‘Hungary is an island of sanity’ — An Interview with Professor David Betz on ‘Stupid Wars’
‘Hungary’s leaders feel that it is their responsibility to preserve and protect the security and prosperity of the Hungarian nation. And that, surprisingly, is an unusual perspective everywhere else within Western Europe.’
Dante vs. Europe’s Aggressive Dwarves
‘Hungarians who are looking for a way through this civilizational crisis should turn for wisdom and inspiration to a medieval poet who also lived through a period of tumultuous change, and who found a way out of the ‘dark wood’ of confusion by rediscovering faith in God, and in the things of eternity. Dante was not a Magyar, but like Magyars, he was European—one of the greatest Europeans who ever lived. He speaks to us today, across a sea of time, soaring above the heads of the bustling crowd of aggressive dwarves, and what his booming voice says is: Return.’
Hezbollah Pagers: Szijjártó Denies Hungarian Involvement in JNS.org Interview
In a recent interview with the Jewish News Syndicate outlet conducted in New York, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó underlined that Israel is ‘a strategic partner, a strategic ally’ to Hungary, while Budapest has a ‘pragmatic, practical relationship’ with Iran, based on economic cooperation. However, ‘it is obvious that on many issues, we see the world in a totally different way,’ he clarified.
MCC Book Launch Cancelled, Raising Further Free Speech Concerns in Brussels
The launch of MCC Brussels Director Frank Füredi’s latest book was cancelled at a Brussels bookshop on the day of the event, presumably due to left-wing political pressure. The situation closely mirrors the controversy surrounding the National Conservatism Conference in April, when a Brussels district mayor attempted to use police force to suppress right-wing voices.
Government Introduces New Benefits to Support Families
To support families who are raising or planning to have children, the government will introduce a new measure from 1 October to make it easier for self-employed people who opt for special taxation as well as for primary agricultural producers to claim the CSOK Plus and the Rural CSOK loans, and the baby expecting subsidy. The aim is to make these benefits more accessible to self-employed people. In their case, banks used to take only 10 to 20 per cent of their income into account when assessing their loan applications but will now be obliged to recognize at least 50 per cent of their earnings.
Who Wins in the End? The Asylum Tug of War Between Hungary and Brussels
As Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka also emphasized on 24 September, the Hungarian government is aware that the Commission has other tools at its disposal to deduct the sum. Despite not being willing to pay the fine, Budapest aims to engage in a ‘constructive way’ with Brussels to ensure compliance with the ECJ ruling. Minister Bóka also said Hungary was looking into ‘legal possibilities on how certain expenses incurred in the protection of the border could be offset’ against the penalty.
Hungary’s Place in the Global Order
‘Hungary may well find, as Australia has, that trade and investment with China can create long-term vulnerabilities as well as immediate economic benefits. After Australia called for a transparent international enquiry into the origins of the Wuhan virus, the Beijing government imposed bogus safety bans on some $20 billion worth of our exports. Despite the Australian government’s attempts to “normalise” relations, there’s now routine harassment of Australian ships and planes exercising freedom of navigation in the areas Beijing wants to dominate.’
‘Too Effective’ Flood Protection — The Reason Why Brussels Won’t Help Hungary
The European Commission is allocating approximately €10 billion in aid to flood-affected countries in Central and Eastern Europe, but Hungary is notably absent from the list. The reason is somewhat paradoxical: Hungary has been so effective in its protective measures that the resulting damage is expected to fall below the threshold required to qualify for the EU Solidarity Fund.
Migrant Fine to Be Deducted from Hungary EU Funds?
The European Court of Justice issued a €200 million fine, as well as additional fines of €1 million per day to Hungary for failing to comply with migrant quotas in June. Hungary has failed to pay up by the first deadline, so now the European Commission is looking to deduct the penalties from the EU funds due to Budapest.
