‘In the longer term, an Iran that is preoccupied with its own severe domestic problems—trying to avoid elite fragmentation and consolidate new leadership, or even move toward a more consultative system with less clerical influence and more power sharing—will lack the energy and resources to meddle in the region.’
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said satellite imagery shows the Druzhba oil pipeline is operational and urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to immediately restart oil shipments and allow international inspectors.
A recent Medián poll shows Tisza up 20 points over Fidesz, a 35.5-point shift from the 2024 EP election, more than double the largest EP-general election shift in Hungary (16 points) and nearly eight times the 2022–2024 shift (4.5 points). Will the progressive West use discrepancies between ‘independent pollsters’ and official results to delegitimize Hungary’s election if PM Orbán is reelected?
A new analysis warns that the war involving Iran could spark a prolonged migration crisis and increased security risks in Europe, as economic collapse and instability push millions of people to consider leaving the region.
Balázs Orbán, political director to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, said the first week of Hungary’s election campaign took place amid an alleged Ukrainian oil blockade and rising Middle East tensions, while claiming Fidesz had taken an early lead in signatures and polling.
Social media platform X recorded its highest-ever usage over the weekend following the US–Israeli strikes on Iran, Elon Musk announced. The surge was driven by a flood of real-time footage and analysis, as the platform once again became a central hub for tracking rapidly unfolding military developments.
‘All enemies of Europe are enemies of freedom. Standing up for the preservation of European freedom and defending it in solidarity against enemies from without and within is therefore probably the most important task of conservative politics in and for Europe at present.’
‘If current trends continue unchecked, Germany in 2030 will be a country…in which the range of acceptable opinion has narrowed dramatically. The constitutional vocabulary will still be used, but its content will have been hollowed out, rights will be conditional on democratic reliability, and whole social groups will live under a permanent cloud of suspicion.’
‘A little girl who learned to love nature and freedom from her parents cares little about those who think that a young doctor and mother of two children should stay at home and look up recipes for baby food instead of seeking challenges.’
Israel has confirmed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the joint US–Israeli military strikes carried out on 28 February, according to senior officials cited by Reuters. Iran has yet to confirm or deny the claim.
‘For the EU, Moldova has become a litmus test for whether enlargement can be redesigned for an era of permanent instability. Successful integration would anchor the eastern flank, signal that the EU can still shape its neighbourhood, and close off a key corridor for Russian influence. Failure would expand the grey zone of uncertainty on Europe’s borders…’
‘The convergence of record Israeli tourism and a comprehensive national strategy against antisemitism is no coincidence. It reflects a broader truth: in an era marked by fragmentation and ideological turbulence across parts of Europe, Hungary offers stability, clarity, and institutional responsibility.’
The United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran early Saturday following days of military buildup and escalating tensions, marking a major escalation in the Middle East. Explosions were reported across Tehran, as President Donald Trump confirmed the start of ‘major combat operations’ aimed at neutralizing ‘imminent threats’ to the American people.
‘Israel is often labelled an occupier with regard to Judea and Samaria (commonly referred to as the West Bank). This small territory has been controversial for decades. From the Israeli perspective, however, the land represents a far more complex issue—one that encompasses strategy, security, history, and national survival.’
After losing the first leg 2–1 in Bulgaria, Hungarian champions Ferencváros beat PFC Ludogorets Razgrad 2–0 at home in the play-off, and thus advanced to the Round of 16 in the UEFA Europa League. There, they will face the Portuguese side SC Braga.
At an MCC event in Budapest, a lineup of distinguished speakers—featuring Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka of Hungary—criticized the Court of Justice of the European Union for overstepping its authority and advancing ideological agendas. Panellists and speakers warned that the Court’s expanding role risks undermining national sovereignty and reshaping Europe’s legal order.
A new Századvég survey indicates that a clear majority of Hungarians oppose both Ukraine’s suspension of oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline and the European Union’s plans to phase out Russian energy. The findings underscore mounting public concern over energy security, rising prices, and foreign interference ahead of the April parliamentary elections.
How strong is Iranian and Syrian political influence in Lebanon after Hezbollah was weakened? What is the status of Christian communities, and what room for manoeuvre does Maronite politics have? We asked Marwan Abdallah, Head of the Foreign Affairs Department at the Lebanese Kataeb Party, about the rise and fall of Hezbollah and the scope for Christian politics in Lebanon.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that Hungary and Slovakia will establish a joint investigative committee to examine the halted Druzhba pipeline, urging Ukraine to grant access and restart oil transits immediately.
A Brussels meeting saw a heated debate over whether Hungary could link EU legislation for a 90 billion euro Ukraine loan package to the reopening of the Druzhba oil pipeline, highlighting tensions over energy security and EU policy.
The Stop Killing Games movement is launching official NGOs in the EU and the United States after gathering more than 1.3 million petition signatures, aiming to push for long-term changes in how video games are handled after shutdown.
Affordable energy will determine whether Europe’s automotive industry, including the Mercedes-Benz factory in Kecskemét, can remain competitive, Viktor Orbán said at the carmaker’s 140th anniversary event.
‘Climate change can be brought back to the centre of attention if abstract reporting is replaced by practical analyses connected to everyday life. Positive framing and showcasing examples that actually work can help transform uncertainty into a sense of agency—and passivity into participation.’
US Vice President JD Vance has been tasked with leading the new ‘War on Fraud’ ininative in the counrty, as President Trump has announced in his State of the Union address. As the first step, Vice President Vance has shared that the federal government will be halting $259.5 millon in Medicaid funds to Minnesota due to concerns over widespread fraud.
Hungary’s election campaign is entering a decisive phase as fresh polling by Nézőpont Institute gives Fidesz–KDNP a five-point advantage over the opposition Tisza party. With energy security and foreign pressure dominating political discourse, the latest figures point to a closely contested race, with Viktor Orbán still steadily leading.
An anonymous EU diplomat source told POLITICO that Brussels will be seeking a compromise with Hungary on the issue of the inoperational Druzhba Pipeline in Ukraine, as opposed to threatening them with more punitive action. According to the piece, the EU leadership is doing so in order to avoid helping PM Orbán of Hungary’s re-election chances in April.
Foreign policy adviser to Polish President Karol Nawrocki has backed Viktor Orbán’s claim that Ukraine deliberately halted oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline to pressure Hungary ahead of its April election. In a radio interview, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski also suggested the disruption could be part of a broader political operation involving Brussels.
‘The expansion of powers cannot take place without the explicit confirmation of member state consent—otherwise, integration will gradually become detached from national democratic legitimacy.’
Net wages in Hungary have been increasing faster than gross pay for months, a government official said, attributing the trend to family policy measures and pointing to continued wage growth and improving real earnings across the country.
Minister of Culture and Innovation Balázs Hankó of Hungary has announced a major increase in scholarship payments to Hungarian university students. The payments to high-achieving students will be raised by at least 50 per cent at each Hungarian university.