza Party. Conversely, men tend to favour the Tisza Party, with 31 percent supporting it compared to Fidesz’s 27 percent. Additionally, women are more likely to be undecided voters, with a third of them unsure, while only a quarter of men fall into this category. This gender gap, along with other demographic factors, illustrates the fascinating competition between Hungary’s leading political parties.
Photo: FB/Magyar
Tisza MEPs ‘voted for migration, against Hungarians’, says Fidesz MEP
MEPs of the opposition Tisza party have voted “in favour of migration and against Hungarians” several times in the European Parliament, the head of the Fidesz-Christian Democrat (KDNP) delegation said on Thursday, adding that Tisza MEPs voted to speed up the implementation of the EU’s migration pact at the EP vote on the 2025 EU budget.
Tamás Deutsch told Hungarian journalists that Tisza MEPs also supported an EU proposal to raise by 10 billion euros funds for ensuring the welfare of migrants. In another vote, they supported a proposal “that says it was right to fine Hungary for 200 million euros for rejecting migration and for operating legal and physical barriers to keep migrants out.”
Further, Tisza MEPs voted against a proposal to allocated 2 million euros to fund Hungary’s maintenance of the border fence, he said.
The opposition MEPs were ready “to fulfil EU expectations and help turn Hungary into an immigration country by forcing it to allow in illegal migrants. We will not allow that, and we will thwart Tisza’s attempts,” Deutsch said.
Fidesz MEP Csaba Dömötör noted that Tisza had earlier said that they would align their position with that of the European People’s Party. “Their alignment to Brussels means more migration, more war expenditures and less financial support for Hungary. Rather than giving up a little bit of sovereignty, this spells damage that will be hard to repair,” Dömötör said.
“Those who hold dear Hungary’s sovereignty, culture and financial independence can only count on the MEPs of Fidesz-Christian Democrats,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Fidesz delegation said in a statement that the “leftist majority of the EP voted for a war budget” in a vote on budget amendments. “This budget will finance ongoing institutional blackmail, the rule-of-law jihad, the madness of gender ideology and woke, and the Soros network,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, Fidesz rejected the amendments in line with its Patriots for Europe party family, it said.
PfE MEPs have also called for the monies Hungary is entitled to be paid as soon as possible, and guarantees that those sums would not be spent for other purposes, the statement said. They have also called for the “discriminative decision” excluding Hungarian universities, researchers and students from the Horizon and Erasmus programmes, it said.
Kinga Gál, the chair of the Fidesz-Christian Democrat European Parliament delegation, has called for “the bad EU migration pact” to be “chucked out” and for fines against Hungary for stopping migration to be lifted.
The outgoing European Commission’s “big mistake” was to force through the EU migration pact, Gál, who is also the first deputy leader of the Patriots for Europe group, told an international press conference on Wednesday, adding that the pact imposed “old and bad solutions” to problems of which the pact itself was a focal point.
She said mass illegal migration endangered Europeans, ruined the continent and compromised Schengen free movement. “Radical change is needed,” she declared.
Gál said protecting the external borders should be a priority, and she argued that asylum applications must be assessed beyond Europe’s borders. Also, she called for cooperation with countries from where migrants originate and travel through, while people who have no legal right to stay in the EU should be “sent back”.
The Fidesz politician said Hungary in 2015 had been the first EU member state to highlight the perils and unsustainability of mass illegal migration, and ever since the country had advanced proposals on how to strengthen and control the external borders and prevent irregular migration while putting its advice into practice.
Gál said that while more and more EU member states demanded stricter controls at the EU borders and a clamp-down on migration, the European Commission was “harshly punishing” Hungary for protecting the EU borders, which she called “outrageous” and “hypocritical”.
Tamas Deutsch, the Fidesz-Christian Democrat European Parliament group leader, noted that the EP decided on its position on the 2025 EU budget at its plenary session on Wednesday.
He said Fidesz argued for a EU budget that advanced peace and stopped illegal migration while strengthening national sovereignty.
The Patriots’ bill would have provided the union with effective means for stopping illegal migration and protecting external borders, such as procuring border protection equipment and building and maintaining border fences.
Leader of the opposition Tisza Party Péter Magyar on Tuesday accused ruling Fidesz of having “cheated” Hungarians by “preaching” about a rural, family and child-friendly, bourgeois Hungary while making the country “the poorest and most corrupt country in the European Union”.
“Enough is enough!” Magyarsaid in a statement. “The story of 1956 is now our story!” He insisted that Hungarians were a freedom-loving people who wanted a patriotic government, but they did not want 3,000,000 compatriots “living below subsistence level”.
Under a Tisza Party government, maternity hospitals in rural areas would not be shut down but renovated, while public health care and education would be developed rather than run-down, the statement said.
Among the policies he promised were lower VAT, higher family benefits and pensions, channelling EU funds into family farms, and anti-corruption measures.
A recent study by Závecz Research, conducted in early October, delved into public perceptions of the war in Ukraine. The survey examined Hungary’s perceived threat level, views on the defence capabilities of the Hungarian armed forces, and support for EU and NATO membership. This representative poll, commissioned by security policy expert Péter Tarjányi, gathered responses from 1,000 individuals via telephone.
War in Ukraine: Aggression or defence?
Indexreports that the Závecz Research survey reveals shifting public perceptions in Hungary regarding the war in Ukraine. While a consistent 65% of the population continues to view the conflict as Russian aggression, and 62% hold Russia responsible, there has been a notable shift in views on whether Russia acted defensively. Over the past two years, the proportion of Hungarians who believe Russia initiated the war in Ukraine for defensive reasons has increased from 13% to 22%. Meanwhile, those who blame Ukraine for the conflict have risen from 16% to 26%. Among pro-government Fidesz voters, opinions have shifted dramatically, with 53% now blaming Ukraine, reversing the previous majority that attributed responsibility to Russia. The number of undecided voters has also significantly decreased across the board.
Would Hungarians defend their country?
The survey indicates a slight decline in Hungarians’ willingness to defend their country in the event of an attack. Currently, 46% would be prepared to fight or assist the army, down from 50% two years ago. While only 4% believe it highly likely that the war in Ukraine will spread to Hungary, 41% consider it possible but unlikely. Index notes that concerns about the war in Ukraine spreading to Hungary are more prevalent among Fidesz voters, rural populations, and those with lower levels of education.
Humanitarian aid is the most favoured form of support for Ukraine, with 55% of respondents supporting this option, while only 18% back military aid. Among government party voters, 63% support only humanitarian assistance, and none support military aid.
Photo: depositphotos.com
EU and NATO
The poll shows strong support among Hungarians for remaining in both the European Union and NATO, with 68% favouring continued EU membership and 78% supporting NATO membership. However, opinions are divided along party lines. Among Fidesz-KDNP voters, 46% support remaining in the EU, while 37% favour leaving. Support for NATO is stronger, with only 17% of Fidesz voters favouring an exit. Voters of the opposition Tisza and DK parties tend to be more consistently pro-NATO and pro-EU.
The survey also highlights dissatisfaction with Hungary’s often anti-EU stance on the war in Ukraine, reflected in a moderate public disapproval rating of 2.7 on a five-point scale. Concerns over Hungary’s alignment with Russia and China are growing, with two-thirds of respondents fearing negative consequences from diverging from EU and NATO positions. Despite this, a majority (60%) still prioritise maintaining good relations with the EU over Russia and China.
Photo: NATO
Hungarians do not see neighbouring countries as a threat
The Závecz Research survey reveals that only 16% of Hungarians believe there is a neighbouring country to fear militarily, with Ukraine being the most feared (11%), followed by Romania (7%). Confidence in Hungary’s defence capabilities remains low, with only 6% believing that the Hungarian armed forces would definitely be able to defend the country, while 34% are convinced they would not. Trust in the military is higher among government supporters. In terms of a potential West-East military confrontation, 12% of respondents consider it very likely within the next decade, while 55% think it is possible but unlikely.
The European Union must change its current “war strategy” to a “strategy of peace”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in Brussels on Thursday, calling for a ceasefire and peace talks.
Orbán demands ceasefire and peace talks
Speaking ahead of a working breakfast of the Patriots for Europe party group, Orbán said the EU summit later on Thursday was shaping up to be “a difficult day, with three battles”.
The first “battle” would be on the war in Ukraine, Orbánsaid, noting that President Volodymyr Zelensky was scheduled to present his “victory plan” to the summit. “We don’t officially know it yet, but we heard what he said yesterday in the Ukrainian parliament. That is more than frightening,” Orbán said.
Orbán said he was “sometimes the only one” to urge a change to the EU’s war strategy, “because we are losing this war right now”. He slammed the EU’s strategy, saying that the bloc “has entered this war with a badly planned, badly executed strategy based on flawed calculations”.
Patriots for Europe. Orbán in the centre. Photo: MTI
“We are obviously losing the war on the frontlines. So we need change… I don’t mean more war, more dangerous and longer-range weapons, but that we should replace the strategy of war with a strategy of peace. Ceasefire and peace talks,” Orbán said.
Orbán urged Macron and Scholz to start talks with the Russians
Zelensky’s words to the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday pointed in the opposite direction, Orbán said. Therefore, Orbán said he was urging German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanual Macron to start talks with the Russians, “to find a way out of this situation”.
PM Orbán and Macron. Scholz in the background. Photo: MTI
“The battle on migration” would also be significant, Orbán said: “Many of us want to change migration regulations.”
He called it “unacceptable” that Hungary “is being penalised for protecting the EU’s borders”.
An increasing number of member states are pointing to a migration crisis, “we need change”, Orbán said.
Orbán said the EU would also try to push through economic measures “that would floor Hungarian families”, including tax hikes, scrapping the utility price caps, a pensions system reform and scrapping the 13th month pension.
“I have a duty to reject that and protect the most important elements of the current economic policy which are protecting families,” he said.
The working breakfast will focus on preparing for the summit and on organising the party family, Orbán said.
He said the PfE had gone through the “baptism by fire” during the presentation of the Hungarian presidency’s programme to the EP. “We stood up for each other, they helped me protect Hungary.”
On a yesterday working dinner, Orbán met with PfE’s leadership, as well as Andrej Babis, the head of the Czech ANO party, Jordan Bardella of the French Rassemblement National, Matteo Salvini of Italy’s Lega, and Geert Wilders, the head of the Dutch Freedom Party, Bertalan Havasi said.
‘Historic” Patriots for Europe meeting in Brussels, says Fidesz MEP
It is “a historic event” for the Patriots for Europe (PfE) party group to have their first ever “summit”, showing that “we are present, we are strong and will be getting stronger, with our voice getting louder”, Kinga Gál, an MEP of ruling Fidesz, said in Brussels on Thursday.
Speaking ahead of a working breakfast of the PfE, Gál, who is the group’s first vice president, told Hungarian journalists that the summit offered an opportunity for the group’s members to consult about the topics of the current EU summit and “define strong messages”.
She said in connection with migration that “Europe is bleeding from a thousand wounds also in that regard. Thousands keep arriving day by day, young, fit and healthy people standing in line just like an army,” she said.
“We must act to achieve the goal that the protection of EU borders is getting financial support instead of a fine,” Gál said.
“The possibility of withdrawing from the [EU’s] very bad and flawed migration pact and suspending its implementation must also be examined,” she said.
She expressed hope for progress on the issue of migration, saying that despite changes in the situation, the EU’s migration policy was still the same as in 2015.
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Orbán government announcesaction plan with 21 measures, Magyar’s Tisza Party only 2% behind Orbán
Mate Kocsis, the ruling party’s group leader, said on Monday that Fidesz proposes holding a “National Consultation” public survey on “trade neutrality, support for small and medium-sized enterprises, wage increases, employee loans, as well as housing and family support.”
Given the economic upheavals following the pandemic and the war, new economic solutions were needed to put the country back on the right track, he said during a break of the two-day Fidesz-Christian Democrat group meeting in Esztergom, in northern Hungary.
Hungary’s economic outlook “is good”, he said, adding that the proposed new measures would further strengthen the economy and people’s prosperity.
At the same time, “the European leadership is waging a trade cold war,” isolating itself from the East’s economies, he said, adding that “Hungarian neutrality” was best served by openness towards both East and West and that it should break off trade ties neither with the West nor the East.
Kocsis said Fidesz believed in the government’s policy outlook, but it always sought the public’s views on sensitive issues.
Kocsis said the public must have a say on whether they concur with “the economic isolation represented by the Brussels leadership” or whether they want to maintain “free-flowing Eastern and Western commercial and economic pathways.”
They should also be asked about support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the government’s key aim of helping SMEs gain access to capital and new financial instruments.
Also, one of the questions concerns a wage rise, which requires a new deal with employers. He also proposed raising the minimum wage to 400,000 forints (EUR 1,000) and the average wage to 1 million forints “within the foreseeable future”—which he called a “realistic goal.”
Meanwhile, the questionnaire will canvass views on whether young people taking up a job should receive an interest-free loan for whatever purpose they see fit.
The government wants create affordable new places of residence such as dormitories and to help young people buy their first home using state-subsidised loans with very low interest rates. This will also be contained in the survey, he said.
Further, a question about family support will be included, Kocsis said, adding that not only did the Hungarian right and left disagree on this, but the government and the European Commission were also at loggerheads over the issue.
The government wants to double the family tax allowance and other types of family support “may also be discussed”.
Kocsis said the government could consider the party group’s proposal at its meeting this week.
He said the proposed measures were unlikely to be met with “a roar of applause” in Brussels, so it was necessary to get solid backing for them from Hungarian citizens.
When Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warned in the summer that the intensity of the war in Ukraine would escalate rapidly, after his round of diplomacy with the Ukrainian, Russian, Chinese and Turkish presidents, events have since proven him right, Fidesz communications director Tamás Menczer said on Facebook.
He said Orbán wrote the warning in a report to the president of the European Council in July.
In the video post late on Tuesday, Menczer added that during meetings with the leaders and the former US president, Donald Trump, it had become clear that the warring parties were not interested in a ceasefire and only an outside party could bring them to the table.
“This is unlikely as the current American and Brussels leadership are pro-war,” he said.
Photo: FB/Orbán
So Trump’s role as a peace mediator “is especially important”, he said.
“The only way to establish peace is to negotiate with the Chinese, with the Russians … and with the countries of the global South,” he cited Orbán as saying.
More than 8,000 Ukrainian citizens enter Hungary on Tuesday
Fully 4,660 Ukrainian citizens entered Hungary at the Ukraine-Hungary border on Tuesday, while 3,850 came to the country via Romania, according to the national police headquarters (ORFK). Police issued temporary residence permits valid for 30 days to 41 people, ORFK said on Wednesday.
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Interior ministry political state secretary Bence Retvari said on Facebook on Monday that Hungary will not allow migrant camps on its territory as long as Fidesz is in power.
This is the reason why Hungary has received a “gigantic, unfair and disproportionate” EU fine of 200 million euros and a daily penalty of 1 million euros, “because we are unwilling to submit to” the migration pact “and host illegal migrants en masse in migrant camps at our borders”.
Neither is Hungary willing to participate in a quota system for distributing migrants within the EU, he added.
Hungary, he said, was determined to protect its borders “and it will do so”.
Rétvári insisted that European People’s Party (EPP) leader Manfred Weber, who he called the “Brussels boss” of opposition Tisza Party leader Péter Magyar, “wants immigrants, and he wants to build migrant camps.” While Péter Magyar has repeatedly stated that he does not support pro-immigration ideas, yet the Hungarian government seems to communicate that Magyar and the Tisza party are pro-immigration.
Migrants, Rétvári added, “will be transported to Brussels” rather than hosted in Hungary.
As we wrote last week, the Hungarian state violated Iranian Christian A.P.’s human rights when it unlawfully detained him for more than a year and even starved him in the Röszke transit zone, ruled the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), read details HERE.
The first meeting of the Budapest Assembly did not elect deputy mayors as Mayor Gergely Karácsony did not nominate candidates. The assembly also left the municipality’s by-laws in place without amendments.
The day before the meeting, Karácsony said that he had proposed two deputy mayors, one who represented stability, Ambrus Kiss, while the other deputy mayor should be his erstwhile election rival, Dávid Vitézy, in view of the close result, but for now 17 Tisza Party assembly representatives were unwilling to back his proposal, guided by the party’s national political strategy.
Péter Magyar’s press briefing. Photo: MTI
After a lengthy debate on Friday, the assembly decided to postpone the amendment of its by-laws. In the debate, opposition Fidesz-KDNP councillor Laszlo Borocz accused Karácsony of “hiding behind laws” to omit voting on proposals by councillors. Karácsony said the assembly would seek the government office’s interpretation of the law on whether all proposals by councillors should be voted on, even if they had earlier not been submitted by the mayor to the agenda.
Vitézy said the majority of the assembly and the mayor were in disagreement on the pocedure by which the leaders of city-owned companies are appointed, the mayor’s decisions between two assemblies and communication with the public.
The assembly postponed the amendments with 23 votes in favour, 7 against and two abstentions.
Photo: MTI
Security services for Budapest public transport set up
At the proposal of Gergely Kovácsof the Two-tailed Dog party (MKKP), the councillors voted for an impact study to be conducted of the municipality’s community budget practices between 2020 and 2024. Some of the projects which Budapest citizens have voted for were coming along slowly or failing, he said.
Councillors have also voted in favour of setting up security services for Budapest public transport, a proposal that was originally one of Vitézy’s mayoral campaign promises. The new body would ensure safe, clean environment “for those travelling legally and adhering to the terms and conditions of travel”, Vitézy said, adding that the proposal was “not anti-homeless but pro-passenger”. The proposal was adopted with amendments from Karácsony.
Read also:
Brand-new Spanish trams come to Budapest, public bike system to be renewed, extended – read more HERE
Budapest’s city assembly started work today but finding a majority will be difficult
The inaugural session of Budapest’s new city assembly starts today, and the Fidesz group is submitting eight proposals which include a motion to stop decisions being made solely by the mayor on his own authority, Alexandra Szentkirályi, the head of Fidesz’s group in the assembly, said on Friday.
Gergely Karácsony, she said on Facebook, sought to “curb the powers of the capital’s representatives further now that [Democratic Coalition leader] Ferenc Gyurcsány’s people no longer make up a majority.”
Ever since the pandemic broke out, the mayor “has decided the most important issues, bypassing the city assembly,” she said, adding that Fidesz wanted to return the rights of elected representatives in order to counter the mayor’s “excesses”.
Photo: MTI
Szentkirályialso said that the five committees currently working should be reduced to two, with fewer politicians carrying out the work for less money.
Meanwhile, she called on Karácsony to keep to his word and set up an anti-corruption outfit, adding that whereas he had vowed to create transparency and open operations up to the public, the past five years had been marred by “corruption scandals in the capital” and obfuscation.
Alexandra Szentkirályi, and Fidesz councillors. Photo: MTI
The Democratic Coalition will continue to work for the development of the capital in the next five years, Sándor Szaniszló, the party’s group leader, said before the inaugural session of the new Budapest assembly.
Szaniszló said DK acknowledged the decision of mayor Gergely Karácsony not to nominate a deputy mayor as “no one would receive the necessary number of votes at the moment”. If in the next six months the mayor reached agreement with the Tisza party or the Two-Tailed Dog party and proposed a deputy mayor, DK would support them, he added.
Who will keep the oath better? Photo: MTI
He noted that Alexandra Szentkirályi had repeatedly said she wanted to work to the benefit of the city. DK, he said, therefore called on her to act as a go-between so that the government would stop “bleeding Budapest dry” and reduce the 75 billion forint solidarity tax and return the 90 billion forints taken from the city under various titles, Szaniszló added.
Read also:
Important milestone in Budapest’s public transport: new electric buses to come – read more HERE
