The Hungarian government initially pledged to complete the most important tasks needed to release the funds withheld by the European Union by March 31, this ultimately failed. Brussels is seeking clarification on several issues related to the judicial reform and Hungary has yet to tackle the conflict of interest rules in the Erasmus case. If […]

Hungarian Parliament was the last but one of NATO member states to give its assent to Finland's accession to NATO late on Monday afternoon, adopting the proposal to ratify Finland's application for NATO membership, which was submitted to Parliament more than eight months ago. Members of the Hungarian Parliament approved the law on the proclamation […]

Hungarian lawmakers are delaying a crucial vote on the NATO accession bid of Finland and Sweden in a move that analysts believe is designed to exert pressure on the EU. The Union has frozen billions of euros in funding destined to Hungary over rule of law concerns and Budapest may be playing quid for pro […]

Hungary’s healthcare system has been in dire need of reform for decades but an all-encompassing solution is yet to be presented. The government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has launched several measures over recent years to address issues in healthcare but the latest steps have provoked significant resistance from doctors. Late last year, the government […]

In his annual ‘State of the Nation’ address this afternoon, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán discussed a wide range of issues, including his government’s stance on the war in Ukraine, the fight against inflation, and the biggest dangers facing Hungary in the next few years. On questions impacting Hungary’s future the most, PM Orbán said that […]

Hungary's government is ready to sue the European Commission over the latter’s decision to cut off some Hungarian universities from EU funding. The move is part of a larger EU action package aimed at forcing Hungary to remedy measures related to judiciary independence, academic freedoms, LGBT rights and the asylum system. The EU announced this […]

Hungary struck a mega deal with the European Union this week to reduce the amount of funds the bloc proposed to freeze. In return, the Hungarian government lifted its veto on the financial aid package for Ukraine. Monday night brought a temporary resolution to Hungary’s biggest standoff with the European Union. Member states approved Hungary’s […]

Democracy remains the most important value EU citizens want Parliament to stand up for. 72% of respondents (78% in Hungary) believe their country has benefited from being an EU member, according to a new Eurobarometer survey. Democracy, human rights and free speech are paramount to EU citizens as they call on the European Parliament to […]

The Committee of Permanent Representatives to the EU has found the required qualified majority to impose measures for the protection of the Union budget against the consequences of breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary, concerning public procurement, the effectiveness of prosecutorial action and the fight against corruption in Hungary. The […]

A new government decree has been published in the Hungarian Gazette, according to which the Hungarian government, citing the state of war, has authorised itself to rewrite the budget without the approval of Parliament. According to the decree, the provisions of the law on public finances "on the preparation, structure and content of the central […]

Following long lines at Hungarian gas stations due to the shortage of supply of capped priced fuel in the past few days, the Hungarian government announced late Tuesday evening that the capped prices introduced in November 2021 are scrapped as 23.00 hours local time. The Hungarian oil and gas company Mol, the only company supplying […]

The EU Commission will propose holding back some of the EU funds earmarked for Hungary citing the Hungarian government failure to implement rule of law and anti-corruption measures. At stake are more than EUR 7 billion, cash that Hungary badly needs at a time when inflation is above 20% and the economy is forecast to […]

The Minister of Technology and Industry, László Palkovics is to leave his post, and a new energy ministry is to be established, the head of the Prime Minister's Office, Gergely Gulyás announced at an extraordinary press conference on Monday. According to Minister Gulyás, the restructuring is justified by the war in the neighboring country and […]

Hungary opened a new front in its ongoing standoff with the European Union when it said it would not support the bloc’s plan for a support package for war-torn Ukraine. Hungary’s move comes as the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is running a popular campaign against EU sanctions on Russia. The European Union this […]

Members of the Culture and Education Committee of the European Parliament have concluded their visit in Budapest, having gathered insights into recent developments in the country’s cultural, education and media policies. In the concluding press conference in Budapest on Friday, the head of the delegation Sabine Verheyen (a German delegate of the European People’s Party) […]