In an ultimatum before the start of the invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin spoke clearly about his aims in Eastern Europe concerning even Hungary. He wrote that NATO should stop expanding eastwards and return to its pre-May-1997 borders, which would mean withdrawing even from Hungary. Zsolt Németh, the Fidesz chairman of the Hungarian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said if we were not NATO members, we would have to defend the country against a Russian attack.
Russia would challenge Hungarian sovereignty, says Orbán’s politician
Zsolt Németh talked in May about such concerns at a conference of the Hungarian Atlantic Council (MAT), saying that Russia would not like to invade Hungary. Instead, they would like to have a say in what Hungary does, how the country chooses its allies, what they represent in international forums and from where they buy weapons. Németh concluded that Russia would challenge Hungarian sovereignty if it could, but NATO, which is a defensive alliance, protects Hungary from becoming a victim of Moscow again.
PM Orbán and his government regularly say that if the Western bloc considered Putin’s rightful security concerns, the war in Ukraine would not have started. However, we know what Putin demanded from the “West” and that it would be catastrophic for Hungary if we agree with Zsolt Németh, who is also a member of Fidesz and always sits beside PM Orbán during the latter’s address at the free summer university of Tusványos in Romania.
NATO should withdraw from Hungary, said Putin
The Russian president “spoke” plainly in two documents, which can be regarded as ultimatums before the invasion of Ukraine. On 17 December, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published the demands in the form of two draft treaties with NATO and the U.S., proposing limits on their influence and activities in Europe. They gave only one month for response, including even the Christmas and end-year festivities.
Among Putin’s demands were the end of further NATO enlargement, a ban on deploying intermediate-range missiles in areas from where they could reach Russian territories, and a ban on NATO military activity in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, or Central Asia. Moreover, it would have also banned the deployment of forces or weapons in countries that joined the alliance after May 1997. In practice, that would have meant NATO’s withdrawal from Hungary.
Russian security claims should not be forgotten
On his “peace mission” in July, PM Orbán talked about the Russian security claims and the distance between those demands and NATO’s willingness to comply with them. But the distance is not insurmountable, the Hungarian prime minister believed then. He said the parties should reach an agreement that guarantees peace, considers Russia’s security demands and is acceptable to NATO.
Some Hungarian politicians are continuously slamming the West for not providing help for the Hungarian anti-Soviet freedom fighters in 1956. The West stuck to its agreement with the Soviets concerning the division of most of the world into spheres of interest. And in that partition, Hungary was part of the Soviet bloc.
Great powers and their spheres of interest?
It seems the Hungarian government would support such a partition again, which would imply that some parts of Eastern Europe (e.g. Ukraine or part of it) are “untouchable” because they are Russian spheres of interest. However, that initiative could mean that, in the long run, Hungary will also fall into the hands of Russia (again). President Putin does not even try to hide that regaining (some) control over Eastern European states is part of his plan and demands.
That is something we should consider before the foreseeable, Trump-initiated peace talks. The vast majority of the Hungarians are pro-EU and pro-NATO, and they would never accept becoming part of the Eastern bloc again. It might be comforting that the Orbán cabinet also regularly highlights that Hungary is and will remain a NATO and EU member despite all quarrels.
Read also:
PM Orbán: Trump will bring peace, anti-Russia sanctions should be abolished, Soros empire moved to Brussels – read more about the prime minister’s yesterday press briefing HERE
Hungary becomes regional distributor of Russian gas, generating windfall revenues
The Hungarian government’s recent regulations on guest worker recruitment may seem like a significant shift towards limiting guest workers, but loopholes in the new policies ensure that the inflow of non-EU workers won’t dry up entirely. Despite reducing the annual guest worker quota and narrowing the list of eligible countries, exceptions for major economic projects and alternative pathways still exist.
Guest worker regulations
As G7 writes, Hungary’s recent tightening of rules on the recruitment of guest workers has sparked debate, but its overall economic impact is expected to be minimal. The government announced a reduction in the annual guest worker quota to 35,000 for 2025, down from 65,000, emphasising a policy of limiting foreign workers. This reflects Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s pledge to ensure Hungary remains “neither a country of guest workers nor migrants.”
The exceptions
The new rules restrict eligible non-EU countries to those with readmission agreements, significantly narrowing the list to Georgia and Armenia. However, the late addition of the Philippines as an approved sending country can be explained as a practical adjustment to labour market needs. While these changes align with a politically rational narrative, the macroeconomic impact of fewer guest workers is expected to remain limited.
The loophole
Hungary’s recent measures have tightened regulations for employing guest workers from third countries, reducing the number of eligible nations from ten to just three: Georgia, Armenia, and the Philippines. These changes follow the 2024 introduction of the Aliens Act, which allows only qualified employers—government strategic partners or companies involved in priority national investments—and 29 approved temporary work agencies to recruit guest workers. Contracts for these workers typically span up to two years, with a possible one-year extension, while seasonal agricultural and tourism roles remain available under simplified rules for shorter terms.
Despite these restrictions, exceptions exist for critical economic projects such as investments by BYD in Szeged and BMW in Debrecen, where guest workers can be employed without limitation. Additionally, the National Card scheme, effective in 2024, offers an alternative pathway for certain nationalities, including Bosniaks and Ukrainians, under stricter conditions. These adjustments reflect Hungary’s balancing act between political objectives and economic needs.
A new day will dawn on the West on Tuesday morning after US President-elect Donald Trump takes office and the “bitter, difficult, painful and failure-ridden four years” of the Democratic administration comes to an end, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told public radio.
Not surprising that US-Hungary relations hit rock bottom under Democrat leadership
Orbán said that the Democratic administration had got off to a “bad start” because “after all, they stole the presidency from Donald Trump”. “If they hadn’t cheated in 2020, Donald Trump would’ve stayed in office and then the Ukraine-Russia war doesn’t happen,” he said.
The prime minister said Democratic administrations were “always different” from Republican ones, arguing that Republicans “stand on a national foundation” while Democrats “are globalists” who enforced their interests through global organisations “like the Soros network”. “While not directly government organisations, these networks are connected to the US government,” he said.
Orbán said Democrats put their economic interests before politics and had “strong world-bettering intentions”. “That’s when the world is flooded with migration and the related chaos, gender madness runs rampant … and they don’t hesitate to use war to meet their objectives, as they did in the Russia-Ukraine war,” he added.
Orbán said that Hungary-US relations “were expected” to hit rock bottom during a Democrat administration. The US did not extend the agreement on double taxation and made Hungarians’ travel into the US more difficult, “they harmed us wherever they could”, he said.
US sanctions strengthened minister’s position, says Orbán
Orbán said sanctions against Antal Rogán, the Hungarian cabinet minister, were “just the last, smallest story” in that process. “This has strengthened the minister’s position in Hungarian politics and the government to an unprecedented degree … if Antal Rogán, the minister responsible for national security services and the first vanguard in the protection of the nation’s sovereignty, is being penalised by a world power, that means he is doing his job well.”
Orbán said President-elect Donald Trump‘s inauguration on Monday would be the “start of a new era”.
Commenting on the work of outgoing US ambassador David Pressman, Orbán said the US “has sent a thug here with the task of forcing Hungary into the globalist, liberal, Democrat canon that is pro-migration, pro-gender and ready to use war to spread the word and Western values in the world”. “The problem was that Hungary is not such a country,” that it has a 1,100-year history, “its own way and mission” that did not suffer “a thug coming here and telling us that this land is no longer ours, that others will come from the other side of the world to move into what we have worked for for 1,100 years,” Orbán said.
Pressman’s work was therefore “doomed to fail from the start”, he said. He said he had refused to meet the ambassador during his tenure: “His task was clear even when he arrived, and I didn’t want to assist to that.” Orbán said Hungarians were family friendly, and “can’t accept disdain and mockery of the traditional family model.”
Trump liberated America
He said he had an agreement with Trump to launch a “fantastic, long-ranging golden age in US-Hungarian relations that will be noticeable in everyday life, in pockets and families’ budgets”. Trump’s election victory had been a “prerequisite of the Hungarian economy’s flying start as early as this January”, as it had brought the possibility of peace and construction after three years of war destruction, Orbán said.
President-elect Trump had “liberated America” and US billionaire George Soros’s “forces” have retreated to Brussels, Orbán said.
“The single objective for us Europeans has to be to push them out of Brussels. If we fail to do this then Brussels will become the new Washington, continuing to pursue the policies of US Democrats, which goes against the interests of the European and the Hungarian people.”
He said the top foreign policy goal of 2025 had to be pushing the “Soros empire” out of Europe. Orbán said Hungary, which, he noted, “has always openly engaged in this conflict”, was likely to be the first country to drive out the “Soros empire”.
Soros empire in Brussels
“It’s time to set the record straight and wind up the networks endangering Hungarian sovereignty and send them packing,” Orbán said, adding he hoped that Hungary would not be alone in doing this. The prime minister said the number one priority was “taking funding away from them, or to be more precise, not giving it to them in the first place”.
“The Soros network today is funded in large part from the Brussels budget. We mustn’t tolerate this; this is our money, too,” he added.
Orbán said the biggest corruption scandal was that “George Soros has got Brussels in his pocket”. “The MEPs, Brussels bureaucrats and serious decision-makers are obviously bought and paid for,” he said, adding representatives of the “Soros network” paid regular visits to Brussels.
He said Hungary had to set an example in driving out the “Soros network”, adding that this was what the spring would be about.
Everyone talks about peace
As regards the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU, Orbán said its success had even been acknowledged by the government’s political opponents in Brussels.
He said that whereas at the start of the six-month presidency only the Vatican and Hungary had been talking about peace, today everyone was talking about it. “So we managed to get the issue of peace on the table and keep it there,” he added.
Orbán said that though the peace mission taken on by Hungary “was disproportionate to the country’s weight on the international stage”, it had still carried it out “as a Christian country and out of a moral duty”.
Trump will bring peace, Orbán believes
But, he added, it was now time for Donald Trump to “take up the torch” and “continue the difficult mission that is more in line with the weight of the United States”.
The second important result, he said, was Bulgaria and Romania’s accession to the Schengen area, noting the work done by himself, EU Affairs Minister Janos Boka and Interior Minister Sandor Pinter.
He noted that the EU entered into accession talks with Albania during the Hungarian presidency, and “the issue of the Western Balkans has been brought back into European politics alongside the Ukraine issue to which everything took a back seat”.
Meanwhile, he said the Hungarian presidency had managed to conclude important agreements concerning the issue of the bloc’s competitiveness, adding that Hungary had “punched above its weight” during its time at the helm of the Council of the EU.
Orbán warned that a new era was about to begin, so the most important consideration was for Brussels to adapt to the new situation, “primarily when it comes to the issue of war and peace as well as sanctions”.
Sanctions-free relationship with Russia needed
“It’s time we threw sanctions out the window and establish a sanctions-free relationship with the Russians,” the prime minister said, adding, however, that the signs coming from Brussels were “not encouraging at the moment”, and such a shift would take “one or two months”.
He said Ukraine’s accession to the European Union “would, for the time being, bring more dangers than opportunities from the point of view of Hungarians”.
He said “Ukraine can be dealt with” once the war had ended and the EU’s policy of sanctions concluded, “because it is a serious challenge, even a threat” to the European economy.
Ukraine’s accession as envisaged by the EU today would mean that “Hungarian, Polish, and even French farmers can close up shop”, he said, adding that such a move would require “sufficiently stringent regulations.”
Keep an eye on Brussels, Ukraine
Orbán said Ukraine “cannot stand on its own feet … it wouldn’t exist today without Western monies”. He said the country “has no economic activity that could be integrated into the European economy, there are only ruins”. At the same time, Ukraine’s agriculture, which remains productive, “is expressly clashing with the European economy rather than fitting in with it,” he said.
Orbán said that when discussing the Hungarian economy, it was important “to keep one eye on Ukraine and Brussels”.
Meanwhile, the prime minister said 2025 would be “the year of strengthening the middle class”.
Orbán said he expected a “tangible advance” for all strata of society in 2025 and said assistance would go to people who were still under the middle class threshold.
Orbán said the government’s most important goal was ensuring work for everyone, adding that the aim was achievable in 2025, pointing to the 81 percent employment rate among 20- to 65-year-olds, the fifth- or sixth-highest rate in Europe.
The government also aims to ensure incomes are enough to support families and pave the way for everybody to feel they are taking a step ahead, he added.
2025 will be fantastic
He said he expected 2025 to be a “fantastic year”, noting that 2024 had been about compensating for the losses inflicted on the country by the war in 2023, such as the “energy shock”. “But since we’ve done that, we have a good starting position for this year,” he added.
Orbán said the domestic savings rate was at 24 percent compared with the EU average of 14 percent, adding this meant that there was a “household financial savings system that can be mobilised for 2025”.
He said high energy prices were the biggest threat to the success of Hungary’s economic policy, so the aim was to ensure that Brussels did not pursue a sanctions policy that went counter to falling prices.
Orbán said that until expansion of Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant was completed between 2030 and 2032, the country was vulnerable when it came to energy, so significant energy price increases could “thwart our economic plans”.
He also said Hungary could not carry out its economic plans unless the TurkStream natural gas pipeline was protected and kept running.
UPDATE: Opposition reactions
The opposition Tisza and Jobbik parties have criticised Prime Minister Viktor Orbán over his morning radio interview for “failing to touch on several important topics”, while the Democratic Coalition has said the prime minister “needs to be replaced together with his regime”.
Péter Magyar, the leader of the Tisza Party, said Orbán “got buried under his own lies during his weeks-long luxurious vacation in India”.
“While the prime minister talked about the fight against illegal migration, he made no mention of how he himself released 2,290 convicted people smugglers from Hungarian prisons,” Magyar said in a statement.
He said Orbán had also “failed to mention that the Hungarian economy is not off to a flying start, and all the important indicators are down”. He criticised the prime minister for not mentioning “the cost-of-living crisis they have pushed millions of Hungarians into”.
Magyar said food prices were “out of control again”, adding that food inflation in Hungary was 2.5 times the EU average over the last four years.
He vowed that his government would cut the VAT rate on fruits and vegetables, and eventually all basic foodstuffs, to 5 percent if Tisza won the election.
Opposition Jobbik criticised Orbán for “limiting his interview to talking about Trump, Soros and Ukraine”.
The party said in a statement that fuel prices and inflation were rising again, the forint was weakening, bank fees were up and the health-care sector was “falling deeper into crisis”.
They said Orbán had failed to offer any solutions to these problems in the interview.
Ferenc Gyurcsány, the leader of the leftist Democratic Coalition (DK), said his party agreed with “the assessment of the United States administration that Antal Rogan, the minister in charge of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office, is corrupt.”
He said “the regime as a whole, including the prime minister” was corrupt, “but the regime cannot be banned from the US”.
Gyurcsány said “the regime’s … key elements and people cannot be ousted one by one” and “Orbán has to be replaced together with the regime”.
Read also:
Orbán did not receive an invitation to Trump’s inauguration, confirms Hungarian government – read more HERE
The opposition is in its deepest moral crisis 18 months before the election, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás said on Thursday.
Head of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office Antal Rogán will not be on the US sanctions list by the end of this year, Gulyás said in an interview with news channel ATV. He added that even the US administration could not deny that a purely political decision had been made in the case of Rogán. HERE is what you need to know about the scandal.
“The Americans have also admitted that there had been no secret services information behind the decision, only [US businessman] George Soros and the corrupt reports of various civil organisations that could not be considered a legal source or even evidence in the case,” he said. “It is political witch hunt, the petty revenge of the outgoing US ambassador,” he added.
American ambassador Pressman hated the government and the country
He said that during the US presidential campaign, President-elect Donald Trump had referred to the Hungarian prime minister more than a hundred times. “Unfortunately, the Democrats had sent here a US ambassador who hates the government and the country. “As a result, when talking about sanctions against Hungarians in his own Democrats milieu, he could achieve easy success,” Gulyás added.
He said Hungary had no “democracy deficit” and it was a false claim that the Hungarian government maintained too close links with Moscow or China.
“The new US administration is organising a Trump-Putin meeting. Yet, I would not accuse the US of drawing close to Moscow. The German chancellor recently had a long telephone conversation with Russian President Putin, but this does not make him an ally of Russia. It is best to be careful with such remarks. Hungary pursues politics and diplomacy along Hungarian national interests, we are not trying to please anyone either in the previous or the new US administration,” he said.
Gulyás said the banning of Rogán would be a short-lived measure that would remain a perfect symbol of the “petty Hungary-hatred” of the outgoing Democrats administration.
Removing Rogán from the ‘global Magnitsky list’ will be difficult
He added that removal from the list would not be a presidential decision but a decision by the US Department of the Treasury. He said the procedure was regulated by law and in order to be removed from the list, it was the banned person who must prove that the decision lacked any basis.
“Despite this I think that considering the obvious motivation behind the decision and the complete lack of evidence, a relatively quick decision could be made,” he said.
In response to another question, Gulyás said there would be no early election or government reshuffle before the 2026 election, and President Tamás Sulyok would fulfil his mandate. “The only question is whether his mandate will be five or ten years long, considering that the president can be re-elected once,” he added.
Hungarian opposition in deep moral crisis, says minister
Commenting on polls showing the popularity of the opposition Tisza Party, he said “it is the best situation for us that 18 months before the election, the opposition is in its deepest moral crisis and the leader of the strongest party is insane”.
He said the basis for victory at the election would be the government’s performance, and the situation was favourable to the ruling party. “Pollsters that indeed assess public opinion instead of just trying to meet political demands or commissions show that Fidesz maintains a very considerable lead,” he added.
In response to another question, he said Tisza served not only a guarantee for Fidesz’s victory in 2026, but even Fidesz’s success in 2030. “This is my sincere opinion. There was a mid-term election this Sunday, national elections were held last June, and there are public opinion polls, all showing the same,” he added.
Asked whether he would talk to Magyar ever again, Gulyás said
“it is ruled out, I consider him a traitor,”
adding that “not every traitor is an agent of Brussels, but every agent of Brussels is a traitor, and Magyar belongs in that latter category”.
Trump and Orbán will meet soon
Asked about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s absence from the inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump, Gulyás said that in line with the protocol, Hungary will be represented at the event by Hungary’s ambassador. “Viktor Orbán has been an ally of Donald Trump long enough so that he does not need to push himself ahead among the several thousand participants just to demonstrate his importance and closeness to the new president,” said Gulyás, adding that “there would certainly be a meeting between Trump and Orbán in the foreseeable future.”
Regarding the issue of EU funds for Hungary, Gulyás said Hungary is among the best in drawing them down. “There is pre-financing, we send the invoices to Brussels and they pay,” he said. “So there is no reason for particular concern, there are plenty of free resources that can be drawn down, and our goal is to also access what is not yet available,” Gulyas said.
Magyar slammed Gulyás and Orbán in reaction
Tisza Party leader Péter Magyar said in a statement that Gulyás had given “his usual meaningless” ATV interview. Magyar accused him of betraying “the most vulnerable … for power and money while donning the mantle of Christianity” and of accepting a big wage rise “while 3 million of our compatriots” live below the poverty line.
Gulyás, he added, “clinks glasses of expensive French champagne with the state secretary for health and the head of the ambulance service … while they deliberately dismantle the state health-care system…” Magyar also accused Gulyás of helping to direct public money towards the purchase of “castles, railway stations and airports” for the prime minister’s “family and oligarchs”, while “wasting EU funds in the billions”. The opposition politician also blamed Gulyás for every day failing to report “serious corruption cases” and of operating a “North Korean-style propaganda” to mislead citizens.
Read also:
Ukraine’s proposed ban on Russian oil transit raises concerns for Hungary and Slovakia
Orbán did not receive an invitation to Trump’s inauguration, confirms Hungarian government – read more HERE
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, like other foreign leaders, was not officially invited to the inauguration of Donald Trump as the next U.S. President on 20 January, according to Zoltán Kovács, State Secretary for International Communication. In a Facebook post, Kovács clarified that no Hungarian government representative received an “official” invitation to the event, emphasising that the ceremony is traditionally a celebration of the peaceful transfer of power in the United States, not a gathering of foreign dignitaries.
Kovács highlighted that any foreign leaders or politicians attending the inauguration do so on personal or staff invitations, not in an official capacity. “This is not an occasion for formal talks or meetings but serves an entirely different purpose,” he wrote. Kovács also confirmed that Viktor Orbán would not attend the event. Instead, Orbán is scheduled to deliver a speech at a conference in Budapest evaluating the results of Hungary’s EU Presidency.
Speculations about foreign leaders’ attendance
Kovács addressed speculations that some leaders, including Orbán, might have been invited, following reports that several foreign politicians had been asked to attend the ceremony. The Argentine President Javier Milei’s office confirmed last December that he had received an invitation, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on January 9 that she planned to attend, Politico reported. Other notable figures, such as Britain’s Nigel Farage, France’s Éric Zemmour, the Netherlands’ Geert Wilders, and Belgium’s Tom Van Grieken, are also expected to participate. However, Kovács clarified that these invitations were not official and were extended on a personal or informal basis.
Hungarian officials’ stance
Hungarian officials maintained that there was no practical reason for Orbán to attend the inauguration. In an interview with atv.hu, Gergely Gulyás, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, stated:
“It only makes sense for the head of government to go to Washington if they can engage in substantive talks with the new U.S. administration. Inauguration Day is certainly not that day, as it is primarily an event of U.S. domestic politics. Viktor Orbán has been an ally of Donald Trump long enough to not need to jostle among the thousands attending the inauguration to demonstrate his closeness to the new president.”
This position was reinforced by Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister’s Press Chief, who informed Telex that Orbán’s absence was due to his prior commitment to a domestic event. By addressing the lack of an official invitation and clarifying the nature of the inauguration, the Hungarian government has sought to quell any misunderstandings surrounding Orbán’s absence from the ceremony.
Páter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza Party, said on Wednesday that contrary to the government’s “lies” that inflation had been stopped, the latest figures showed that it was in fact on the rise again.
Magyar said in a statement that over the past four years, food prices had been increasing at a shockingly high rate and it was the price of basic foodstuff that had soared at the highest rate “on 1 January this year”. He said that food price inflation in Hungary had been two and a half times higher than the European Union average, adding that food prices in Hungary are now higher than the EU average.
Magyar said that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán who was still on holiday in India “would normally not talk about the fact that as a result of ‘flawed’ economic measures, such as a record-high VAT in Europe, special retail taxes and another nine types of taxes, the price of white bread has gone up in four years by 163 percent , the price of milk by 124 percent, and the price of eggs by 112 percent”. Magyar added that a family of four had to spend on average HUF 92,000 (EUR 224) more on food now than four years ago.
Notwithstanding “multiple crises, a transitional institutional period of severe political headwinds and institutional obstruction”, Hungary brought about “historic decisions” under its EU presidency, János Bóka, the EU affairs minister, told a press conference on Tuesday.
Hungary’s EU Presidency
He noted the Budapest Declaration aimed at boosting the bloc’s competitiveness following an unanimous decision by EU leaders, the full Schengen membership of Romania and Bulgaria from Jan 1, and the twin summits held in Budapest on Nov 7-8, namely that of the European Political Community and the informal meeting of the European Council, “the biggest diplomatic event in Hungary’s history”.
Fully 39 formal council meetings were held in Brussels and Luxembourg during the presidency, while 14 informal ministerial meetings were held in Budapest, including the first meeting of ministers responsible for demography, Bóka noted.
Also, nine political trialogue agreements were ushered through the European Parliament under Hungary’s presidency, he said, also noting the adoption of a council declaration on the fight against anti-Semitism. Regarding the Budapest Declaration, Bóka said the document set out specific expectations with deadlines, though the Hungarian government was disheartened by early signals regarding its implementation, he added.
The minister also noted the adoption of strategically important policy decisions such as the ministerial declaration on the future of the common agricultural policy and cooperation in justice and home affairs. The presidency, meanwhile, oversaw the institutional transition so that EU institutions and their new leaders could start operating on Dec 1, he said. Hungary was fair mediator, he said, yet it also presided over a strong political presidency that demonstrated the need for change and “the possibility of a real European alternative”.
The current Polish EU Presidency should take these initiatives forward, he said, adding that it did not bode well, however, that Poland was “mixing its bilateral and internal political conflicts” into its presidency. Bóka said the US presidential election and changes in the European Parliament presaged change, which “must be forced through by member states, including Hungary”. He added that 2025 was therefore likely to be a year of conflicts.
Bóka noted that a permanent team for the EU’s common security and defence policy had been set up under the Hungarian presidency. He said the working group had completed preparations for a common European defence industry strategic concept but “could not get over the threshold” in the European Council. He said he trusted the subsequent Polish presidency could complete the task before preparations for the next seven-year budget.
The Polish presidency is not part of negotiations concerning community funding for Hungary, Bóka said, adding that the country had met all preconditions for accessing the funds and “they are being withheld exclusively for putting political pressure [on Hungary].” The Hungarian government will use all legal and political means to ensure that “Hungarians have access to what is owed to them,” he added.
Answering a question about Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s peace mission, Bóka said the EU’s strategy concerning the war in Ukraine “does not require consensus”, so the Hungarian presidency had had “extremely limited room to come up with initiatives”. “The prime minister, however, felt a moral and political responsibility to do something towards securing a ceasefire and meaningful peace talks,” Bóka said. Orbán exhibited “remarkable political courage” when he embarked on his peace mission, and “the positive results are now obvious,” he said.
The minister said the EU presidency had been handed over to Poland “in the customary, formal manner”. Concerning Hungary’s granting political asylum to former Polish justice minister Marcin Romanowski, Bóka said such a move “should not be a burden on any [foreign] relations… This has been a legal process in which the Hungarian authorities observed all rules”.
He also added that a Hungarian court would deal with the possible implementation of an European warrant Poland has issued against the former minister. Granting political asylum “is not taking a stance whether the applicant is guilty or not guilty”, Bóka said, insisting that the basis for such a decision was “whether procedural concerns have a foundation or not”. In Romanowski’s case those concerns are “obviously not unfounded”, he said. “This case should not affect the activities of the Polish presidency”.
Vladimir Dzhabarov, First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs and a Senator of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, believes Hungary would be ideal for President Trump and Putin to meet and discuss how to end the ongoing bloody conflict in Ukraine. According to Trump, Putin asked for the meeting.
Orbán cabinet believes Trump will bring peace to Ukraine
President Trump said during the election campaign that he would put an end to the ongoing violent conflict in Ukraine in no time if elected. As Trump’s inauguration draws near, it seems he will be able to meet that promise since he said President Putin asked for a meeting, although he did not specify what topics they would discuss or when that may happen. Trump only said that the meeting is now being set up.
According to Blikk, a Hungarian tabloid, they may meet in Budapest, Hungary, or at least that is what Vladimir Dzhabarov, First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs and a Senator of Russia also serving as the Representative of the legislative (representative) authority of the Jewish Autonomous Region, said in an interview.
The Hungarian government is looking forward to Trump’s inauguration. Orbán endorsed Trump back in 2015, making him the first country leader to do so. Before the 2024 election campaign, Trumpist Republican politicians regularly travelled to Hungary, took part in different conferences, CPACs, etc. (more about the – financial – background of their bromance in THIS article). We covered yesterday that Orbán’s chief spin doctor, Árpád Habony, regularly travelled to Florida to network with the Trump team. He also worked e.g. in the Georgian campaign for the pro-Russia Georgian Dream movement.
Hungary spent a lot of money on creating and improving links with the Trump team
Orbán regularly said during the election campaign that Trump is the only pro-peace candidate for the presidency and all who want to bring peace to Ukraine should endorse, support, and vote for him. Since the Hungarian government has been accusing the Hungarian opposition of being pro-war for years, the fight for the White House became a crucial domestic issue in Hungary.
Because of the Orbán-Trump “bromance” and Orbán’s smooth relationship with Putin, Budapest can be a good place for the two leaders to meet. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Russian press that the USA has not yet officially asked for a meeting, which is unsurprising since its president will still be Biden for eight more days, who would not like to meet with Putin.
Trump may meet Putin in Hungary, Russian Senator says
Meanwhile, Senator Dzhabarov told a journalist in an interview that Hungary could be an ideal venue for a Trump-Putin summit. He believes PM Orbán could guarantee the safety of the two world leaders. He added the two parties should meet on “neutral” ground. Before, Finland could have been a perfect place, but they joined NATO and became very aggressive towards Russia. He did not mention in the interview that Hungary is also a NATO member state.
Dzhabarov said the two world leaders should meet because there are lots of questions they need to discuss. In the last four years, the Russian-American relationship deteriorated, so they must discuss. He added, however, that nobody can say when such a summit could be organised.
Donald Trump appointed Keith Kellogg as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia in November. Kellogg said Trump aimed to find a solution to the war in Ukraine in his first 100 days in power.
Before, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed his country’s readiness to provide a platform for negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. “If it comes to that – why not”, Putin evaluated the offer in December.
Read also:
New survey: How much do Hungarians trust Trump to end the Russia–Ukraine war? – read more HERE
As we wrote, PM Orbán is spending his winter holiday in India, a country not yet among the fanciest places European and world leaders go to unwind. Hungarian press suggested that Orbán went to India on an Ayurvedic healing tour with the head of a traditional Ayurvedic healing centre in Hungary, but the prime minister dismissed those allegations in a strange interview with Blikk, a Hungarian tabloid. He also said a sentence in that interview which seemingly won the hearts of many Indians.
Is PM Orbán in India for health reasons?
PM Viktor Orbán never gives interviews to non-government-friendly Hungarian media outlets. However, he seems to have made an exception with Blikk, a Hungarian tabloid, earlier this week. The interview’s circumstances were even more suspicious. It seems that a journalist of Blikk just reached out to the Hungarian prime minister via phone and managed to gain answers about his private tour in India.
As we wrote before, the Hungarian prime minister will remain in the South Asian country until 16 January. He arrived there with Ayurvedic healing centre head Krishna Kumar. Kumar’s business, which also organises purification tours in Kerala, is co-owned by Hungarian billionaire György Gattyán, through Docler Holding. While the enterprise has reportedly faced financial challenges, Kumar’s promotional materials claim Ayurveda can cure all diseases.
Therefore, Hungarian politicians and the press started asking questions about which illnesses Orbán may struggle with. For some reason, the Hungarian prime minister felt the need to answer those questions in the Blikk interview. We covered his answers in THIS article. However, one of his answers became viral in the subcontinent and beyond.
India: a destination for culture-lovers, says PM Orbán
The question was whether he would recommend India to others for a holiday. Orbán answered that India was not popular for being a tourist paradise. “Those who desire luxury should go to an Austrian ski resort or the Bahamas. Those interested in culture, come to India!”, he concluded.
According to Szeretlek Magyarország, Indian journalists found that sentence interesting. For example, Sidhant Sibal, the foreign policy editor of the WION News English-language Indian news service, quoted the prime minister on his X profile. He was followed by multiple Indian news outlets. The Print, for example, added that it is rare a European leader spends their holiday in India.
Read also:
PM Orbán arrived with his family unexpectedly in an Asian country – read more HERE
Fully 61 percent of Hungarian voters, including 40 percent of the opposition Tisza Party’s supporters, say there is no need to hold early elections in Hungary, according to a Nézőpont Institute survey published on Saturday.PM Orbán and his Fidesz made it clear before that early elections are not on the cards.
Hungarians do not want early elections
In its commentary, the think-tank said a vast majority of the survey’s respondents disagreed with Tisza leader Peter Magyar’s recent call for early elections. Fully 61 percent of active voters say Hungary should wait until 2026 when the next general election is due to be held, with only 33 percent saying an early election is necessary, Nézőpont said.
The think-tank noted that Magyar had already called for early elections in the past, pointing out that the share of those agreeing with the call for an early ballot was smaller this time around than in April last year, when 37 percent would have backed holding an election before 2026.
The survey also found that four out of ten Tisza voters do not support the party leader’s demand, 32 percent say Hungary should wait until next year’s elections, while 7 percent could not or did not want to answer the question. Altogether 61 percent of the party’s sympathisers support Magyar’s call for early elections.
Nézőpont conducted the survey on the second week of January.
By-election in Tolna 2 today: without real thrills
Today is the by-election in Tolna 2 after the tragic death of the electoral district’s MP, secretary János Árpád Potápi. Since the Tisza Party decided not to run for the seat because even beating Fidesz there would not abolish their supermajority, Orbán’s party is the top favourite. The only question is how many votes they get and how many voters will remain at home answering the call of Magyar’s Tisza Party.
Read also:
Hungarian opposition leader calls for early elections: Péter Magyar’s vision for a united Hungary
Habony’s task was to establish a relationship between the newly-elected Georgian prime minister (and the country’s de facto leader, Bidzina Ivanishvili) and President Trump, but the project was unsuccessful after the Magnitsky sanctions were imposed on Minister Antal Rogán. VSquare’s Szabolcs Panyi wrote that Habony, PM Orbán’s chief spin doctor, worked in Slovakia and Poland, as well, and he also travelled to Florida to network with the Trump team. Habony also played a key part in the Georgian elections last October.
Constitutional crisis in Georgia
Georgia is undergoing a constitutional crisis since President Salome Zourabichvili did not accept her removal by the newly-elected parliament. That comes after the disputed October parliamentary elections when the Georgian Dream (the former President’s previous party) won a majority and modified relevant measures. They placed the election of the president in the power of a parliamentary college of electors.
Hungary’s PM Orbán did not accept the doubts concerning the October elections and travelled to Tbilisi to congratulate Irakli Kobakhidze for his victory. “I congratulate the Prime Minister on his election victory. I look at the debate that has erupted around the election, I have read the assessment by international organisations, and I see that no one dares to question that this election was a free and democratic election. For all the critical comments, no one dares to go that far. And they are right not to do so because we Hungarians also sent observers, we were here, and we saw what happened with our own eyes. Before I came here I studied the reports of the Hungarian observers, which were clearly positive and reported a free and democratic election. I congratulate the Prime Minister on this”, the Hungarian prime minister concluded.
Trump and the Republicans do not like the pro-Russia Georgian PM
However, it seems that PM Orbán’s new Transatlantic allies, President Trump, his team and the Republicans do not share the Hungarian leader’s positive opinion about what happened in Georgia. According to VSquare’s Szabolcs Panyi, it caused outrage in Republican circles that PM Kobakhidze appeared together on a photo with Iranian, Hezbollah, and Hamas leaders. “The same terrorists actively plotted to assassinate Donald Trump and call for the death of America every day. We see you. America will not be fooled”, a Republican Congressman, Joe Wilson, posted on X in the issue.
Therefore, it is not surprising that President Trump did not invite Kobakhidze to his inauguration. Instead, he invited Salome Zourabichvili, who has become a leader of the Georgian political opposition. That is a kind of failure of Árpád Habony, PM Orbán’s spin doctor, whose task was to smooth the new Georgian prime minister’s relationships with the Trump leadership.
Orbán’s spin doctor has helped Georgian Dream for two years
Meanwhile, Habony completed his other task successfully. According to Mr Panyi, he actively contributed to the election victory of the Georgian Dream movement, PM Kobakhidze’s political party.
“Behind the scenes, Orbán’s campaign strategists, particularly his chief spin doctor, Árpád Habony, have been aiding the pro-Kremlin GD government for at least two years, according to sources closely following Georgian politics. These claims were shared with me and German journalist Silvia Stöber, an expert on political developments in Georgia, who collaborated with me on this scoop. Multiple sources confirmed Habony’s frequent presence in Tbilisi, notably at the Sheraton Hotel near the airport and GD’s headquarters,” Panyi wrote on VSquare. Earlier, Habony worked in Slovakia and Poland, aiding Orbán’s local allies, and he also flew to Florida to network with the Trump team.
Will Trump meet the billionaire de facto leader of Georgia?
The new Georgian government turned away from the European Union and put accession talks on hold, sparking severe protests throughout the country. Georgian opposition says the Georgian Dream movement is a pro-Kremlin force.
Additionally, according to recent Georgian media reports, PM Orbán tried to broker a meeting between GD leader and Georgia’s de facto leader, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili and Trump. However, the plan collapsed after the Magnitsky sanctions were imposed on Minister Antal Rogán.
Read also:
Will Hungary make Romania Moscow-dependent by gigantic gas deal? Romanian secret services may join the “game” – read more HERE
The Romanians do not want to buy or even let in Russian gas because they do not want to become dependent on Moscow, Romania’s energy minister, Sebastian Burduja, made his government’s standpoint clear when speaking to Financial Times. Hungarian MVM announced they would buy 68% of German E.ON Energie Romania shares, but it seems the Romanian government will intervene and prevent the transaction due to MVM’s Russian connections. Among others, Hungarian state-owned MVM is the biggest purchaser of Russian gas in Hungary, and they are managing the expansion of the Paks II NPP, built using Russian technology and money.Will MVM’s gigantic gas deal be killed?
Hungarian state-owned MVM’s gigantic gas and electricity deal
After the announcement of the possible acquisition by Hungarian MVM, the Romanian government came under political attacks, which Energy Minister Burduja dismissed by saying that the transaction was incomplete. The Romanian government also issued a new decree that authorised them to reject the deal after a thorough investigation. Burduja promised to conduct such a review on the matter, and, provided they find anything suspicious, block it. To calm citizens, he added that the critical infrastructure was not involved in the transaction.
It seems that MVM wants to close the business ASAP. Based on market information, the cost they offered, allegedly EUR 205 million, for 68% of the Romanian E.ON’s shares, is well over their market price. As a result, local companies like Romgaz, OMV Petrom or Hidroelectrica did not enter the competition. Transtelex added that the MVM purchase had two aims.
First, they would like to get a direct link to Romanian consumers. In the gas market, that would mean supplying 40% of the Romanian customers, while in the electricity market, that rate is 15%. Second, they would like to secure that market for Russian gas. As a result, we can say that the deal is of geopolitical importance for Hungary.
PM Orbán offered to set up a joint committee
The two prime ministers talked about MVM’s possible transaction in Romania when they met in Bucharest last December. Orbán and Ciolacu met two more times last year: in July in Bucharest, and in November in Budapest.
We have no information on what they discussed about the acquisition, but Energy Minister Burduja seems committed to keeping the transaction under his magnifying glass and making it transparent. PM Orbán said the same after meeting with Ciolacu and proposed the setup of a joint committee to oversee the transaction, calm nerves, answer all questions and satisfy additional needs. Burduja told the Financial Times that even Romanian secret services would be involved in the MVM’s risk evaluation process.
Will Hungary make Romania Moscow-dependent by a gigantic gas deal?
Prominent Romanian politicians are concerned due to the possible deal because they believe MVM would supply Russian gas to their Romanian customers, which would make the country dependent on Moscow. Burduja said that a similar investigation baulked the Spanish Talgo acquisition by the Dunakeszi Járműjavító, due to the Hungarian company’s Russian ties.
According to 444.hu, Hungarian state-owned MVM is the biggest Hungarian purchaser of Russian gas, and they manage the Russian expansion of the Paks II NPP, as well. MVM told media outlets that they cooperated with the Romanian authorities but they did not want to make any additional comments on the matter.
Read also:
Romanian PM Ciolacu praises PM Orbán’s efforts concerning Schengen accession
Spain blocks Hungarian Talgo train factory deal over Orbán’s Russia ties
Brussels is the scene of a “battle between the forces of the future and the past”, the communications director of the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrats (KDNP) said on Facebook on Friday.
“Ten days until the pro-peace Donald Trump is inaugurated. The world is about to change,” Tamás Menczer said. “The pro-war, pro-migration and pro-gender forces have lost Washington.”
At the same time, the same forces are still in a majority in Brussels, “and they will concentrate their forces on keeping Brussels, the last bastion,” he said. “The fight between the pro-war, pro-migration and pro-gender forces of the past and pro-peace, pro-security and pro-family Patriots will be fought in Brussels,” Menczer added.
“The Hungarian leftist-liberal opposition from [Democratic Coalition leader] Ferenc Gyurcsány to [Tisza leader] Péter Magyar has lined up behind the forces of the past,” he said.
“Brussels has clearly said what they want: they want the war to continue, they want migrants to be brought in, the gender madness to spread, and Ukraine to swiftly become an EU member. Besides our physical safety, this also puts our economic security at risk,” he said, adding that such goals would also bring about high energy prices and inflation.
“Hungary comes first for us patriots! The alliance of Viktor Orbán and Donald Trump is the future,” Menczer said, adding that the government supported peace, security and families.
Read also:
PM Orbán responds to allegations surrounding his India trip – read more HERE
Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán condemns foiled attack on presidential palace in Chad
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Thursday expressed his concern over the foiled armed attack on the presidential palace in N’Djamena, Chad, the previous night.
“I heard the news of the recent attack in N’Djamena with a heavy heart. This incident is deplorable, violence is not an option. Chad is key to the stability of the whole Sahel region and Hungary stands by its government in its efforts for sovereignty and security,” the prime minister said in his post on X.
PM Orbán and his family arrived in India on 3 January and will stay until mid-January. While some speculated the trip was for health reasons, Orbán clarified it was driven by historical and economic interests.He also shed light on who’s financing his trip and his ties to Krishna Kumar, a Hungarian-based Ayurvedic healer.
PM Orbán in India
As reported earlier HERE, PM Orbán’s private family holiday in Kerala, India, has grabbed attention due to its mix of cultural exploration, luxury, and Ayurvedic treatments. The Hungarian Prime Minister and his wife Anikó Lévai and two daughters arrived in Kochi on 3 January. After staying in Fort Kochi, the family moved on to popular destinations like Munnar and Thekkady. The trip has attracted extra interest due to Orbán’s connection to Ayurveda, where he was seen with Krishna Kumar, a Hungarian-based Ayurvedic healer. The visit has drawn attention not only because of its exclusive nature but also as a sign of growing India-Hungary ties.
Concerns about the price
The cost of the trip has raised some eyebrows, especially as the family is staying at the luxury Fragrant Nature Hotel, where rooms start at around EUR 169 per night. With their stay spanning 12 nights, the total accommodation cost could exceed EUR 4,000, not counting travel and security. While sightseeing and local travel are quite affordable, the overall cost of the trip, including security provided by the state, could add up. Based on PM Orbán’s reported income and savings, the holiday seems within his financial reach, though the exact figures remain speculative, with opposition figures like Ákos Hadházy offering their estimates.
What is he up to in India?
As Index reports, PM Orbán is currently enjoying a holiday in Kerala and is expected to stay until mid-January. The Hungarian Prime Minister has been spotted taking a houseboat trip in Alappuzha, a popular tourist area known for its scenic beauty and houseboat cruises. While in the region, PM Orbán and his family have enjoyed the local delicacies, including carp and prawns, while exploring the Kuttanad river area and Lake Vembanad. Local authorities have implemented heightened security measures for his visit, with PM Orbán also planning to visit the renowned waterfalls at Athirappily and Vazhachal before returning to Hungary on 16 January.
PM Orbán’s response
In an exclusive interview with Blikk, PM Orbán cleared things up regarding his holiday in India. PM Orbán’s holiday in Kerala, India, has sparked speculation about the purpose of his visit, with some questioning whether it’s linked to health reasons, particularly Ayurvedic treatments. However, PM Orbán addressed these claims, stating he is “fit as a fiddle” and dismissed the rumours. He explained that his trip was motivated by both historical interest, following in the footsteps of his favourite explorer Vasco da Gama, and the economic potential of India. Orbán emphasised that the holiday followed Hungary’s EU Presidency, offering him a brief respite before resuming work on foreign policy and the country’s new economic initiatives. He says:
Hungary’s EU Presidency ended on 1 January. I took my leave the next day and we were ready to go.
Despite rumours, PM Orbán made it clear that he was funding the trip himself, and that it was not related to any medical treatments. He also revealed that he had asked Krishna Kumar, an Indian medicine expert who runs a traditional Ayurvedic healing centre in Hungary, to guide him through cultural sights in the region. Orbán further downplayed concerns about his absence, assuring that work was progressing smoothly in his absence, with key responsibilities being handled by his colleagues. The trip is expected to end on 16 January, with Orbán returning to work the following day.
PM Orbán’s private tour of Kerala, India, with his family, has drawn attention for its blend of cultural exploration, Ayurvedic connections, and luxury, raising curiosity about the costs of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s winter getaway.
PM Orbán in India
As we have reported HERE, PM Orbán is reportedly on a private tour in India with his wife, Anikó Lévai, and two of their daughters. According to Indian media, the family arrived on 3 January in Kochi, South India, a city renowned for its historical significance, including being the initial burial site of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama.
After staying in Fort Kochi, they departed for Munnar, a popular tourist destination, and planned to explore other notable locations such as Thekkady, Kumarakom, and Alappuzha before returning on 16 January. According to local news outlets, the visit has garnered attention amidst ongoing Polish-Hungarian tensions, which led to the Hungarian ambassador in Warsaw being declared persona non grata. Indian media highlighted Orbán’s Kerala tour as a reflection of India-Hungary relations.
Ayurvedic healer?
As HVG reports, PM Orbán, currently on a private visit to Kerala, India, was photographed with Krishna Kumar, head of a traditional Ayurvedic healing centre in Hungary, according to independent MEP Ákos Hadházy. Kumar operates the Brahmayurveda Centre in Budapest and Albertirsa, specialising in Ayurveda, a 5,000-year-old Indian medicinal practice. His business, which also organises purification tours in Kerala, is co-owned by Hungarian billionaire György Gattyán, through Docler Holding. While the enterprise has reportedly faced financial challenges, Kumar’s promotional materials claim Ayurveda can cure all diseases. Hadházy highlighted the connection between PM Orbán’s Kerala tour and the origins of Ayurveda, linking the trip to Kumar’s work in Hungary.
Many question the price of the family trip
HVG also writes that PM Orbán’s private visit to Kerala, India, has sparked curiosity about its potential costs. Staying at the luxury Fragrant Nature Hotel, where rooms start at approximately HUF 70,500 (EUR 169.79) per night, and indulging in local Ayurvedic treatments, the family’s accommodation for 12 nights could exceed HUF 1.68 million (EUR 4,045.94), excluding taxes. The Prime Minister, accompanied by his wife Anikó Lévai, two daughters, and a five-member entourage, has been seen exploring Kochi in a convoy of auto rickshaws, visiting notable landmarks like the Mattancherry Palace and Santa Cruz Basilica.
Local guides estimate sightseeing tours in the area to cost as little as HUF 6,237 (EUR 15.02) per person, while a multi-city tour could significantly raise the overall expense. Travel costs add another layer to the holiday’s price tag. Flights from Budapest to Kochi range from HUF 361,000 (EUR 869.55) to over HUF 6.7 million (EUR 16,138.13) for four family members, depending on class and travel duration.
PM Orbán’s income
Given PM Orbán’s monthly net income of around HUF 4 million (EUR 9,635.17), combined with reported savings of HUF 10 million (EUR 24,087.92), these costs are within his means. However, expenses tied to security personnel, covered by state resources, could further increase the total. While Kerala is known for its rich cultural experiences and Ayurvedic heritage, PM Orbán’s trip underscores the exclusivity of such a winter getaway. However, we must note that all these calculations are guesses made by opposition politician Ákos Hadházy and Hungarian news outlets.
Based on an Indian newspaper, the Hungarian prime minister is on a private tour in India with his wife, Anikó Lévai, and two of their daughters. The Indian news outlet writing about the Orbán family’s secret visit to the subcontinent mentioned the Polish-Hungarian tensions due to which the Hungarian ambassador to Warsaw became persona non grata in the Polish capital.
Orbán family in Kochi, South India
According to Manorama Online, a local news outlet, the Hungarian prime minister and part of his family arrived on a private visit to South India’s Kochi, a port city well-known for its shipyard and the fact that Vasco da Gamma was first buried there. As the Wikipedia article of the city points out, the Portuguese explorer was the first European explorer to set sail for India and Kochi hosted its grave until his remains were returned to Portugal in 1539. His burial place, the Saint Francis Church in Fort Kochi, originally built in 1503, is one of the oldest European churches in India. It hosted the grave of the explorer for fourteen years after Vasco da Gamma died in 1524.
We do not know whether PM Orbán and his family visited the church. The prime minister was very active on Facebook before New Year’s Eve, sharing photos showing him working, even between Christmas and the end-of-year festivities. After 29 December, however, he disappeared and shared only one post on 2 January, mourning the death of Ágnes Keleti. The longest-living Olympic Champion died on 1 January, but it took more than 24 hours for the prime minister to react, which is weird, but his visit to India can explain that.
Karela tour started yesterday
According to Manorama Online, PM Orbán arrived in India with his wife, Anikó Lévai and two of their daughters, probably the youngest ones, Róza and Flóra. The Indian news outlet wrote that the family arrived on 3 January in Kochi with a team of five officials.
They stayed in Fort Kochi yesterday and departed for Munnar this morning, which is also called the “Kashmir of South India” and is a popular honeymoon destination. The Orbán family will return from Kochi on the 16th of January after visiting Thekkady, Kumarakom, Alappuzha, Athirapilli, where the “Niagara of India” can be seen, and Vazhachal.
The Indian news outlet mentioned the Polish-Hungarian dispute: the Hungarian ambassador to Warsaw became persona non grata on the opening reception of the Polish EU presidency. We covered that issue in THIS article.
“Viktor Orbán’s Kerala visit highlights India-Hungary relations”, the India news outlet wrote.
Ákos Hadházy, an independent MP of Zugló, Budapest’s 14th district, drew attention to the Orbán family’s surprise visit to India.
Polish Deputy Minister for European Affairs Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka announced that the Hungarian ambassador to Warsaw, István Íjgyártó, was “not welcome” at the opening event of the Polish EU presidency. The Hungarian FM called that pathetic and childish. The Polish “rudeness” seems to be due not to PM Orbán’s standpoint concerning Ukraine or Russia but to internal Polish political clashes.
Poland, a historic ally and friend of Hungary, took the EU presidency from Hungary on 1 January and organised an opening ceremony yesterday evening in Warsaw. However, though they invited the Hungarian ambassador, István Íjgyártó, they added in a diplomatic note that the Hungarian diplomat was not welcome at the event. Though it is not compulsory, Poland did not invite PM Orbán.
Polish opposition party PiS said the Donald Tusk-lead government did not organise an opening event for the EU leaders because, in that case, the president, Andrzej Duda (PiS) would welcome the guests. Former defence minister and current parliamentary group leader Mariusz Błaszczak said PM Duda’s decisions make Poland ridiculous.
Hungarian Opposition Socialists outraged
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s policies go against European values, the opposition Socialists said on Friday, and called on the Hungarian government to respect democratic principles. The fact that Hungary’s ambassador to Poland was not invited to the opening ceremony of Poland’s European Union presidency was a clear rejection of the Hungarian government’s policies, the party said.
PM Szijjártó: pathetic and childish
The decision of Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski is “pathetic and childish”, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said according to a ministry statement on Friday, commenting on Sikorski’s decision to declare the Hungarian ambassador to Poland persona non grata at the opening event of Poland’s EU presidency.
Sikorski sent a diplomatic note to the ambassador on Friday, saying he was “not welcome” at the event. Earlier on Friday, Polish deputy minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka told Polish public media that the ban was linked to Hungary’s decision to grant asylum to Marcin Romanowski, a former Polish deputy justice minister.
Polish-Hungarian clash due to former minister Marcin Romanowski’s asylum in Hungary
The Socialists said that the decision was linked to Hungary having offered political asylum to former Polish Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski who is currently a subject of a procedure on suspicion of corruption in his home country. It added that Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, the deputy minister in charge of EU affairs had said that Hungary’s decision violated the principles of European solidarity and rule of law.
The Socialists said the incident was another example of how the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was undermining common EU values and cooperation between member states.