There have been several demonstrations in Hungary on the October 23 national holiday. The largest took place in downtown Budapest where speakers called for more civil rights and criticized the government's plan to introduce the world's first Internet tax.
Decision-making mechanisms for the preparation of further contracts related to the enlargement of the Paks atomic power station must be shortened, therefore, the government ordered the dedvelopment company to come under direct state control.
With only 43% of those eligible to vote, the governing party Fidesz won the most mayoral positions and local government seats at Sunday's municipal elections on Sunday. In Budapest, István Tarlós retained his mayoral position against a fragmented opposition.
The Norwegian Minister of EEA and EU Affairs, Vidar Helgesen has issued a statement condemning the harsh action of the Hungarian authorities against the foundation in charge of distributing EEA and Norway Grants to Hungarian NGOs.
A special unit of the national police force searched the Budapest headquarters of Ökotárs, a foundation coordinating the distribution of funds from the EEA/Norway Grants in Hungary, under suspicion of embezzlement and unauthorised financial activities.
The National Bank of Hungary (MNB) has purchased a castle hotel in eastern Hungary and it will operate the facility as its own resort in the future, the financial website portfolio.hu reports on the basis of news from HVG released on Thursday.
A monument that the Hungarian government says is that of the victims of the Nazi occupation in Hungary was completed under the cover of darkness in downtown Budapest in order to avoid protests. The government says there will be no inauguration.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has announced the names of his candidates for ministers of his next government in a letter sent to the Speaker of Parliament. Except for three people, the list includes same names as the previous government.
Hungary's new national assembly re-elected Viktor Orbán as prime minister on Saturday, with 130 votes (of his 133-strong 2/3 majority) in favor and 57 (of the 66-member opposition) against, after which he took the oath of office, and addressed Parliament.
It is inconsistent with the regulations of the European Union that Hungary made it possible to distill 50 liters of pálinka (a fruit brandy) per year without the payment of excise duty. The Hungarian government tries to settle the issue with the EU.
The governing party Fidesz won the Hungarian parliamentary elections held this Sunday. It is yet to be seen whether Viktor Orbán's party can retain its two-thirds majority since a few constituencies are too close to call.
In a thoroughly substantiated opinion written for a recent issue of Diplomacy & Trade, constitutional lawyer György Kolláth is of the view that the new election rules introduced by the governing two-thirds majority clearly favor the governing party.
Hungarians go to the polls this Sunday to elect a new parliament under new rulesset by the current government and passed by the governing two thirds majority - rules that are considered by experts to produce more disproportionate results.
“Hungary's economy has produced the best results in more than ten years, with the country arriving at the threshold of a great era of prosperity,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán claimed this Sunday. The opposition said his speech “lacked reality."
President János Áder announced the date for the 2014 parliamentary elections in Hungary: Sunday, April 6. The opposition parties are not surprised as the MPs of the ruling party Fidesz had inadvertently dropped a word about it already.
