All posts tagged: Rule of Law

How Viktor Orbán laid traps to stop his successor from running Hungary – POLITICO

How Viktor Orbán laid traps to stop his successor from running Hungary – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The constitutional court is a prime example of how Orbán can make life difficult for Magyar, as Fidesz has appointed all of its 15 justices, including a former Fidesz defense minister. The Curia, Hungary’s supreme court, is headed by András Varga, who was appointed by the Fidesz-controlled parliament. Any laws a Magyar government attempts to pass could fall foul of the top courts. “Because of the partiality of the Supreme Court or at least its president, and the constitutional court, this will be a very difficult battle for Tisza,” said Adrienn Laczó, a former judge who resigned in November 2024 in protest over the lack of judicial independence. Additionally, Orbán’s lawmakers in December strengthened the veto power of President Sulyok, who was appointed in 2024 for a five-year term. Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok (center) inspects a military honour guard during a flag-hoisting ceremony in front of the parliament in Budapest, on March 15, 2026. | Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images “Orbán has been worst-scenario planning in case he’s defeated,” said Kim Lane Scheppele, a constitutional …

EU wants Hungary’s next leader to support Ukraine. It should be so lucky. – POLITICO

EU wants Hungary’s next leader to support Ukraine. It should be so lucky. – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

On Ukraine, he hasn’t framed Kyiv as an enemy — but has studiously avoided any positive appraisals, knowing they would play badly at the ballot box. That’s because anti-Ukrainian sentiment is deeply rooted in Hungary. According to an autumn 2025 poll by the Policy Solutions think tank, half of Hungarians consider Ukraine dangerous for Hungary, while 64 percent oppose Ukraine’s EU accession and 74 percent believe the Hungarian government shouldn’t send financial aid to Kyiv. Notably, Zelenskyy is one of the most hated politicians in the country, level with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Péter Magyar really doesn’t have big room for maneuver on Ukraine,” said Policy Solutions Director András Biró-Nagy. Orbán’s anti-Ukraine campaigning via Fidesz-aligned media over the last four years has sharply eroded support for Kyiv, he explained. “On Ukraine, there was no competing narrative … Magyar tries to avoid the issue because he thinks this is a lost cause; he cannot turn it around.” During the Tisza-organized National Day events in March, a big Ukraine flag was unfurled among the crowd in protest. …

Tensions surge in final stretch of Hungarian election – POLITICO

Tensions surge in final stretch of Hungarian election – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“Independent and critical outlets operate alongside a much larger pro-government media sector,” the report read. Kovács dismissed the OSCE’s concerns, calling its warnings of government influence over the media a “political opinion” and casting doubt on the credibility of its findings. As the campaign intensifies and polls continue to suggest that the opposition Tisza Party could win, analysts warn that both Tisza and the ruling Fidesz may clash after election night and challenge the result. Veteran election observer Péter Kramer, who has over 16 years of experience observing elections on behalf of the EU, warned the growing presence of parallel missions could muddy the waters. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there were disingenuous observers,” he said, noting that politically aligned groups increasingly deploy missions to shape the narrative after the vote. “It’s an international trend.” An organization closely linked to Fidesz, the Civic Cooperation Forum, has called on U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, which promotes global conflict resolution, to deploy an election observation mission ahead of the April 12 vote. Meanwhile, a conservative …

5 ways the EU could cope with Hungary if Orbán wins again  – POLITICO

5 ways the EU could cope with Hungary if Orbán wins again  – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has floated the increased use of enhanced cooperation among willing member states to bypass unanimity in areas such as competitiveness. Speaking at an EU leaders’ retreat in the Belgian countryside in February, she said: “Our ambition should always be to reach agreement among all 27 member states. However, where a lack of progress or ambition risks undermining Europe’s competitiveness or capacity to act, we should not shy away from using the possibilities foreseen in the treaties under enhanced cooperation.” Why it might not work: While Hungary has opted out of Ukraine-related financial arrangements, alongside Czechia and Slovakia, it continues to block these efforts. On the Ukraine loan, for example, one of the bills that needs approval before the cash can be disbursed requires the agreement of all member countries. “In cases of very urgent need, this can be a vehicle, but in the end it still comes back to a decision by all 27,” one senior diplomat said.  Two other diplomats were critical of these restricted formats, saying they should …

Talks on EU’s €1.8T budget hinge on Hungarian election – POLITICO

Talks on EU’s €1.8T budget hinge on Hungarian election – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Given the Hungarian leader’s success in remaining in power, 10 EU officials and diplomats, all granted anonymity to speak freely with POLITICO, outlined what they see as the worst-case scenario: Orbán securing a fourth term and derailing budget negotiations. “We are not in a rush, so if we win the elections, then we certainly don’t see the need to rush the agreement on the MFF through by the end of 2026,” said Hungarian Minister for European Affairs János Bóka. During negotiations to date, the Hungarian government has called for the links between EU payments and respect for democratic standards to be dismantled. Those standards, however, are a key priority for wealthy Northern European countries, whose contributions to the EU budget largely exceed the payouts they receive in return. “One can easily imagine how a discussion on the rule of law will be more difficult if a government [led by Viktor Orbán] that has had the most difficulties and recorded breaks of the rule of law stays in power,” said Jan Szyszko, Poland’s deputy minister for …

Macron ally under pressure over rule of law concerns – POLITICO

Macron ally under pressure over rule of law concerns – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Four people within the institution confirmed to POLITICO that Ferrand had decided to fire Bretonneau. “Differences of opinion” between Ferrand and Bretonneau had emerged in recent months, particularly “on the role of the law”, said two of the officials, who were granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue. According to one of the officials, the disagreements between Ferrand and Bretonneau reached their peak near the end of last year when, amid a spiralling budgetary crisis, the government contemplated the possibility of passing fiscal legislation via executive action. Bretonneau sent out an internal memo arguing that a budget passed by the government through executive action could not include amendments on what had already been drafted, a ruling that would have tied the government’s hands during a period of tense negotiations with opposition parties. She also argued that the Constitutional Council did not have the authority to review the legislation. Her conclusions reportedly upset Ferrand. Source link

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni loses referendum – POLITICO

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni loses referendum – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

A loss in the referendum will probably weaken the right-wing prime minister’s hand politically, most critically ahead of a general election expected before the end of next year. Italy’s right has long wanted to shake up a judicial system that it claims is politicized and biased toward the left — an assertion disputed by the opposition and many legal experts — vowing the reforms proposed in the referendum would make the system more accountable. Opponents of Meloni’s reforms warned an overhaul risked weakening judicial independence and portrayed the referendum as an attempt to bring fiercely autonomous legal officials under government control. Voters were asked to approve changes to how judges and prosecutors are governed and disciplined, including separating their career paths and reshaping oversight bodies. The tension over the judiciary reflect long-running tension in Italian politics. The Mani Pulite (Clean Hands) investigations of the early 1990s exposed a vast network of corruption that wiped out an entire political class, leaving magistrates with heightened authority and politicians deeply mistrustful of the judiciary. The shadow of former …

The power struggle for control of Poland – POLITICO

The power struggle for control of Poland – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

POLITICO’s Poll of Polls shows Tusk’s Civic Coalition is comfortably ahead with the support of 34 percent of voters, while PiS trails at 26 percent. However, the smaller parties that make up Tusk’s coalition aren’t doing well and he’d be unlikely to form the next government. Just behind PiS are two far-right parties, the libertarian Confederation at 13 percent and the antisemitic Confederation of the Polish Crown with 8 percent. However, those parties are in deep conflict with PiS, and it’s unclear if they’d be able to form a stable coalition. That’s forcing PiS to scramble to appeal to conservative voters, making Nawrocki’s SAFE veto a key political move. A survey out this week by the Ibris organization found that 56.9 percent of those polled were opposed to Nawrocki’s SAFE veto while 33.8 percent supported it. While many voters are leery of the effort to block SAFE, the right-wing Republika television denounced the loan program with comments like: “HERR DONALD FÜR DEUTSCHLAND,” and, “A gang of traitors and Volksdeutsches is trying to saddle Poles with …

Dutch prime minister says strikes on Iran not in line with international law – POLITICO

Dutch prime minister says strikes on Iran not in line with international law – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Jetten added that the Dutch government has an “understanding” for the initial strikes against Iran, given Tehran’s long-standing threat to its own population and to regional stability. But he stressed that the international community must continue to defend international law and pursue diplomatic solutions “however difficult that may be.” The Dutch leader also questioned what the ultimate objective of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign is. “The main question remains: when will the attacks be considered successful?” Jetten said, adding that, before being able to pass judgment on whether or not his government is supportive of the methods chosen by the U.S. and Israel in Iran, they will need to “understand what the intentions and goals are with these attacks.” After days of mixed signals from the White House on the justifications and aims of the war on Iran, Trump on Friday said his administration’s ultimate goal is “unconditional surrender” by the Islamic Republic’s leaders. Jetten, who earlier this week called the attacks on Iran “somewhat at odds” with international law, also said that France has asked …