Hungarian Conservative

Experts Dissect Hungary in the EU at Mathias Corvinus Collegium Roundtable

During a roundtable discussion organized by the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) on Thursday in Budapest, experts dissected Hungary’s role and opportunities within the EU. They agreed that one of the key topics during Hungary’s EU presidency should be the integration of the Western Balkans. They also discussed the war in Ukraine, the Eastern opening, and the bureaucracy in Brussels, among other topics.

The flags of the ten countries, including Hungary, that joined the EU in the course of the largest enlargement of its history on 1 May 2004, hoisted at the Berlaymont building of the European Commission in Brussels on 30 April 2024.

Twenty Years in the European Union — Five Lessons Learnt

‘Our fate has become one with that of the European Union not only because of integration, but also for geographical, economic, cultural and civilizational reasons. If the ship sinks, we sink with it. Of course, it is our duty to do everything we can to prepare a good lifeboat, but tossing and turning in a lifeboat in stormy seas is not the same as on an ocean liner. Therefore, the wisest thing to do is to remove the captain before he steers Europe’s ship into an iceberg. And the opportunity to do so is just now, more than twenty years after our accession.’

V4 foreign minister (L-R) Radosław Sikorski (Poland), Jan Lipavský (Czech Republic), Péter Szijjártó (Hungary), and Miroslav Lajcák (Slovakia) in Prague on 21 March 2024

Cooperation vs Confrontation: The V4 in the Shadow of the Russia–Ukraine War

‘The Visegrad Group has reached a tipping point in the face of growing geopolitical and security challenges. The external and internal dynamics of the regional alliance of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia have encountered obstacles where the need for unity clashes with competing views, aims, and pressures.’

Migrants are helped off a boat by members of the Spanish Red Cross and Guardia Civil officers at La Restinga port in El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain on 4 February 2023.

European Parliament Accepts Controversial Migration Pact Despite Concerns from Member States

The European Parliament today adopted a new regulation reforming the EU’s migration and asylum policy, including measures for expedited asylum processing and solidarity in distributing migrants among member states. The pact, strongly opposed by Hungary, aims to relocate asylum seekers, provide financial support to heavily burdened countries, and establish uniform procedures for refugee recognition and protection.

Bringing Light Behind the Iron Curtain — The Special Relationship between Roger Scruton and Central Europe

Roger Scruton had a special interest in and affection for Central Europe, cultivating a symbiotic relationship with the region. His work influenced the political, cultural, and social dynamics of many CEE countries just as profoundly as they shaped his own work and worldview. In tribute to the British conservative philosopher, a conference was held in Budapest, with a specific focus on Scruton’s ties to Central Europe.