Politics
Merz warns US over $3m grant scheme targeting European elections
German chancellor says foreign financing of political parties is illegal as State Department launches programme framed around 'civilizational heritage' and 'lawfare'
Person
Viktor Orbán
Prime Minister of Hungary, Hungarian Government
What we have reported
- Referenced as having lost power, affecting funding streams for aligned European organisations.
- Visited Brussels to declare he will continue opposing EU policies on migration and rule of law despite April election defeat.
- Blocked Ukraine's accession process for years until losing the April 2026 election; his government was regarded as Russia's closest ally in the EU.
Coverage
Politics
Orbán vows to fight EU from opposition after election defeat
Former Hungarian prime minister appears in Brussels insisting his political project continues despite losing power, as new government prepares to reclaim billions in frozen funds.
Politics
EU opens accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova after Hungary lifts veto
Intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg launches formal negotiations on five policy clusters, marking the start of a process that typically takes years and requires sweeping reforms in both candidate countries.
Europe
Hungary's Tisza government submits anti-corruption package to unlock frozen EU funds
The 109-page legislative programme targets asset declarations, public procurement and hidden oligarch wealth, going beyond the European Commission's 27 super milestones that Orbán's governments failed to meet.
Politics
Hungary's Magyar visits Poland to reset relations after Orban era
Peter Magyar's first foreign trip as prime minister signals a pro-European pivot, but asylum granted to wanted Polish officials and frozen EU funds complicate the reset.
World
EU agrees sanctions on Hamas leaders and Israeli settlers after Orbán exit
Foreign ministers unanimously back asset freezes and travel bans on settler organisations and Hamas figures, but stop short of trade measures against Israel despite pressure from Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands.
Politics
Hungary and Bulgaria elections reshape EU eastern flank as Orbán era ends
Peter Magyar's victory in Hungary opens door to €22 billion in frozen funds while Bulgaria's eighth election in five years returns a president aligned with Moscow, testing Brussels' ability to enforce rule of law across the bloc.
Politics
Magyar seeks €10bn EU funds unlock before August deadline
Hungary's incoming prime minister meets von der Leyen and Costa in Brussels to restart frozen funding and reset relations after Orban's 16-year rule ended in April landslide.
Politics
EU delegation arrives in Budapest as Orbán era ends and Magyar seeks frozen funds
European Commission officials landed in Budapest on Friday for reset talks with Hungary's incoming government, weeks before Péter Magyar takes office, with €17bn in frozen funds and a €90bn Ukraine loan hanging in the balance.
Politics
Magyar's landslide win opens uncertain path for Hungary's EU reset
Peter Magyar's Tisza party swept to power promising to end 16 years of confrontation with Brussels, but a 5.5% budget deficit and zero Maastricht compliance mean economic repair will be slow and conditional.
Politics
Péter Magyar wins Hungarian election with two-thirds majority ending Orbán era
The 45-year-old former insider's Tisza Party secured a constitutional majority on Sunday, promising to unlock frozen EU funds and restore democratic checks after 16 years of Viktor Orbán's rule.
Politics
Hungary elects Péter Magyar with super-majority, ending Orbán era
Opposition leader wins 138 of 199 seats as forint hits four-year high and bond yields drop sharply. EU leaders welcome result but energy ties to Russia and constitutional reform pose immediate tests.
Politics
Von der Leyen urges end to national veto on EU foreign policy after Orbán defeat
European Commission president says Hungarian election result creates momentum for qualified majority voting, but member states are likely to resist surrendering control over sanctions and Ukraine funding.
Politics
Hungary elects Peter Magyar with two-thirds majority ending Orban era
Pro-European Tisza party wins 138 of 199 seats on record 80% turnout, promising constitutional reform and renewed EU ties after 16 years of Viktor Orban's rule.
Politics
Germany accuses JD Vance of election interference hypocrisy over Hungary vote
Berlin counters US vice president's claim that Brussels meddled in Hungarian election, noting his own Budapest visit days before the ballot amounted to endorsement of Viktor Orbán.
Europe
EU foreign policy paralysis fuels push to scrap national vetoes
Germany and Sweden lead calls to end unanimity as Hungary blocks €90 billion Ukraine loan and West Bank settler sanctions, exposing a system unable to match the speed of geopolitical crises.
Politics
Hungary election tests EU ability to bypass Orban vetoes
Viktor Orban's 16-year grip on power faces its strongest challenge on 12 April, with the opposition Tisza party leading polls by ten points. The result will shape whether the EU can move past unanimous voting gridlock on Ukraine, defence and migration.
World
Trump says he is considering US exit from NATO as European allies weigh the consequences
The US president called the alliance a 'paper tiger' in a Telegraph interview, while Hungary blocks a €90 billion Ukraine loan and European capitals assess whether Article 5 deterrence has already collapsed.
Politics
Orban's far-right allies rally in Budapest as polls show him trailing opposition
Viktor Orban hosted Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders and other European nationalist leaders days before the April 12 election, but only 2,000 supporters attended while his party trails the Tisza opposition by a wide margin amid corruption and Russian influence scandals.
Politics
EU leaders rally around multilateralism as Hormuz closure drives energy prices higher
European Council meeting in Brussels shifts from competitiveness to crisis management after Strait of Hormuz closure spikes energy costs and Trump's Iran policy forces difficult unity choices.
Politics
Hungary braces for post-election battle as Orbán and Magyar trade legitimacy claims
With polling split and both sides preparing to contest a narrow defeat, the April vote risks triggering a constitutional confrontation that could delay €18 billion in frozen EU funds.
Europe
EU rejects Russian gas return despite energy price surge
Energy commissioner Dan Jørgensen rules out any reversal of Russian fossil fuel bans as Hungary and Belgium push for cheaper supplies amid Iran conflict disruption.
Politics
Russian operatives deployed to Budapest to secure Orban election victory
European intelligence sources say a team of Kremlin political technologists is running a disinformation operation from the Russian embassy targeting opposition leader Peter Magyar ahead of the April 12 parliamentary vote.
Politics
Orbán picks fight with Brussels and Kyiv to salvage election campaign
Trailing by eight points weeks before the April vote, Hungary's prime minister blocks €90 billion in EU aid for Ukraine and brands his rival a foreign stooge. Péter Magyar refuses the bait.
Politics
Orbán declares EU greater threat than Russia eight weeks before Hungarian election
Prime minister uses state-of-the-nation address to frame April vote as existential choice while trailing opposition by double digits and welcoming Trump endorsement and Rubio visit.
Politics
Hungary election tests Orban's foreign alliances as Trump factor looms
With Viktor Orban trailing in polls before April's vote, Fidesz warns EU diplomats against interference while courting Trump's endorsement, but the US president has already rejected Orban's request for an economic backstop.
Politics
Hungary heads to April election with Orbán trailing in polls for first time in 15 years
Péter Magyar's Tisza party leads Fidesz by 12 points as voters prepare to choose a new parliament on 12 April under an electoral system critics say favours the incumbent.
Politics
Hungary election campaign descends into personal attacks as Orbán faces Magyar challenge
With 94 days until April's vote, the prime minister's controlled press conference and a minister's mental-health slur against the opposition leader signal a campaign turning nasty, while Budapest redistricting and a Slovak language law add territorial stakes.
Politics
Central Europe's populist resurgence offers warning to US Democrats
Electoral comebacks in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland show defeated right-wing forces can return quickly when centrist governments fail to address economic displacement.
Politics
Czech coalition plan to scrap licence fees puts public media independence at risk
ANO's deal with two far-right parties proposes replacing Czech Television and Czech Radio's licence-fee funding with direct state financing, a move critics say mirrors the playbook used by Orban and Fico to capture public broadcasters.
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