Aletho News

ΑΛΗΘΩΣ

German Chancellor Merz threatens to cut EU funding for Hungary and Slovakia

By Thomas Brooke | Remix News | May 27, 2025

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned that the European Union could withhold even greater funds from Hungary and Slovakia if they refuse to adhere to the values imposed upon member states by Brussels.

Speaking at the WDR Europaforum on Monday, Merz said, “Member states that violate the rule of law can face infringement procedures, and there is always the possibility of withdrawing European funds. If necessary, we will take care of it.”

“We cannot allow the decisions of the entire EU to depend on a small minority,” he added, in a thinly veiled attack on the nationalist-led governments in Bratislava and Budapest. Both countries have already seen parts of their EU funding frozen over legal and political disputes with Brussels.

His remarks come as Hungary faces renewed criticism over a bill targeting foreign-funded NGOs and media, while Slovakia, under Prime Minister Robert Fico, has raised alarm in Brussels following his recent visit to Moscow and long-held opposition to further European intervention in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.

Following the trip, Brussels ramped up pressure on Slovakia with the arrival of a delegation of Members of the European Parliament from the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT), led by Czech MEP Tomáš Zdechovský, to investigate alleged misuse of European subsidies.

Slovak Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok has dismissed the delegation’s visit as a politically motivated “punitive expedition” orchestrated by Brussels, accusing Eurocrats of defamation. “A carefully selected group is coming here with the aim of presenting Slovakia in Brussels as a black hole on the map of Europe,” he claimed.

Skepticism over Brussels’ approach to the war in Ukraine has been a point of contention in Hungary and Slovakia for the duration of the conflict, and Merz expressed his intention to advocate for punitive measures against the two member states should they seek to block European support to Kyiv.

“We will not be able to avoid this conflict with Hungary and Slovakia if we continue on this course,” Merz said.

Last month, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accused Brussels of conspiring with his country’s political opposition to bring about a change in government, remarks made after Hungarian left-wing MEP Kinga Kollár acknowledged the devastating effect that the withholding of EU funds for Hungary has caused, caveating her remarks by stating that “the deteriorating standard of living has actually strengthened the opposition and I am very positive about the ’26 elections.”

“They agreed to destroy the Hungarian economy, the Hungarian healthcare system, and to destroy the living standards of Hungarians, in order to help the Tisza party come to power,” Orbán said of the European Commission.

In response to Merz’s remarks, Hungarian Economy Minister Márton Nagy said on Monday that Budapest should reconsider its overdependence on trade with Berlin.

May 27, 2025 Posted by | Economics, Russophobia | , , | Leave a comment

MEPs urge Brussels to cut all funding for Budapest

RT | May 23, 2025

Over 20 members of the European Parliament have urged the European Commission to immediately freeze all EU funding to Hungary as a means of putting pressure on Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government. The demand comes as the bloc’s foreign ministers prepare to weigh potential sanctions, including a suspension of Budapest’s voting rights.

In a letter sent Tuesday to Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin and Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath, 26 MEPs accused Hungary of “violating EU values and EU laws.” They cited four specific actions, including a March law that effectively bans pride parades in Hungary, a move consistent with Orban’s rejection of “LGBT ideology.”

The lawmakers also blasted proposed Hungarian legislation that would tighten oversight of political organizations receiving foreign funding, which critics argue would suppress “civil society.”

The MEPs alleged that Budapest’s policies indicate that all EU funding for Hungary risks being misused and that a full freeze would be “proportionate” under the circumstances.

Hungarian MEP Csaba Domotor pushed back against the accusations, arguing that the targeted organizations serve foreign interests with grants they receive from the EU, George Soros’ Open Society Foundation, and the recently defunded US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Hungary has repeatedly faced EU criticism for its conservative social policies, which don’t align with the bloc’s pro-LGBT agenda, and regulations requiring more transparency from foreign-funded organizations.

Budapest has also clashed with Brussels over support for Kiev and anti-Russian sanctions. Orban has warned that admitting Ukraine into the European Union risks drawing the bloc into the ongoing military conflict and called the European Commission’s plans to end all imports of Russian energy by the end of 2027 “absolute insanity.”

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has said that such a move would sharply increase energy prices across the EU, seriously undermine member states’ national sovereignty, and harm European businesses.

Some EU officials, including Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, have advocated for stronger action, such as triggering Article 7 of the EU Treaty to strip Hungary of its voting rights. Relevant proceedings against Hungary were launched in 2018.

The EU’s General Affairs Council, which is comprised of foreign and European affairs ministers from member states, is scheduled to discuss Hungary’s Article 7 case for the eighth time next Tuesday, according to the official agenda.

May 23, 2025 Posted by | Aletho News | , | Leave a comment

Hungary’s new sovereignty law: A firm stand against foreign influence

By Zoltán Kovács – About Hungary – May 14, 2025

On May 13, 2025, a new bill titled “On the Transparency of Public Life” was submitted to the Hungarian parliament. The proposal comes at a critical time when national sovereignty and democratic self-determination face mounting pressures from global influence networks. This legislation marks a significant step in Hungary’s commitment to shielding its public life from covert foreign interference.

The bill was introduced in response to escalating concerns about foreign-funded organizations and their involvement in shaping Hungary’s political discourse. Investigations and public disclosures in recent years have revealed that millions of dollars, primarily from American and Brussels-based entities, were funneled into Hungarian civil society groups and media outlets with clear ideological agendas. The government argues that these funds have been used not to strengthen democracy, but to distort it, aiming to manipulate voter sentiment and policy outcomes to suit external interests.

At the core of the proposed law is a simple but powerful principle: Democratic decision-making must reflect the will of the Hungarian people, not that of foreign powers or their proxies. The bill asserts that public life, including political activity and discourse, must be free from the influence of foreign financial resources. It expands the definition of foreign-funded influence to cover all legal entities and civil organizations whose activities, backed by external support, target national decision-making processes including elections, legislative debates, and public opinion shaping.

Just as the United States began cleaning house, freezing USAID funding, and initiating a major restructuring after widespread scandals, Hungary is also taking decisive steps to defend its democracy from covert political influence.

The legislation introduces a registry system for entities that engage in such activities. If passed, the Sovereignty Protection Office will identify organizations whose foreign-funded efforts jeopardize Hungary’s constitutional values. These organizations will be listed, required to obtain state approval before receiving any foreign support, and their leaders have to file public asset declarations. Violations, such as accepting funds without approval, can lead to fines of up to 25 times the value of unauthorized support, or even a ban on further public engagement.

Crucially, the bill builds upon overwhelming public support. A recent national consultation revealed that over 98 percent of respondents back stronger measures to defend Hungary’s sovereignty and oppose foreign political influence. These figures highlight a deep societal consensus: that Hungary’s future must be determined by Hungarians alone.

Far from restricting legitimate civic activity, the bill aims to restore transparency and accountability in the political process. Just as political parties are banned from receiving foreign funds under EU rules, non-party actors should be subject to scrutiny when their operations affect public decision-making.

In today’s geopolitical climate, defending sovereignty is no longer a theoretical concern, it is a practical necessity. Hungary’s new legislation sets a precedent in protecting democratic institutions from external manipulation and reaffirms the nation’s right to self-governance.

If passed, this bill will be more than just a legal reform—it will be a declaration that in Hungary, democracy belongs to the people, not to foreign financiers.

May 14, 2025 Posted by | Corruption | | Leave a comment

Heating costs for Hungarian families could triple under EU plans to ban Russian gas, think tank warns

By Thomas Brooke | Remix News | May 13, 2025

Heating bills for Hungarian households could rise by as much as three and a half times if the European Union moves forward with a full ban on Russian natural gas imports, according to a new report by the Századvég Institute, as cited by Magyar Hírlap.

The economic research group estimates such a move would impose nearly HUF 1,100 billion (approximately €2.8 billion) in additional annual costs on Hungary, putting severe pressure on both the country’s energy system and its citizens.

According to Századvég, their calculations — based on publicly available domestic and international energy data — show that a total ban on Russian energy imports would result in a doubling of gas prices and heightened volatility on European energy markets. This would not only harm the EU’s competitiveness but also destabilize Hungary’s long-standing utility bill reduction program, which currently ensures some of the lowest heating costs in Europe for Hungarian families.

Earlier this month, the European Commission published a roadmap outlining its intention to wean European nations off Russian gas before a wholesale ban came into effect by the end of 2027.

“No more will we permit Russia to weaponize energy against us… No more will we indirectly help fill up the [Kremlin’s] war chests,” European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jorgensen told reporters.

The move, however, faces stiff opposition from several nations still heavily reliant on Russia for their imports and unsure of where alternative energy sources will be found for an acceptable price.

In addition to Hungary, Slovakia is also holding firm against the plans. Prime Minister Robert Fico said earlier this week he would veto the move in the European Council if need be.

“A halt of gas supplies will cause instability. Our petrochemical plants were set up to use Russian oil for oil refining, and the shutdown may cause technological problems. I hope that our EU partners will learn about this when legal acts are adopted,” Fico said.

“If it is necessary for all 27 countries to agree, we will use our veto power,” he added.

Currently, Hungary imports around 4.5 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually through a long-term supply contract, which covered more than half of the country’s total gas consumption last year.

Replacing this volume on international markets, the institute notes, would cost Hungary an estimated HUF 660 billion more. When including Russian gas delivered to Hungary by alternative routes, the shortfall reaches 7.5 billion cubic meters, raising the potential total impact to HUF 1,100 billion annually.

The institute highlighted that Hungarian households today pay an average of HUF 176,900 (around €435) per year for heating, thanks to state price regulations. Without these protections and based on current exchange rates, that figure would nearly double to HUF 355,310. If Russian gas were banned outright, average heating costs could skyrocket to HUF 625,000 (€1,540) — more than three and a half times the current average.

Századvég recalled that the EU’s reliance on Russian gas fell from 40 percent before the war in Ukraine to below 20 percent in 2023. This dramatic shift led to a doubling of gas prices on the Dutch energy exchange. Under the European Commission’s new strategy, prices could rise from €35 to €70 per megawatt hour, according to the think tank’s projections. They warned, however, that actual increases could be even steeper due to market instability triggered by supply shocks.

The report also emphasized the cumulative effect of EU sanctions on Hungarian households. Since 2022, Századvég estimates that higher energy prices, loss of export markets, and increased borrowing costs have drained HUF 2.2 million (€5,430) from the average Hungarian household. The direct financial cost of Ukraine’s accelerated EU accession process would add HUF 458,000 annually, while a ban on Russian gas could tack on another HUF 448,000.

“Brussels’ three highest priority objectives — arming Ukraine, accelerating EU accession, and banning Russian energy — would impose unbearable burdens on Hungarian families,” the Századvég Institute concluded on its website.

May 13, 2025 Posted by | Economics, Russophobia | , | Leave a comment

Hungary Prepares for Battle Over EU’s Plan to Phase Out Russian Energy

Sputnik – 09.05.2025

The EU executive is considering bypassing Hungary in the vote on its plan to phase out Russian energy imports by relying on a “qualified majority,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday.

“We need to gather allies, to prepare legally. There really is a plan to bypass a unanimous decision and pass it by a qualified majority,” Orban told Kossuth Radio.

Hungary is gearing up for an uphill battle in the coming weeks and months to ensure that Hungarian households are not forced to pay twice as much for power and utilities, Orban said.

Orban estimated that Hungary would have to pay about 2 billion euros ($2.23 billion) more for energy than it does now if the European Commission gets its plan to abandon Russian energy imports adopted by the Council of the European Union.

A qualified majority requires at least 15 out of 27 EU member states representing at least 65% of the total EU population to support the proposal.

On Tuesday, the Commission presented a project on ending Russian energy imports to the EU by the end of 2027. The Commission intends to submit a legislative proposal in June to ban all imports under new Russian gas contracts and existing spot contracts. This ban could come into effect by the end of 2025. Remaining imports of pipeline gas and LNG from Russia under long-term contracts could stop by the end of 2027.

May 9, 2025 Posted by | Economics, Russophobia | , | Leave a comment

‘Scandal!’ – Hungary’s Orbán reacts to von der Leyen’s call to fast-track Ukraine membership in the EU

Remix News | May 8, 2025

According to EU commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Ukraine should be given more money and its accession to the EU should be accelerated. In response, Orbán called her policies a “scandal.”

“Ukraine gets money and weapons, and European taxpayers foot the bill,” said Orbán, who responded to von der Leyen’s speech on X.

EU support for Ukraine was discussed at the plenary session of the European Parliament on Wednesday.

In her speech, von der Leyen highlighted three critical points, saying Ukraine needs more weapons, that energy dependence on Russia needs to be ended, and that Ukraine’s ascension process into the EU should be accelerated.

Orbán is making a full-court press against von der Leyen’s speech, highlighting the threat Ukraine also poses to EU agriculture. He notes that Ukraine controls 40 percent of the arable land in Europe, which would result in the EU market being flooded with cheap crops.

Europe has already flooded Ukraine with tens of billions in taxpayer money, yet the EU wants to continue sending billions to the country, even as inflation has eaten into citizens’ pocketbooks.

Hungarian MEP András László wrote in a response that the most obvious reason for keeping Ukraine out of the EU is that a war is still raging between the country and Russia. However, rebuilding Ukraine will cost tens of billions, with some estimates going as high as hundreds of billions. With many EU nations already facing massive debt burdens, allowing Ukraine to enter the EU would perhaps be the greatest financial folly the bloc has ever partaken in.

May 8, 2025 Posted by | Economics | , | Leave a comment

‘Absolute insanity’ – Hungary slams EU plan to halt Russian energy imports

RT | May 7, 2025

The European Commission’s plan to completely phase out Russian fuel imports violates the sovereignty of EU member states by depriving them of the right to choose their energy sources, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.

Brussels has outlined plans to end the bloc’s energy reliance on Moscow by completely eliminating imports of oil, gas, and nuclear fuel in the coming years.

Hungary obtains over 80% of its gas from Russia via pipeline, with LNG playing a supplementary role. Budapest has continued to strengthen its energy ties with Moscow despite the sanctions introduced by the EU in the wake of the Ukraine conflict.

“The forced, artificially ideological-based exclusion of natural gas, crude oil, and nuclear fuel originating from Russia will lead to severe price increases in Europe, seriously harming the sovereignty of European countries, and cause major difficulties for European companies,” Szijjarto said in a video he shared on his Facebook page on Tuesday, adding that “what was announced is absolute insanity.”

“Everyone in Brussels has lost their common sense,” the foreign minister exclaimed, emphasizing that Budapest would not allow the European Commission (EC) to violate Hungary’s sovereignty and would “uphold the right to source energy from where it reliably arrives and where it arrives at a low cost.”

Earlier in the day, the EC published a “roadmap” outlining its ambitious strategy to end reliance on Russian energy by the end of 2027. The bloc’s executive branch said it would propose legislation in June requiring all member states to draft “national plans” to terminate their imports of Russian gas, nuclear fuel, and oil.

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico also criticized the plan, calling the proposal “economic suicide.” He added that Slovakia would push for changes in the legislative process.

Brussels announced its intention to wean EU members off Russian energy shortly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Supplies of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) have since replaced much of the cheaper pipeline gas previously delivered by Russia.

Although Russian pipeline gas supplies to the EU have plummeted, the bloc has been increasing its imports of LNG from the sanction-hit nation. Last year, Russia still accounted for around 19% of the EU’s total gas and LNG supply, according to the EC.

May 7, 2025 Posted by | Economics, Russophobia | , , | Leave a comment

Interpol rejects ‘red notice’ for Polish MP who sought asylum in Hungary

Marcin Romanowski’s arrest (Source: X@Magda Grajnert, RMF, video picture grab).
Remix News | April 22, 2025

Marcin Romanowski, former deputy minister of justice and PiS MP, will not be covered by Interpol’s red notice. According to Salon24, notwithstanding an earlier request to supplement its file on Romanowski, Interpol rejected the application of the Polish prosecutor’s office for a red notice.

The Polish MP is suspected of participation in an organized criminal group and defrauding Poland’s Justice Fund, accusations he has denied. He was granted asylum in Hungary in December last year, with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán saying, “This is a legal process, not a political decision.”

Hungary, however, in its decision stated that it had found evidence that the charges against Romanowski were politically motivated, enough to determine he would not stand a fair trial in Poland. This marked the first time an EU member state offered asylum to a Polish politician since the fall of communism.

The MP had been arrested in July but was released due to his immunity as a member of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly. The current justice minister, Adam Bodnar, then called on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to revoke Romanowski’s immunity, which it did in October.

Although rulings by both a district and regional court in Poland subsequently upheld his immunity, Romanowski is wanted by Polish authorities, with a European Arrest Warrant and a European Investigation Order both issued against him.

Failing to secure a red notice from Interpol, the Polish government says it is pursuing other options.

A red notice is given to criminals classified as the most dangerous. Only four wanted Poles have such a designation so far: Kamil Żyła, wanted for the murder of a TVN journalist in the Silesian Park in Chorzów in 2022; Jakub Jakus, accused of participating in the terrorist organization ISIS, illegal possession of weapons and theft of documents; Krzysztof Pomorski, wanted for distributing child pornography; and Rafał Zabłocki, listed on the Interpol list for serious crimes.

April 22, 2025 Posted by | Civil Liberties | , | Leave a comment

Serbia, Hungary sign military agreement in response to Croatia’s Tripartite Pact

By Ahmed Adel | April 3, 2025

Hungary and Serbia signed a military agreement following the joint declaration of cooperation on defense by Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo on March 18 in Tirana. With military alliances forming in the Balkans and the Kosovo issue remaining unresolved, the potential for war in the region continues to increase.

The defense ministers of Serbia and Hungary, in the presence of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, signed a Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan for 2025 on April 1. Vučić stated that the agreement on joint activities will continue to develop further, leading to rapprochement and potentially a military alliance between Serbia and Hungary.

“We aim to forge the closest strategic relations in the field of defense, and we believe that this agreement on joint activities will pave the way for a military alliance or union between Serbia and Hungary,” the Serbian leader emphasized.

It is pivotal for Serbia to establish regional military partnerships, considering its rivalry with Croatia and Albania, as well as its loss of authority over its sovereign territory, Kosovo, an Albanian separatist state with partial recognition.

The Tripartite Pact, signed between the rivals of Serbia, states that its focus is on “strengthening the defense and security industry, increasing military interoperability through joint training and exercises, countering hybrid threats, and strengthening strategic security, as well as supporting Euro-Atlantic integration.” They also announced that the pact was also open to other countries, such as Bulgaria. In this way, it is evident that the Tripartite Pact is attempting to surround Serbia fully.

Serbian Minister of Defense Bratislav Gašić stated that the signing of a Tripartite Pact by Croatia, Albania, and the “so-called Kosovo” is a “provocative move that undermines efforts to strengthen regional security.”

“By taking steps that undermine regional stability, these two countries, together with the illegitimate representative of the provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina, have initiated actions that pose a serious risk to peace and security in the region,” a Serbian Foreign Ministry press release reads.

According to Vučić, the pact was a “violation of the Agreement on Sub-Regional Arms Control” signed by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia in 1996.

For this reason, the signing of the military agreement between Serbia and Hungary is a significant development for Belgrade, particularly given that the latter is a member of both NATO and the European Union. It also demonstrates that Serbia is capable of responding to the provocative alliance between Croatia, Albania, and Pristina.

Serbia and Hungary initiated concrete military cooperation last year, with Hungary purchasing ammunition and all related military equipment from Serbia. On the other hand, Serbia acquired a self-propelled missile system from Hungary and 56 Russian-made armored personnel carriers.

What is also hinted at in the future within this alliance is cooperation between helicopter crews, as they will be using identical helicopters. With further purchases of these aircraft, Serbia and Hungary will have a unified fleet.

Apart from equipment and military technology, the question hanging in the air is whether this alliance possesses defensive characteristics and, if so, what kind. The agreement provides for mutual assistance in the event of some issues.

Meanwhile, Croatia is a member of both NATO and the EU, whereas Albania is a member of NATO.

Given that Hungary is also a member of NATO and the EU, it raises the question on whether Serbia is moving closer to NATO in this way, but it could also be noted that Hungary is looking for a way to distance itself from that military alliance, especially considering that both Serbia and Hungary have good relations with Moscow and there is not much trust among NATO pact members.

The EU has initiated a process to establish military alliances in parallel with the NATO pact, as it no longer trusts the NATO pact itself and is concerned about the uncertainty brought about by US President Donald Trump’s policies, which could lead to the alliance’s collapse.

Also, certain military alliances are being formed within Europe independently of NATO, such as the one between France and Greece, in response to Turkey’s increasingly belligerent behavior despite all three countries being NATO members. Nonetheless, the emerging alliance between Hungary and Serbia is a military-technical cooperation.

Croatia has a significant and historical rivalry with Serbia. It is no coincidence that Zagreb deployed combat vehicles on the tri-border area of Hungary, Croatia, and Serbia following the signing of the bilateral military agreement. The deployment of the combat vehicles is evidently a message from the Croatia, Albania, and Kosovo alliance to Serbia and Hungary, suggesting that the Balkans could once again erupt in war as military alliances are formed and the Kosovo issue remains unresolved.

Ahmed Adel is a Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher.

April 3, 2025 Posted by | Militarism | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Serbian president hails budding ‘military alliance’ with NATO maverick

RT | April 2, 2025

Hungarian Defense Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky visited Belgrade on Tuesday to sign a roadmap outlining 79 joint military activities between Hungary and Serbia for this year. According to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, the two countries are edging closer to a “military alliance.”

Both Serbia and Hungary have been challenging the prevailing Western consensus regarding the Ukraine conflict and relations with Russia.

The Serbian leader also expressed gratitude to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for his role during NATO’s military intervention in the Balkans in 1999, stating that Orban’s influence helped prevent “a land attack against what was then Yugoslavia.”

“A full 26 years later, the two parties now have the opportunity to build extremely close strategic ties, to further deepen cooperation, coming closer to a Hungarian-Serbian military alliance,” Vucic remarked.

Orban first served as prime minister from 1998 to 2002. Hungary joined NATO in March 1999, weeks before the bombing campaign commenced.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky voiced support for Serbia’s EU aspirations, asserting that Brussels’ enlargement plans should include the entire West Balkans. His statement contradicted EU leaders’ demands for Belgrade to align its foreign policy with Western nations against Russia before its candidacy would be considered.

Both Hungary and Serbia remain skeptical of the bloc’s confrontational approach toward Russia. Orban has accused Brussels of harming the EU economy through sanctions on Russia while supporting a conflict that Kiev is unable to win. Vucic has pledged to resist Brussels’ pressure, citing Serbia’s historic ties with Russia as a foundation for their relationship.

Last month, Kosovo, the Serbian region that broke away after the NATO intervention, entered a trilateral defense agreement with Albania and Croatia. Vucic has condemned those nations for allegedly breaching previous security agreements and possibly going over the head of the NATO leadership in signing the deal.

April 2, 2025 Posted by | Aletho News | , , , , | Leave a comment

Orbán counters FT article telling the EU to ‘solve its Orbán problem’

Remix News | April 1, 2025

The Financial Times’ piece entitled “It’s time for the EU to solve its Orbán problem” has elicited a stern response from Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán.

The piece determines that the EU must support Ukraine’s fight against Russia and provide it with arms to do so. And to do this, it must also somehow get Hungary on board, despite the country repeatedly reiterating its pro-peace stance.

Author Mujtaba Rahman states, “The EU’s ability to do this is directly compromised by Orbán, who has been hugely emboldened by Trump’s return. The Hungarian prime minister keeps in lockstep with Trump and Putin in the hope of winning favours from both.”

Rahman then lists “levers” the bloc can pull to essentially force Hungary’s hand, primarily through the withholding of cash the country desperately needs due to what the author calls Hungary’s “stagnant economy.”

“EU funds are therefore critical if Orbán is to boost investor confidence in the country’s economy. The European Commission has leverage and should use it,” the piece reads. Rahman also suggests simply suspending Hungary’s voting rights.

The article ends by stating, “The EU is now facing a Darwinian moment. It will either adapt or die. To protect Ukraine and its Russian ‘frontline’ states, it must face down Orbán.”

In a response posted on X, Orbán wrote, “The Financial Times is right about one thing: Europe has arrived at a Darwinian moment. They want to change the EU from a peace project to a war project. This is not evolution, this is decay. We must resist, even if they want to punish us.”

April 1, 2025 Posted by | Civil Liberties, Economics, Militarism | , | Leave a comment

Hungarian FM says that Budapest will continue to veto Ukraine’s accession to the EU

Remix News | March 24, 2025

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó reiterated on his Facebook wall on Saturday that his government will continue to use its veto to prevent talks aimed at Ukraine’s accession to the European Union from moving forward.

Under EU law, the issue of accepting new states into the bloc must be decided unanimously by all current members.

Hungary’s opposition is based on Ukraine’s treatment of the Hungarian population of Transcarpathia, in the country’s southwest. Transcarpathia was originally part of the Hungarian Kingdom, but after being detached from its mother country by the victorious Allies following World War I, it was eventually attached to Ukraine by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Approximately 150,000 ethnic Hungarians still live in the region.

Since the Maidan revolution that overthrew the Ukrainian government in February 2014, the country’s successive governments have passed legislation targeting ethnic minorities, including the Hungarians, as previously reported by Remix News. Laws have been passed making it mandatory for the Ukrainian language to be used in all matters of state as well as education. Other forms of harassment have occurred as well, such as the removal of Hungarian symbols from public buildings.

Budapest has continually protested these moves by Kyiv, using them as the rationale behind the fierce opposition of Viktor Orbán’s government to the EU’s flow of aid and support to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s regime since the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022.

“Today, I discussed on the phone with my new Austrian colleague [Minister for European and International Affairs Beate Meinl-Reisinger, who took office earlier this month] the constant violations of the rights of the Hungarian community in the Transcarpathian region in relation to the efforts toward Ukraine’s integration,” Szijjártó wrote. “The situation remains that the Ukrainian government, despite constant promises and nice words, has not returned the minority rights that have been taken away from the Hungarian community since 2015,” he continued.

After stressing that Ukraine’s actions are “unacceptable” and run “totally contrary to common European rules and values,” the foreign minister added that “as long as this sad situation persists, there can be no progress with regard to the negotiations aimed at Ukraine’s accession to the EU.”

Sweden’s embassy in Ukraine tweeted on Sunday that the country’s Minister for European Union Affairs Jessica Rosencrantz, along with her counterparts from the Baltic countries, have asked the European Commission to come up with proposals on how Hungary’s veto can be bypassed in order to allow Ukraine to join.

“Hungary should not slow down Ukraine’s EU membership negotiations,” the tweet said.

March 24, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Progressive Hypocrite | , , , , , | Leave a comment

« Previous Entries     Next Entries »