About: Hungary
As Hungary lauds its ‘Eastern Opening’ policy, statistics fail to show benefits
The Hungarian government has been boasting of its trade policy’s Eastern success, but data shows that the country’s economic reliance on the EU has not changed since 2010, and the promised Eastern opportunities have never materialised. EURACTIV’s media partner Telex...
Hungarian opposition to file police complaint after MP attends vote with virus
Hungarian opposition parties Párbeszéd (Dialogue) and Momentum have filed complaints against ruling Fidesz party lawmaker Zsolt Becsó after he attended a parliamentary session last week while infected with the coronavirus.
Hungary may see takeovers of last free media, experts warn
Recent reports have confirmed the negative trend for media freedom in Hungary but also pointed to Budapest's negative impact on press freedom in neighbouring countries. On World Press Freedom Day (3 May), EURACTIV talked to two of the main experts on Hungarian media.
Hungary wins payment delay on Russian-led nuclear plant project
Russia has agreed to give Hungary a five-year delay on payments for the Russian-led expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant south of Budapest, Hungary's Finance Ministry said on Thursday (29 April).
Hungary eyes multiple vaccine passport deals, holds talks with China
Hungary will pursue bilateral agreements recognising COVID-19 vaccine certificates that would allow citizens to travel among participating countries, the prime minister's chief of staff said on Thursday (29 April).
Blinken alarmed at Hungary press freedom, urges openness
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced alarm Wednesday (28 April) at a deterioration of press freedom in Hungary and vowed to press Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to respect pluralism.
Democracy ‘loses currency’ in Europe, warns Freedom House
In its latest report published on Wednesday (28 April) the NGO Freedom House warns of an "antidemocratic turn" throughout Europe, “fuelling a deterioration in human freedom with global implications”.
EU adopts law giving tech giants one hour to remove terrorist content
The European Parliament on Wednesday (28 April) formally adopted without a vote controversial legislation which forces online platforms to remove terrorist content within an hour of it being flagged.
Anti-LGBT discrimination ‘damages Eastern Europe’s economic growth’
Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people costs Eastern European countries almost 2% a year in economic growth, a coalition of dozens of global companies promoting LGBT+ inclusion said on Tuesday (27 April).
Vaccine doses pass one billion mark globally, but many nations lag behind
The number of Covid-19 jabs administered globally surpassed the one billion mark on Saturday (24 April), offering hope even as the number of virus cases worldwide hit a new daily record mainly due to an explosion of infections in India.
Small EU countries had more COVID-related deaths per million since pandemic started
While the EU's most populous countries are recording the most overall COVID-19-related deaths since the start of the pandemic, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Bulgaria had the highest number of COVID-19-related deaths in relation to their populations during the same period. EURACTIV France reports.
Hungary to build Budapest campus of Chinese university with Chinese loan
The Hungarian government is planning to build a Budapest campus of the Chinese Fudan University with Chinese contractors, financed by a €1.25 billion loan from China, it emerged this month. The controversial project has sparked a row between the Hungarian government and the municipality of Budapest. EURACTIV's media partner Telex takes a closer look.
Hungarian civil society raises alarm over NGO law change
Hungarian civil society organisations have expressed concern over planned changes to legislation on non-governmental organisations (NGOs), despite cautiously welcoming the repeal of a law on transparency that curbed foreign-funded NGOs.
Orban-friendly owner gets Hungary independent radio frequency
A Hungarian radio station critical of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán that was forced off the air in February said Sunday (11 April) its former frequency had been handed to a station owned by a government-friendly group.
Hungarian official denounces German ‘Nazi-style’ sacking of football coach
A top aide to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called into question Germany's democratic standards on Thursday (8 April) after a German football club sacked a Hungarian coach for expressing anti-immigrant and anti-LGBT views.
Hungary plans to start reopening in days as vaccine milestone in sight
Hungary will begin gradual easing of coronavirus restrictions within days, the government said on Monday (5 April), as it expects to have 25% of its population of 10 million inoculated by Tuesday or early Wednesday at the latest.
‘Falling like flies’: Hungary’s Roma community pleads for COVID help
Coronavirus infections are ravaging Hungary's 700,000-strong Roma community, according to personal accounts that suggest multiple deaths in single families are common in an unchecked outbreak fuelled by deep distrust of authorities.
The EU’s frustration over AstraZeneca and Hungary’s new Chinese jab
This week on EURACTIV’s Yellow Room, we are talking about the European Commission’s frustration over slow deliveries of the AstraZeneca vaccine and the next steps planned by the EU. To analyse the latest developments on the topic, we are...
Commission may face trouble over rule of law conditionality guidelines
The European Commission faces a tight deadline to present its rule of law guidelines following the European Parliament's move to hurry along the application of the regulation that ties the disbursement of bloc funds to the rule of law situation in EU countries.
Macron, Orban urge EU to ‘actively support’ nuclear power
A group of seven European leaders fronted by French President Emmanuel Macron has called on the European Commission to stop hindering nuclear power and consider ways of bringing atomic energy into the EU’s green finance rule book ahead of an EU summit on Thursday (25 March).
EU Commission faces lawsuit unless it acts fast on rule of law conditionality
The European Parliament is set to pass a resolution warning that it will sue the European Commission unless the EU executive arm applies new legislation that makes access to billions of EU funds conditional on respecting the rule of law.
Last two refugees from the transit zone want to stay in Hungary
Hungary has been one of the most vocal opponents of accepting refugees and migrants from Africa and Asia. Yet, Iranian refugee Abouzar Soltani and his young son have decided to stay in the country, after spending 18 months in a detention centre there. EURACTIV's media partner Telex reports.
Poland, Hungary win court fight against EU Commission over turnover taxes
Europe's top court ruled on Monday (16 March) that Polish and Hungarian taxes on turnover targeted by the EU Commission for giving an unfair advantage to small businesses over their bigger, foreign rivals were legal.