The first-ever EU–Central Asia summit has just kicked off as Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa arrived in Uzbekistan. Brussels is now trying to assert its influence over the region, which is widely seen as one of the future economic and trade powerhouses. However, most EU member states lack the deep connections and relationships with the Central Asian republic, except for one: Hungary.
In his keynote address at Day 2 of the Danube Institute’s Family Formation Conference, Balázs Orbán emphasized that it is the responsibilities that we take on and our relationship with others that give meaning to our lives; and lauded the increase in marriages and decrease in abortions in Hungary since 2010. A panel discussion about crime, immigration, and the family followed.
The European Parliament is set to debate Hungary’s new legislative package, which includes amendments to the law on the right of assembly—labelled by progressives as a ‘Pride ban’—as well as stricter regulations on foreign-funded NGOs and media outlets. However, as democratic as it is, the EP has ‘forgotten’ to invite Hungary to participate in or respond during the debate.
‘Many accused the court’s ruling of depriving the electorate the chance of deciding who is fit to hold political office in France. Rather than disqualifying Le Pen from the presidential race, it could have been decided to merely fine the party for the misappropriated funds. The ban on running for office is widely seen as a disproportionate intervention into the political affairs of the country…’
According to POLITICO, Germany’s incoming government plans to call on the European Union to withhold funds and suspend voting rights from member states deemed to be ‘misbehaving’. The news fits into a broader, coordinated campaign by pro-war forces seeking to sideline Hungary—the only country currently standing in the way of the EU’s potential escalation into open conflict with Russia.
French right-wing leader Marine Le Pen was found guilty on Monday of embezzling European Parliament funds and barred from standing in elections for the next five years. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, along with other prominent figures of the European right, expressed solidarity with Le Pen and condemned the conviction.
According to local media reports, President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik is currently in Moscow, where he is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. Interpol issued a ‘red notice’ for Dodik after he left Bosnia and Herzegovina despite an active federal arrest warrant, having visited Serbia and Israel in the past week.
Poles increasingly view support for Ukraine as a burden on the nation, with public sentiment shifting rapidly in a negative direction. This is clearly reflected in the rising popularity of Sławomir Mentzen, the presidential candidate of the right-wing Konfederacja, who is firmly opposed to the war and to unconditional support for Kyiv.
According to Head of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will pay an official visit to Hungary in the next few weeks. The visit was set in defiance of an international arrest warrant for the Israeli leader.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Hungary’s energy security has faced constant and varied threats—from strikes on Russian gas pipelines to the suspension of transit through Ukraine. However, if the current ceasefire agreement is implemented effectively, Budapest could finally experience stability in this regard.
Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political, philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective.
