All posts tagged: Hungarian politics

Budapest Pride allowed to take place in 2026 – POLITICO

Budapest Pride allowed to take place in 2026 – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Magyar’s predecessor, right-wing prime minister Viktor Orbán, was known for his government’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights. In early 2025, Hungary’s parliament passed legislation that eventually led to the banning of the Budapest Pride parade. Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony, a political rival of Orbán and Green politician, however, found a legal loophole and proceeded with the march last year despite the ban. More than 100,000 people attended, including several European politicians and critics of Orbán’s government. Karácsony was subsequently charged for defying the government ban, but the court suspended proceedings in March. Last month, the EU’s top court struck down the anti-LGBTQ ruling by Orbán’s government. Karácsony welcomed the unbanning of pride parade this year. “This is the right decision. It demonstrates that, despite the suffocating political climate of the past decade and a half, the culture of freedom in Hungary has endured,” he told POLITICO on Friday. “It shows that there are still people with the courage to stand firm. It shows that what is plainly true cannot be obscured by dishonest rhetoric,” he added. …

Von der Leyen to meet Hungarian PM Magyar on Friday – POLITICO

Von der Leyen to meet Hungarian PM Magyar on Friday – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Budapest is seeking to reset strained ties with Brussels after years of confrontation under the ousted former leader Viktor Orbán. Magyar, whose centrist movement swept to victory in Hungary’s election last month, is seeking to unlock billions in EU funds frozen over Budapest’s breaches of EU law under Orbán, who governed the country for 16 consecutive years. Unlocking €10.4 billion in EU post-pandemic recovery funds is the Magyar government’s top priority, Foreign Minister Orbán — no relation of the former leader — told POLITICO. The release of the funds is contingent on Hungary meeting specific reform criteria, the Commission said. Budapest is racing to fulfill the requirements needed to qualify for the cash, which it must formally request by Aug. 31. Magyar has said there’s a “political agreement” on the release of the frozen funds, while a Commission official told POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook on Tuesday that a handful of technical issues remained unresolved. The new Hungarian leader met with von der Leyen in Brussels in April to kick off negotiations for unlocking the cash before the deadline. On Thursday, Magyar will also …

Poland’s fugitive former justice minister can’t rest easy in the US – POLITICO

Poland’s fugitive former justice minister can’t rest easy in the US – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Ziobro is wanted in Poland over the alleged misuse of public funds and the deployment of Pegasus spyware against political opponents. He has consistently denied the charges, calling the investigation a political vendetta from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He arrived in the U.S. earlier this month to work for right-wing Polish broadcaster TV Republika.  Reuters reported on Monday that U.S. Deputy Secretary ​of State Christopher Landau directed senior State Department officials to expedite a U.S. visa for Ziobro. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has close ties to the Law and Justice party. Sikorski said he has expressed Warsaw’s “displeasure” at Ziobro’s presence in the U.S. to American authorities. Ziobro has called the criminal charges against him “fabricated” and said he would fight extradition before a U.S. court rather than return to Poland.  Asked whether Poland would seek extradition, Sikorski said that was a separate process but noted that Warsaw has an extradition treaty with Washington. “The first thing is, of course, whether he’s a journalist, whether he’s entitled to that visa,” the foreign minister …

Former Polish Justice Minister Ziobro reportedly flees to US – POLITICO

Former Polish Justice Minister Ziobro reportedly flees to US – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Fugitive former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro is now in the United States courtesy of a visa from President Donald Trump after fleeing Hungary, local media report. Ziobro had been in Hungary since 2025 after former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán granted the disgraced minister asylum. New Hungarian leader Péter Magyar, however, promised to launch extradition proceedings against Ziobro upon taking office. Ziobro is wanted in Poland over the alleged misuse of public funds and the deployment of Pegasus spyware against political opponents. He has consistently denied the charges, calling the investigation a political vendetta from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Poland’s foreign ministry told local media on Sunday that it had no official information of Ziobro’s whereabouts, adding that his passport had been revoked. Source link

EU hails ‘new chapter’ as Magyar sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister – POLITICO

EU hails ‘new chapter’ as Magyar sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Magyar has vowed a reset with Brussels to try to secure around €10 billion in EU funds frozen as a result of backsliding over human rights and the rule of law in recent years. The center-right Hungarian flew to Brussels for talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week as the new administration scrambles to meet an August deadline to show progress on reforms or risk losing access to the money altogether. Tisza, formed by Magyar in 2020 after he left Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party, won 141 of the 200 available parliamentary seats in April’s nationwide vote, giving the party the two-thirds supermajority required to make constitutional changes. Orbán, along with many of his top allies, has said he will not take his seat in the new parliament, but made an appearance Friday on a Hungarian-language YouTube channel to insist he would face any investigation into his conduct and is innocent of any wrongdoing. However, the departure of Orbán — who had consistently used his veto in the European Council to block …

Péter Magyar’s brother-in-law drops Hungary’s justice minister bid – POLITICO

Péter Magyar’s brother-in-law drops Hungary’s justice minister bid – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The reversal comes less than a week after Magyar publicly defended his decision to appoint his brother-in-law to one of the most powerful posts in the Hungarian government. Calling Melléthei-Barna’s professional competence “unquestionable,” the prime minister-designate argued concerns about nepotism were understandable, but manageable. Magyar also said his sister — who is a sitting judge in the Pest Central District Court — would step down from the bench “to avoid even the appearance of an intertwining of branches of power.” Magyar unveiled his first ministerial picks on April 20, days after ousting Viktor Orbán in Hungary’s April 12 election and ending the nationalist leader’s 16-year grip on power. Following Melléthei-Barna’s withdrawal, Magyar on Friday announced he had nominated Márta Görög, dean of the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences at the University of Szeged, for the justice minister post. The jurist is a regional president of the Hungarian Bar Association and a member of the division of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences specializing in legal matters. Hungary’s new parliament convenes on Saturday for an inaugural …

Magyar defends appointing brother-in-law as justice minister – POLITICO

Magyar defends appointing brother-in-law as justice minister – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The incoming prime minister initially unveiled his first seven ministerial picks in April, only days after defeating Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party and ending his 16-year rule. The rest of his governing team was announced Thursday. Magyar also met with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier this week as he races to unfreeze billions in EU funds blocked over rule-of-law concerns. Officials in Brussels expect Hungary to stay aligned on Ukraine and demonstrate progress on those issues to release the cash. In the video posted on X, Magyar argues that his brother-in-law has been a part of the Tisza movement from the very beginning and that his choice is objective. “I have known him for a long time. My decision was based on his preparedness, his commitment to the rule of law,” he said, adding that his decision was not “a political calculation but the primary one was: Who could represent the program of a functioning and humane Hungary in the most prepared and moral conviction, with unwavering honesty?” “Fidesz has destroyed the rule of …

Orbán relinquishes seat in Hungary’s parliament – POLITICO

Orbán relinquishes seat in Hungary’s parliament – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

In the April 12 parliamentary election, Péter Magyar’s Tisza party scored a supermajority, winning 141 seats out of 199 in the Hungarian national assembly, while Orbán’s Fidesz party came in a distant second with just 52 seats. Orbán said the Fidesz parliamentary grouping will be led by Gergely Gulyás, who has been serving as overseer of the Prime Minister’s Office. Orbán has held a seat in the parliament since 1990, and has led Fidesz throughout that period. He has served as Hungary’s prime minister since 2010. Magyar is expected to be installed as prime minister by parliament in early May. His party’s supermajority in the parliament could facilitate the swift approval of democratic reforms necessary to unlock €17 billion of EU funds that were frozen over rule-of-law shortcomings under Orbán’s tenure. Source link

Orbán’s exit leaves Israel exposed in Europe – POLITICO

Orbán’s exit leaves Israel exposed in Europe – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The push to ramp up pressure on Israel is in focus this week as the EU’s chief diplomat Kaja Kallas presides over a meeting of the Global Alliance for a Two-State Solution as well as at a gathering of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. Ministers are expected to raise the subject of West Bank sanctions and the Association Agreement — although one EU diplomat from a mid-sized EU country and the EU official quoted above said that countries might avoid moving ahead in deference to peace talks between Israel and Lebanon. Tensions ramp up The push to revisit sanctions comes as EU leaders intensify their criticism of Israel over its actions in Lebanon and over a controversial law, backed by Netanyahu, that authorizes the death penalty for terrorists from the Palestinian territories. Kallas blasted the bill — which comes ahead of Israeli elections due later this year — as a “grave regression,” in a statement issued on behalf of the bloc on March 31. Germany, France and the United Kingdom also warned that the law …