‘If you don’t fight for your national identity, your borders, and your culture, you know that they’re under threat. We don’t feel that threat in the UK and therefore we’ve been really lax and undiligent in thinking about what it means to be British,’ Ms Cates told our site in an exclusive interview that she gave during the Danube Institute’s Family Formation and the Future conference.
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.
Amid growing uncertainty in regional energy supply, Hungary and Serbia have decided to take matters into their own hands by constructing a joint oil pipeline connecting the two countries. According to Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, the investment is valued at approximately $350 million.
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.
Media reports have emerged alleging that Hungary has appealed against Interpol’s arrest warrant for Milorad Dodik. Serbia—a close ally of both Hungary and Republika Srpska—also lodged a complaint, arguing that the red notice issued on 28 March violates Article 3 of Interpol’s Statute.
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.
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.