About: Hungary
EU mulls approving Hungary, Poland recovery plans, with conditions
The EU is prepared to approve multi-billion-euro recovery plans for Hungary and Poland in the coming weeks, but with strict conditions attached, bloc officials said.
Making equality bodies more independent cannot protect them from EU governments
A recent Hungarian example shows that the brewing EU legislation that will aim to bolster the bloc's discrimination fighting bodies will not be enough to keep straying governments in check, Máté Szabó, a civil rights lawyer at TASZ (Hungarian Civil Liberties Union), warned in a video interview with EURACTIV.
Pro-EU Klara Dobrev leads in opposition primary to take on Hungary’s Orbán
Klara Dobrev, a 49-year-old lawyer, has emerged as the front-runner in a joint opposition bid to unseat Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in 2022 elections, partial results of an opposition primary showed on Thursday (30 September).
Hungary hits out at Brussels’ funding ‘blackmail’
The Hungarian government on Tuesday (28 September) condemned what it termed Brussels' "blackmail" over the allocation of EU funding as differences between the eastern member and the European Union institutions deepen.
Hungarian minister: Schinas wants to ‘hide’ migration from German, French voters
Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga has lashed out against European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas after he told EURACTIV in an interview that the much-awaited European migration pact should be approved after the French elections due next year.
Hungary equates ‘LGBT promotion’ in films with horror in viewing age ratings
Hungary's media regulator published guidelines for broadcasters to comply with new LGBT laws on Wednesday (15 September), relegating some films portraying homosexuality or gender identity issues to the same age group restrictions as gory horror movies.
In Hungary, pope says anti-Semitism ‘fuse’ must not be allowed to burn
Pope Francis called on Sunday (12 September) for vigilance against a rise in anti-Semitism, saying during a brief trip to Hungary this was a "fuse that must not be allowed to burn."
Vucic and Orban formalise their ‘special relationship’
Hungary, whose government has been at odds with Brussels for a long time, has emerged as a major pro-Serbian lobbyist within the EU and this special "illiberal" relationship was formalised on Wednesday (8 September), Serbian journalist Darko Čačić reports for EURACTIV Bulgaria.
Why Orbán’s ‘child protection referendum’ makes no sense, and why it does
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's controversial referendum about the so-called "Child Protection Act", which triggered infringement procedures by the European Commission over its measures targeting the LGBTQ+ community, may not be legally sound but makes considerable political sense, writes Zoltán Kovács.
Hungary, Poland, Serbia: China’s backdoors to Europe
China benefits from divisions that prevent the EU from forming a unified front against it. That is why relations with EU members Hungary and Poland, as well as with the Western Balkans and Serbia in particular, are getting stronger, writes Antonia Colibasanu.
EP presses ahead to sue Commission for dragging its feet on rule of law
The main organisational body of the European Parliament has given the go-ahead to continue the drawn-out procedure of suing the executive for failing to activate the budgetary conditionality linking EU funds to rule of law amid doubts over the action's speed and efficacy.
Budapest mayor obtains vote on China university in blow for Orban
Hungary's election authority approved Monday (30 August) a bid by Budapest's mayor to hold a referendum over a planned campus of China's Fudan university, in a blow for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán who backs the project.
WHO sounds alarm over rising COVID deaths in Europe
The World Health Organisation warned Monday (30 August) that 236,000 more people could die from COVID in Europe by December, sounding the alarm over rising infections and stagnating vaccine rates across the continent. Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, North Macedonia and Bulgaria are among the countries with the highest mortality.
Hungary anti-LGBTQ law to apply around churches
Hungary's government has announced that provisions of its controversial new anti-LGBTQ law will apply around churches as well as schools.
Commission extends deadline to approve Hungarian recovery plan
The European Commission and Hungary agreed to extend until end of September a deadline for Budapest to meet demands on its €7 billion recovery plan, the institution said on Thursday (29 July).
Thousands march for LGBTQ rights in Budapest’s biggest Pride
Thousands of Hungarians marched in Budapest's biggest Pride parade on Saturday (24 July), amid tension sparked by a series of anti-gay steps by prime minister Viktor Orbán.
Renew MEP: Racism is an everyday phenomenon in our societies
Europe needs to face the fact that racism is not something that only happens in the US or elsewhere, but is an everyday phenomenon in our European societies, Hungarian MEP Anna Júlia Donáth (Renew Europe) told EURACTIV. She spoke about...
Commission to look into Pegasus affair, Reynders says
The European Commission has decided to launch an investigation on the surveillance of EU journalists as the bloc reels from the Pegasus Project revelations released over the weekend that governments had used military spyware to intercept communications. “We are starting...
EU wants reforms before approving Hungary’s recovery plan
The European Commission won't approve Hungary's recovery plan until it carries out judicial reform and guarantees that corruption cases are investigated, justice commissioner Didier Reynders said in an interview published on Tuesday.
Political scientists say EU has lost the battle for the Balkans
The EU has lost the battle for the Balkans, where Russia and China are offering bonuses without asking for reforms, geopolitical experts told an online conference organised by EURACTIV.bg this week, proposing increased cooperation and a Balkan common market as the best way forward.
Hungary rejects EU demand to ditch ‘shameful’ anti-LGBT law
Hungary on Wednesday (7 July) rejected a demand from the European Commission and many EU lawmakers to repeal new legislation banning schools from using materials deemed to promote homosexuality.
EU warns Hungary to fix anti-LGBTQ law or face action
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday (7 July) warned Hungary to reverse course on its controversial LGBTQ law, as pressure mounts on Brussels to cut EU funding to Budapest.
Global tax deal backed by 130 nations, Ireland and Hungary stay out
A total of 130 countries have agreed a global tax reform ensuring that multinationals pay their fair share wherever they operate, the OECD said on Thursday (1 July), but some EU states refused to sign up.