About: Hungary
Ignoring critics, Trump to welcome Hungary’s Orban to White House
US President Donald Trump on Monday (13 May) will host Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán -- an anti-immigration firebrand and one of his few European admirers -- at the White House, despite criticism of the visit at home.
EPP divorce looms after Orban rejects Weber as Spitzenkandidat
The leader of Germany's conservatives said she expected Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party would quit Europe's main centre-right group after he withdrew support for the bloc's candidate to head the European Commission.
EU country briefing: Hungary
Hungary became part of the EU during the 2004 “big bang” enlargement. The country is also part of the Visegrád Group, a cultural and political alliance, together with fellow EU states Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Visegrad countries fight to keep pace with e-mobility transition
Central Europe falls under the EU average of electric vehicle market penetration. But it doesn’t want to be left behind by the global trend, leaping into battery production and dreaming even bigger. EURACTIV's network partners report.
Juncker looks back on 15 years of ‘big bang’ EU enlargement
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker offered interesting comments on present-day leaders of member states from Central Europe, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the 1 May 2004 accession of 10 countries, known as “the big bang”.
Flagship study exposes decline of press freedom in Europe
Reporters Without Borders published their flagship annual ‘World Press Freedom Index’ on Thursday (18 April), revealing that worldwide, authoritarian regimes continue to tighten their grip on the media, while in Europe, decline of press freedom goes hand in hand with...
France and Germany pile pressure on Poland and Hungary over rule of law
As EU affairs ministers in Luxembourg on Wednesday (9 April) again discussed the rule of law in Poland and Hungary, a joint Franco-German statement proposed a new hearing after the European elections in June.
Austria extends duration of border checks for Hungary and Slovenia
Austria will extend its border controls for fellow EU members Hungary and Slovenia until at least November, Austrian news agency APA reported on Sunday (7 April), citing a letter from the country's interior minister to the European Commission.
Timmermans invites EU members to ‘bite the bullet’ on rule of law
The European Commission launched on Wednesday (3 April) a process of reflection about whether member states would agree to be supervised on possible breaches of rule of law. The Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans said it is now up to the capitals to decide if they want to “bite the bullet”.
Macron slams the EPP compromise on Orbán’s Fidesz party
French President Macron spoke in very critical terms on Friday (22 March) about the compromise reached by the European People’s Party to suspend, but not exclude Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party from the European centre-right family.
EPP votes to suspend Hungary’s Fidesz party membership
The European People's Party (EPP) suspended Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's ruling Fidesz party over alleged violations of EU rule-of-law principles on Wednesday (20 March), in a compromise solution that allowed the EPP to keep its 'bad boy' in and bolster party unity ahead of the European elections.
Belgium, Germany make joint proposal for EU rule of law monitoring mechanism
Germany and Belgium put forward on Tuesday (19 March) a joint proposal for a rule of law peer review in all EU member states. The new mechanism is meant to be applied in parallel to the already existing Article 7 procedure enshrined in the treaties.
Orbán apologises to EPP leaders he called ‘useful idiots’
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has apologised to European conservative parties for calling them "useful idiots" over an anti-EU billboard campaign that could see his party ejected from the European Parliament's dominant centre-right EPP bloc.
Farage to lobby EU countries in search of Brexit extension veto
Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage said on Wednesday (13 March) he will lobby EU countries to make sure one of them vetoes a possible extension of Article 50 past the 29 March deadline.
Weber to meet Orbán in last-ditch reconciliation attempt
Manfred Weber of the centre-right European People's Party will meet Hungarian populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to discuss his Fidesz Party's dispute with the EPP, a Germany newspaper reported.
Orban says Fidesz may leave EPP, look at Poland for alliance
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday (8 March) his ruling nationalist Fidesz party may drop out of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) amid a row over his government's anti-Brussels media campaign.
Hungary plays down the EPP demand for apology as ‘an opinion’
Hungary defied demands to apologise on Wednesday (6 March) for vitriolic criticism of EU leaders, but a senior government aide suggested it was seeking compromise to avoid its ruling party’s ejection from the main conservative group in the European Parliament....
Fidesz exclusion officially on EPP’s agenda for 20 March
Twelve national members of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) have officially requested the exclusion of Hungary's populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his party Fidesz, the EPP's leader said on Monday (4 March).
Critical mass building for motion to expel Orbán from EPP
A critical mass is likely to be reached within days to put the expulsion of Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party from the centre-right European Peoples Party (EPP) to a vote. The decision could be taken ahead of a crucial meeting on 20 March.
Commission responds to Orbán’s latest anti-immigration campaign
The European Commission reacted strongly on Thursday (28 February) to a new anti-immigration campaign launched by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán earlier this week by saying it "distorts the truth" and refuting most of its points.
Commission eager to see the capacity of Southern gas corridor doubled
A recent meeting of government officials and big energy companies in Azerbaijan signalled ambitions about doubling the capacity of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), and of more European countries becoming clients.
Tweets of the Week: Election poll, copyright mob, and Fidesz in trouble
Shock and awe at latest Parliament poll, Commission scores copyright own goal, and Hungary’s Fidesz party is playing the troll.
Hungary’s ruling party doesn’t belong in EPP, says Juncker
The party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán should leave the mainstream European center-right grouping, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said, comparing Orbán to French far-right leader Marine Le Pen.