Feb 18 Hungarian government declines to meet U.S. senators seeking approval for Sweden’s NATO bid By Justin Spike, Associated Press A bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators has made an official visit to Hungary’s capital to call on the nationalist government to immediately approve Sweden’s request to join NATO. Hungary is the only one of NATO’s 31 members not to have… Continue reading
Feb 17 Embattled Orbán addresses nation a week after Hungary’s president quit in a scandal By Justin Spike, Associated Press Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sought to contain the political fallout of a presidential pardon scandal during an annual state of the nation address on Saturday, his first public appearance since Hungary's president, his ally, resigned a week ago. Continue reading
Feb 12 Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán faces a rare political crisis after president’s resignation By Justin Spike, Associated Press Hungary's long-serving government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán faces a rare political crisis after the president resigned amid public anger over her pardoning of a man convicted in a child sexual abuse case. Continue reading
Feb 10 Hungary’s president resigns after pardoning man convicted in child sexual abuse case By Justin Spike, Associated Press Hungary’s conservative president has resigned amid public outcry over a pardon she granted to a man convicted as an accomplice in a child sexual abuse case, a decision that unleashed an unprecedented political scandal for the long-serving nationalist government. Continue reading
Feb 05 Orbán’s party boycotts a session of Hungary’s parliament to further stall Sweden’s bid to join NATO By Justin Spike, Associated Press The governing Fidesz party, which holds an absolute majority in the Hungarian parliament, has stalled Sweden's bid since July 2022, alleging that Swedish politicians have told "blatant lies" about the condition of Hungary's democracy. Continue reading
Feb 01 EU seals deal for 50 billion-euro aid package for Ukraine, overcoming Hungary’s veto threat By Lorne Cook, Samuel Petrequin, Associated Press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed it as a “very important” decision. His country could receive the first tranche of funds as soon as March, once the European Parliament has endorsed the deal. Continue reading
Jan 25 Turkey formally ratifies Sweden’s NATO membership, leaving Hungary as only ally yet to endorse it By Associated Press Turkey has published a measure approving Sweden's membership in NATO in its official gazette. That finalizes the ratification, bringing the previously nonaligned country a step closer to joining the military alliance. Continue reading
Jan 24 Hungary is the last holdout for Sweden’s NATO membership. So when will Orbán follow Turkey’s lead? By Justin Spike, Associated Press After more than a year of delays, and consistent urging from its Western partners to move forward with Sweden's application, the Central European country and its conservative populist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, are once again in the spotlight. Continue reading
Dec 14 European Union agrees to open membership negotiations with Ukraine By Raf Cassert, Samuel Petrequin, Associated Press The decision represented a stunning reversal for a country at war that had struggled to find the necessary backing for its membership aspirations and long faced opposition from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Continue reading
Oct 26 Live updates: What’s happening in the Israel-Hamas war after Israeli troops briefly enter Gaza By Associated Press Israeli airstrikes have devastated parts of the Gaza Strip, leaving neighborhoods in rubble and hospitals struggling to treat masses of wounded with diminishing resources. Continue reading