Post Tagged with: "European Union"

Igor Crnadak (left) with Péter Szijjártó (right).

Hungary and Bosnia: Budapest pushes for Bosnian admission to EU and NATO

One of the tensions in the European Union is between those who seek an ever deeper, more integrated union of member states, and those who prefer a larger, continually expanding EU, but one where fewer areas of national sovereignty are pooled. The two tracks need not be inherently at odds with each, but it is difficult to imagine a deeply […]

by · December 7, 2015 · Politics
Photo: dailynewshungary.com

European Commission registers initiative to invoke Article 7 against the Orbán government

On Monday, the European Commission registered what in the EU is called a European Citizens Initiative (ECI), which is calling for the Union to invoke the dreaded Article 7 against the Orbán government, in response to systemic rule of law violations, xenophobia and the disregard for the values of liberal parliamentary democracy. An ECI is actually a new mechanism in […]

by · December 1, 2015 · Politics
The Záhony border crossing between Hungary and Ukraine. This represents one of the EU's external borders, which Hungarian border security patrols and protects and where you will come into contact with Hungarian border guards and customs officials. Photo: MTI.

The death of Schengen is not what Viktor Orbán wants…

This has been an annus horribilis for the European Union. In the spring and summer, the euro looked set to crumble, as Greece devolved into political turmoil, teetering on the brink of Grexit and as deep divisions within the eurozone emerged about how to deal with the debt crisis and whether to even salvage the unity of the euro. As often […]

by · November 21, 2015 · Politics
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán with school children in the town of Szombathely. Photo: Facebook.

Viktor Orbán on defending Europeans and “the invasion of the outsiders”

We rarely publish verbatim long texts produced by Hungary’s current government, but to understand how Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is using the terrorist attacks in France to position himself as the defender of Europe, the “common sense” voice of “the people,” standing up to detached liberal elites who still believe in diverse societies and inclusion, we must read him. We […]

by · November 18, 2015 · Politics
Hungary declares day of mourning following Paris terror attacks

Hungary declares day of mourning following Paris terror attacks

Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party has cancelled its congress, scheduled for Sunday, and has instead declared a national day of mourning following the coordinated, ISIS-led terrorist attacks in Paris, which left at least 128 dead in the French capital. As well, the Orbán government has announced new, stricter national border controls and a military presence on the streets of Hungarian cities, […]

by · November 14, 2015 · Politics
László Bogár

Hungarian “expert” opinions and conspiracy theories — Courtesy of pro-government publicists

László Bogár, an economist, university lecturer and pro-government publicist, went on public television in Hungary, in order to explain to viewers how the dastardly United States is using the refugee crisis as a weapon to destabilize Europe. According to Mr. Bogár, the EU’s real, “natural” allies are Russia and China. I’ve written before about another prominent pro-Fidesz publicist who also […]

by · November 3, 2015 · Politics
István Ujhelyi. Photo: Facebook.

Hungarian Socialists oppose EU punitive action against Orbán government

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe are pushing for the European Union to invoke the ominous Article 7 of the Lisbon Treaty against Hungary, but the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) has spoken up strongly in opposition of this initiative. If invoked, Article 7 would temporarily suspend some of the country’s voting rights in the EU, as punishment for […]

by · October 6, 2015 · Politics
Viktor Orbán chats with  the Christian Social Union leadership of Bavaria. CSU politicians have been supportive of Mr. Orbán's tough stance on refugees and critical of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Photo: Viktor Orbán's Facebook page.

Viktor Orbán, the triumphant?

“Not a single refugee will step foot in here. This I can guarantee,” said Robert Kaliňák, Slovakia’s interior minister, on his way home from the EU summit called to deal with the most significant refugee crisis since World War II. Prime Minister Robert Fico’s populist left-wing government is obtaining technology from an American company called Hesco Bastion, which will allow it […]

by · September 24, 2015 · Politics
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán...the self-proclaimed "guardian" of the EU's borders? Photo: Viktor Orbán's Facebook page.

The strange emergence of Viktor Orbán as the “guardian” of the EU’s borders

The ongoing refugee crisis has once again highlighted the mismatch between an ever-more-integrated union of 28 societies and a European political structure built primarily around the interests of sovereign states. In this political framework even an issue intimately linked to elementary human rights and European values is being transformed into a series of seemingly intractable distributive conflicts. The emergence of […]

by · September 14, 2015 · Politics
Armed Hungarian soldiers on the border with Serbia, in Röszke, on September 14th. Photo:Balázs Mohai / MTI.

Does Germany’s reversal on refugees vindicate Orbán?

On Sunday, Germany suspended the rules of the Schengen Area. The very underpinnings of the European Union, namely hindrance free travel within the zone, were shaken, with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government reintroducing varying degrees of border controls along Germany’s frontier with nine EU countries. The most stringent controls are between Germany and Austria and traffic jams extending four kilometres along […]

by · September 14, 2015 · Focus