EU leaders finally approved €50 billion in funding for Kyiv until 2027 in early February after Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán had blocked the package in a previous December meeting. U.S. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has had trouble passing a military aid package to Ukraine through Congress, where it is opposed by a significant share of … Read more
“Serbia has other options. A free trade agreement with China has just been concluded,” Orbán said, referring to a deal signed last October with Serbia’s second-largest trade partner after the EU. Orbán also dismissed Kyiv’s prospects of fending off Russia’s invasion and joining the EU, claiming the only way for Ukraine to survive is for … Read more
Almost all Hungarians see Novák, despite her head-of-state status, as a mere puppet under the longtime prime minister. Orbán, after all, is the one calling the shots as far as politics in this Central European state is concerned. The other person hit by the turmoil is Judit Varga, a Hungarian lawmaker who was to lead … Read more
While it was well known that Novak had pardoned some two dozen people ahead of Pope Francis’ visit to Hungary in April 2023, it was only recently disclosed that one of the people who benefitted from the measure was the deputy director of a children’s home who was convicted for covering up for a sexual … Read more
Orbán’s and Morawiecki’s comments have “forced us to evaluate our options, among them how to secure that ECR remains an Atlanticist and Putin-critical group, as well as what other options exist for conservative parties who are in a governing position,” Weimers said. The far-right Sweden Democrats are propping up the Swedish government in a confidence … Read more
Here are the takeaways from Putin’s sit-down with Carlson. Putin isn’t done with his war The main message Putin sought to convey to Americans: There’s no point helping Ukraine with more money and weapons. And Carlson, who has himself previously questioned U.S. support for Ukraine as it seeks to defend its people and its land … Read more
After months of delay, Orbán officially backed Sweden’s candidacy in January, but it still needs to be validated by the Hungarian parliament. The parliamentary vote should be a formality, as Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party holds a comfortable majority. But Fidesz leaders on Monday demanded that Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson first visit Budapest before the … Read more
In 2024, the right wing surge in the polls seems bigger and bolder, with one predicting the nationalist right and far right could pick up nearly a quarter of seats in the European Parliament in June. Even if the center-right — currently tipped to come first in the election — refuses to form a governing … Read more
Although there has been no official confirmation, pro-Kremlin pundits and military bloggers have relished the news as a sign the former Fox News host is going to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Without exaggerating, it is safe to say that we are in for an epochal event,” the Bezgranichny Analitik Telegram channel wrote. It added that, … Read more
As farmer protests continue around Europe, we unpack their various concerns and analyze their impact on the European election. We also take you to an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders in Brussels where crucial cash for Ukraine hung in the balance. Host Sarah Wheaton speaks to POLITICO’s Parliament reporter Eddy Wax among the thousands of … Read more
