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 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 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 24 Hungary in the spotlight after Turkey approves Sweden's bid to join NATO By Justin Spike, Associated Press The delay on Tuesday comes as Hungary remains the main hurdle to Sweden's admission into NATO after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan submitted a protocol to Turkey's parliament on Monday to approve its admission. Continue reading
Oct 23 Orbán blasts the EU on the anniversary of Hungary's 1956 anti-Soviet uprising By Justin Spike, Associated Press Orbán accused the EU of seeking to strip Hungary of its identity by imposing a model of liberal democracy that he said Hungarians reject. Continue reading
May 04 At CPAC, Hungary's Viktor Orban decries LGBTQ+ rights, migration By Justin Spike, Associated Press Hungary's populist prime minister has likened liberalism to a "virus" in an opening speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in the Hungarian capital on Thursday. Continue reading
Nov 30 EU recommends blocking billions of euros allocated to Hungary By Samuel Petrequin, Associated Press The European Union's executive branch has recommended that billions of euros in EU funds be withheld from Hungary over its failure to implement solid rule-of-law reforms, a move highlighting lingering divergences between the European partners. Continue reading