Browsing: Hungary

EU institutional leaders and approximately 30 European heads of state will meet with six Western Balkan leaders today in Montenegro. This bi-annual summit aims to expedite the countries’ EU accession bids, highlighting Montenegro and Albania as potential frontrunners for membership.

Péter Magyar, Hungary’s Prime Minister, will meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday and French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday. This tour focuses on restoring Hungary’s relations with the EU, following a political agreement to unlock €16.4 billion in blocked EU funds.

A Russian drone crashed into an apartment building in eastern Romania early this morning, injuring two people. Polish Undersecretary Michał Baranowski condemned the incident, asserting it represents intentional provocations amid rising tensions following similar drone incursions in the region over the past year.

Kata Tüttő, former deputy mayor of Budapest, expressed concerns about the impact of Viktor Orbán’s governance, stating the city “suffered a lot.” As President of the European Committee of the Regions, she cautioned against a “wave of centralisation” that poses risks to Europe’s regions.

Hungary has signalled readiness to engage with Ukraine under new Prime Minister Péter Magyar, aiming to resolve issues concerning the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia. Discussions may pave the way for lifting Budapest’s veto on Ukraine’s EU accession, contingent on guarantees for minority rights.

Hundreds of road surfaces in western Hungary, including the Oladi plateau in Szombathely, may be contaminated with asbestos due to stones sourced from Austrian mines. Environment Minister László Gajdos will present the issue to the government on Monday as officials assess contamination risks across three counties.

The European Commission is sending a high-level delegation to Budapest next week to assess Hungary’s progress in unlocking €10 billion in EU recovery funds. Following a change in government, Budapest faces a tight deadline to meet conditions related to rule of law and anti-corruption reforms by August.

Marta Kos has urged EU member states to open all accession negotiation clusters for Ukraine and Moldova by July, following Hungary’s recent political shift. The first cluster may launch in June, with Ukraine set to receive a €90 billion loan pending Hungary’s lifted veto.

The European Commission cleared Hungarian Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi of allegations related to a spying network targeting Commission staff, concluding its investigation without evidence of wrongdoing. This decision ensures Várhelyi’s position as EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare ahead of Hungary’s new Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s inauguration.

Hungary has returned $40 million and 9kg of gold to Ukraine’s Oschadbank, seized during a March raid amid diplomatic tensions. President Zelenskyy lauded this as a crucial step in improving relations, following Hungary’s lift of a veto that previously stalled EU financial support for Ukraine.