About: Viktor Orbán
Top Hungarian lawyer accuses PM Orban of harming rule of law
Hungary's top defence lawyer accused Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Tuesday (21 January) of undermining the rule of law through his refusal to accept two court decisions that require payouts of state funds.
Austria and V4 agree on everything but nuclear
The leaders of the V4 group met on Thursday (16 January) in Prague’s renovated national museum to discuss migration, border security, competitiveness, enlargement and climate. The newly appointed Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz, also in attendance, said he wanted to “fight”...
Fidesz-PiS talks point towards potential exit from EPP
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with Poland's ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) in Warsaw on Tuesday (8 January) amid growing speculation that his Fidesz party plans to leave the EPP.
Behind-the-curtain of the EU’s 2050 climate plan, part II
In October 2018, EURACTIV revealed how the European Commission was planning to propose an ambitious new climate plan for 2050. Now the EU is on the cusp of agreeing to implement it. Here is how the pieces line up ahead of crunch talks later in December.
Orban says Hungary to increase its EU influence with the enlargement portfolio
Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán hailed Friday (22 November) the confirmation of Budapest's nominee as a key EU commissioner as the country's "biggest diplomatic success" in a decade.
MEPs shut out of Hungary Council hearing as rule of law situation worsens
MEPs are reeling after being shut out of a Council hearing under the Article 7 procedure against Hungary for systemic breaches to the rule of law, as the situation in the country further deteriorates.
Tusk vows to fight populism, elected new EPP chief
Outgoing EU Council president Donald Tusk pledged Wednesday (20 November) to fight political populism as he was elected leader of Europe's main conservative parties during their group meeting in Croatia.
British MEP: Orban is not an extremist, would be ‘interesting’ to have him in ECR
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has done nothing really outrageous except to challenge the “EU orthodoxy” in some areas, and has been unfairly labelled as an extremist, the leader of British conservatives in the European Parliament, told EURACTIV.
Budapest declares climate emergency, teases carbon-neutrality
The new Green mayor of Budapest on Tuesday (5 November) added his city to the growing list of capitals to have declared climate emergencies. It is the first visible break with Viktor Orbán’s government, which still opposes an EU plan to go climate-neutral by 2050.
Germany decries Iran’s move to speed up nuclear work, urges return to accord
Iran's announcement that it has developed advanced machines to speed up uranium enrichment jeopardises a 2015 accord with world powers, Germany's foreign minister said on Monday (4 November), urging Tehran to return to the pact.
Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland ‘breached EU law’ by refusing refugees
The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland likely broke EU law by refusing to take in asylum-seekers at the height of the refugee crisis in 2015, the top EU court's legal advisor said Thursday (31 October).
Hungary’s Orban defends Russia cooperation at Putin visit
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday (30 October) defended his cooperation with Russia after trade and energy talks with President Vladimir Putin, the latest in a series of meetings with Moscow's closest ally in the EU.
Hungary blocks NATO statement on Ukraine over minority rights row
Hours before a Russian state visit to Budapest on Wednesday (30 October), Hungary vetoed a joint NATO statement about Ukraine because it did not mention the “deprivation of rights” of the Hungarian minority in the neighbouring country's Transcarpathia region.
Visegrad 4, North Macedonia in last-ditch effort to change French enlargement veto
In a last-ditch effort on Wednesday evening (16 October) before a decisive EU summit, the Visegrad Four and North Macedonian officials tried to sway the enlargement mood in Brussels.
Erdogan thanks Orban for ‘support at the international stage’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met in Baku on Tuesday (15 October), on the fringes of the Turkic Council, a group of countries speaking the same family of languages, which Hungary wants to join.
Hungary’s opposition wins Budapest election, makes gains in other cities
Hungary's opposition scored its biggest election victory in a decade on Sunday (13 October) when liberal challenger Gergely Karácsony ousted ruling-party incumbent Istvan Tarlos as mayor of Budapest and opposition parties made gains in other major cities as well.
Michael Ignatieff: Hungary will not be a single-party state forever
The democratic transition is not over in Central and Eastern Europe and we will continue our mission of training people and creating "free minds, people who think", Michael Ignatieff, a Canadian academic and president of the Central European University, told EURACTIV Slovakia.
After setback, Hungary offers its EU ambassador for Commissioner
Hungary has nominated its ambassador to the EU, Olivér Várhelyi, as its new candidate for the European Commission after the Parliament blocked the first candidate put forward by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Monday (30 September).
Finnish PM says EU ready to tie funding to rule-of-law criteria
Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne said on Sunday (29 September) that all EU countries looked ready to accept that EU funding should be made conditional on democratic principles, he told Finland's public broadcaster YLE.
Orbán asks ‘the other side of EU’ to take its ‘paid activists’ home
Hungary has no plans to leave the European Union, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Sunday (29 September), adding however that eastern and western members of the bloc must find a compromise over the bloc's future.
Commissioner-nominees Trocsanyi and Plumb face grilling over personal finances
European lawmakers on Wednesday (25 September) asked the Romanian and Hungarian EU commissioner nominees to face a grilling over potential conflicts of interest and discrepancies in property statements.
Budapest-Belgrade railway: Orbán flirts with China
Hungary has signed a deal with China to modernise the railway link between Budapest and Belgrade. The project - the first major Chinese infrastructure deal inside the EU - aims to facilitate the distribution of goods arriving at the Chinese-owned port of Piräus, but critics say it might be a waste of taxpayer money.
Orban hopeful on ties with von der Leyen’s Commission
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Thursday (12 September) he was optimistic that the new European Commission would improve ties with the EU's eastern members, long strained by disagreements over migration and multi-culturalism.