Post Tagged with: "European Union"

State terrorism in Europe

State terrorism in Europe

What happened on Sunday on a Ryanair flight within the European Union ought to serve as a frigid shower for anyone who ventures into opposition or activist journalism. Ryanair was flying between the capitals of Greece and Lithuania on Sunday when it briefly passed through Belarusian airspace shortly before it was due to land in Vilnius. Under the false pretext […]

by · May 23, 2021 · East
February 14th: The last day at Budapest's Klubrádió, at least in its current form.

As the Orbán regimes shuts down pro-democracy Klubrádió, Canada’s CBC raises awareness

It’s something of a funeral, although with certain glimmers of hope, at Budapest’s Klubrádió: the last remaining pro-democracy talk radio station in Hungary. Hungarian courts, beholden to the Fidesz party state, have decided to strip the station of its FM frequency, citing legal “infractions.” In essence, the station’s frequency license will expire at midnight on Valentine’s Day and the authorities […]

by · February 14, 2021 · Politics
József Szájer

The demise of József Szájer — the anti-gay “Christian Conservative” politician who led a double life

I don’t think anyone who has deeper insights into Hungarian politics was especially surprised when it became public that Fidesz co-founder and MEP József Szájer attended an all-male orgy at an apartment in Brussels in November, which was raided by police for violating pandemic gathering restrictions. Mr. Szájer fled the scene and had on his person a backpack containing illegal […]

by · December 2, 2020 · Focus
Orbán’s attempt at blackmail

Orbán’s attempt at blackmail

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is blackmailing the rest of the European Union, but MEPs and EU leaders must call his bluff to hold up the COVID-19 recovery fund if rule of law criteria are included. This may be the EU’s last chance to crack down on his rogue regime. Orbán is threatening to withhold Hungary’s agreement to the EU’s […]

by · September 27, 2020 · Politics
Viktor Orbán and Donald Tusk (left) - tense relations.

Tusk calls Orbán a Nazi, Sikorski calls him a loser – gloves are off

Oh boy!  This kind of mano-a-mano fistfight is rarely seen even in the murky and often tumultuous politics of Central Europe. Donald Tusk ex-Prime Minister of Poland is the current Chairman of European People’s Party (EPP). Tusk in an interview to Der Spiegel called Orbán the follower of Nazi philosopher, Carl Schmitt.   He said “We have seen many times in […]

by · April 26, 2020 · Politics
Photo: dailynewshungary.com

Hungarian Rhapsody 2020 – Open Letter Campaign

In early April 2020, three civil societies released an Open Letter to the European Commission in response to Hungary’s so called Authorisation Laws adopted under the disguise of the government’s handling of the COVID pandemic. The letter is intended to express the frustration of 51% of Hungarian voters who in 2018 did not authorize Viktor Orban to continue to hold […]

by · April 16, 2020 · Politics
Hungarian Academy of Sciences-is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest.

Hungarian Academics’ Open Letter to Manfred Weber, the Group Chair of the European People’s Party

Dear Mr. Weber, This open letter is a cry for help. We, Hungarian scientists, scholars and university professors turn to you for help in a most serious matter: The Hungarian Government has proposed legislation that would change the Hungarian research landscape dramatically, which tramples on the rule of constitutional law and on basic democratic principles. The Hungarian Academy of Sciences […]

by · June 9, 2019 · Culture
Klára Dobrev (left) and Ferenc Gyurcsány (right) cast their ballots on Sunday, with their family.

Ferenc Gyurcsány’s Democratic Coalition becomes largest opposition party in Hungary

The Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) and Jobbik both had their respective rendez-vous with destiny on Sunday night. At the same time, former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány’s Democratic Coalition (DK) and the fledgling Momentum party, both underestimated in opinion polls, caused much surprise by their strong showing in European Parliament elections in Hungary. The results were as follows, with turn-out at […]

by · May 27, 2019 · Politics
Europe is here. Poster from 1 May 2004.

Hungary snubbed on fifteenth anniversary of EU membership

It’s May Day in Hungary — a national holiday where major political parties hold picnics and rallies, Budapest’s Városliget (City Park) fills with families, games for children, barbecues and vendors, and the almost moribund Munkáspárt, the hard-line successor of the country’s pre-1989 Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party, shows signs of life by marching on Andrássy út and serving zsíróskenyér (bread with […]

by · May 1, 2019 · Politics
Theresa May walking in the rain after church.

Brexit and why I still admire British political culture

Britain’s Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, a Tory politician appointed by the current prime minister, advised that Theresa May’s last ditch efforts to secure legally binding reassurances for her Brexit deal around the controversial backstop clause fell short of guaranteeing that the United Kingdom could unilaterally withdraw itself from a situation that would see Northern Ireland unified indefinitely with the Republic of […]

by · March 12, 2019 · Politics