All posts tagged: Corruption

Magyar hints at ending Hungary’s block on €90B Ukraine loan – POLITICO

Magyar hints at ending Hungary’s block on €90B Ukraine loan – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Ukraine’s coffers, depleted after years of war, would see a huge shortfall if the loan isn’t approved by May. While capitals hoped to resolve the issue at a summit last month, Orbán — alongside Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico — insisted the money could not be disbursed until the flow of oil was guaranteed. Leaders won’t have to meet again to unblock the loan. Magyar signaled the decision could be taken even before his government assumes office, which should take place within the month. Even if Hungary allows the loan to go ahead, it still won’t contribute. “I will discuss with European leaders but I personally agree that Hungary should opt out, Hungary is in a very difficult situation,” Magyar said. “We cannot take out even more loans, the Hungarian budget deficit has tripled since 2010.” Magyar, a former ally of Orbán’s, won a two-thirds parliamentary supermajority in Sunday’s vote, bringing an end to his former boss’ 16 years in office. He has pledged to crack down on corruption and accused the outgoing government of …

Magyar Wants to Take Over as Hungary’s Prime Minister as Early as May 5

Magyar Wants to Take Over as Hungary’s Prime Minister as Early as May 5

Published by Sam Flores

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s election winner, Péter Magyar, called Monday on the country’s president to convene the parliament to form a new government “as quickly as possible,” in hopes that he can take over from Viktor Orbán as prime minister as early as May 5. With an overwhelming new mandate, Magyar pledged to cooperate with other European countries, ending Orbán-era obstruction of Europe-wide policies, while also representing Hungarians’ wishes. At a news conference Monday in Budapest, he promised to restore rule of law and overhaul government structures to make them more independent and able to fight corruption, and to create new ministries to address acute problems in areas like public health, environmental protection and education. He said he opposes fast-track EU membership for Ukraine while the country is still in a war. But he suggested he wouldn’t veto a 90-billion-euro EU loan for Ukraine, as Orbán did, and instead wants Hungary to ″opt out″ of participating in the loan because of its own financial struggles. He didn’t immediately address his eventual relations with U.S. …

Orbán just lost his populist touch – POLITICO

Orbán just lost his populist touch – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

And come what may, Magyar remained laser-focused in his campaigning on bread-and-butter issues while hammering Fidesz over corruption, noting how Orbán’s family, business cronies and inner circle have grown ever richer as ordinary Hungarians have just got poorer.  What really concerned voters — inflation, economic malaise and endemic corruption — all remained front and center in Magyar’s campaign, according to Mátyás Bódi, an election geographer affiliated with Budapest’s Eötvös Loránd University. And they played well for him, explained Bódi, who analyzed raw local polling data from independent pollsters throughout the election campaign. “What drove Orbán’s defeat was the cost of living, lack of economic opportunities and lack of jobs,” Bódi added. Magyar’s messaging about poor public services also resonated. “A key Magyar message was that the country just isn’t working. And if you look at health care, transportation, the education system, for ordinary people the average experience has been one of disrepair and increasing dysfunction.” Capitalizing on voter frustration, Magyar’s promises to build a “modern, European Hungary” appealed not only to young voters but also …

CAF President Motsepe rejects Senegal’s corruption claim amid AFCON fallout | Football News

CAF President Motsepe rejects Senegal’s corruption claim amid AFCON fallout | Football News

Published by Sam Flores

Senegal’s government alleged corruption at African football’s governing body after AFCON title awarded to Morocco. Published On 9 Apr 20269 Apr 2026 The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rejected accusations of corruption by the Senegalese government after the body’s shock decision to strip Senegal of its AFCON title and award it to Morocco. “If anybody wants to initiate legal action alleging that there is corruption in CAF, I don’t only welcome that, I encourage them,” said Patrice Motsepe, speaking in Morocco on Thursday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “There’s nothing to hide. We respect enormously the judicial and legal sovereignty of every single one of our 54 nations on the African continent. “I’m confident that whatever the decision of CAS will say, we will respect it and we will implement it,” he added, referring to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Motsepe’s visit comes at a particularly tense time for CAF following its surprise decision to overturn Senegal’s 1-0 win against host-nation Morocco in the Africa Cup of …

Orbán’s government accuses Facebook of undermining his reelection campaign – POLITICO

Orbán’s government accuses Facebook of undermining his reelection campaign – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Facebook is an important platform in Hungarian politics, and Magyar has regularly used it to appeal to voters and react to events, clocking millions of views with his self-authored posts. While Orbán has 1.6 million followers to Magyar’s 930,000, the latter has received more user engagement in terms of comments and likes: In March, Magyar made 287 posts, generating 14,077,000 interactions — nearly double the 7,868,000 interactions Orbán received from his 342 posts, according to a Telex tally published on April 3. “He speaks the language of the algorithm … and he can keep up with the speed of the news cycle without losing strategic clarity,” said Márton Hajdu, EU affairs chief for Magyar’s Tisza party and one of its parliamentary candidates. Poll of Polls — Hungary national election voting intention For more polling data from across Europe visit POLITICO Poll of Polls. But according to Kovács, Magyar’s success on the social network is due to two different user profiling systems used by Meta, which are putting Orbán at a disadvantage. “The prime minister is …

Pirro’s probe into the Fed’s Powell will be difficult to appeal

Pirro’s probe into the Fed’s Powell will be difficult to appeal

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice, in Washington, D.C., U.S., Aug. 12, 2025. Annabelle Gordon | Reuters Federal prosecutors in Washington are facing a decision that will help determine whether Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is swiftly replaced or lingers on while politicians fight over his replacement. If they do move ahead with a planned appeal against a recent adverse ruling, as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro insists they will, they risk having the investigation bogged down in complex, unsettled law, former federal prosecutors with experience in appellate law say.  “Regardless of the procedural vehicle they choose, the substantive road ahead of them is brutally steep,” said Sean P. Murphy, a former assistant U.S. attorney who has argued before the judge who ruled against Pirro’s probe of Powell and has briefed the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.  The Trump administration’s plans to quickly confirm former Fed official Kevin Warsh as Powell’s replacement are looking increasingly likely to …

IDF conduct in Lebanon plunges Israel-Europe relations to lower depths – POLITICO

IDF conduct in Lebanon plunges Israel-Europe relations to lower depths – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Sánchez also called for the European Union to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel and for Lebanon to be included in the ceasefire between Iran, the U.S. and Israel that was announced on Tuesday evening. His concerns are shared by some at the European Commission, too. Commissioner Hadja Lahbib wrote on X: “Today’s brutal attacks by [Israel] on [Lebanon], which have left more than 100 dead – with the toll still rising – and over 700 wounded, are an outrage.” And it’s not just Israel’s frequent detractors. Numerous European governments have tried to dissuade Israel from pursuing its ground operation in Lebanon. Even countries that didn’t sign up to joint statements, like stalwart Israeli ally Germany, have been critical of the Israeli government in recent weeks. Chancellor Friedrich Merz in March said “annexation measures” in the occupied West Bank would be a “big mistake.” Following the battlefield incidents, both Spain and Italy have talked up relations with Lebanon. While Tajani called up Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Robles met with Hani Chemaitelly, the Lebanese ambassador in Madrid. “The minister …

Orbán’s rival Magyar slams JD Vance’s Hungary visit as election meddling – POLITICO

Orbán’s rival Magyar slams JD Vance’s Hungary visit as election meddling – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

For Orbán — who has ruled Hungary for 16 years and built a system he calls “illiberal democracy” — the visit is a chance to project international support at a critical moment in the campaign. POLITICO’s Poll of Polls shows Fidesz trailing Magyar’s opposition Tisza party. Vance is not the first senior U.S. figure to deploy to Budapest ahead of the election. His trip follows a February visit by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who declared a “golden age” in U.S.-Hungarian relations. The campaign trail has seen controversy and accusations of foreign interference that extend beyond the U.S. Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó acknowledged talking with Russian officials as EU ministers weighed new sanctions, with reports suggesting Budapest sought to weaken measures targeting Russian elites and oil shipments. Meanwhile, a documentary by independent journalists, The Price of a Vote, alleged widespread vote-buying and pressure on voters in rural areas — claims the government has dismissed as politically motivated. Hungary has been in this position before. In 2022, a united opposition was also expected to challenge …

Hungary’s Orbán is selling Christian nationalism. His former pastor isn’t buying it. – POLITICO

Hungary’s Orbán is selling Christian nationalism. His former pastor isn’t buying it. – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

According to Iványi, it was Orbán’s political maneuvering that drove them apart, as the pastor remained committed to progressive liberal values while Orbán moved to the right to consolidate political support. The moment their relationship broke down came during Orbán’s second premiership in 2010, when he asked Iványi to publicly endorse him and have their photo taken together. Iványi refused, as he supported an opposition party. “I was promised extra financial support for that photo,” he said. And when he refused, “I was told [Orbán] was absolutely offended by that.” From then on, Iványi’s Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship — a prominent religious dissident movement he founded under Communism — began facing problems. In 2011, a new church law stripped the congregation of its official church status — a move the congregation is still fighting today, as it helped the authorities stir up financial and legal problems. As a result, the organization now has fewer resources and has had to close some of its schools and shelters. Iványi recalled when a young Orbán, in 1989, stood in …