#VIKTOR ORBAN

The populist prime ministers of Slovakia and Hungary have threatened to block a joint European Union declaration on Ukraine during next week’s summit, calling for a change in the bloc’s strategy on the Ukraine war.

Thousands of Hungarian judges, court staff and supporters marched to the ministry of justice in Budapest on Saturday, demanding judicial independence, freedom of expression for judges and better pay.

The government of Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has dragged the country into an international scandal by granting political asylum to a wanted Polish ex-official, Orbán’s main political rival has said.

The decision has caused outrage in the ranks of Poland’s main ruling party.

Judges at the European Union’s top court have begun hearing evidence on whether Hungary is breaking EU law by banning books and other media aimed at under-18s from portraying issues of sexual orientation and gender identity.

A toxic virus of populism is spreading through Central Europe. Populist politicians in Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic share no cohesive ideology and often stand on opposite sides of the political spectrum. However, they share a common desire for absolute power tied to wealth, and have an apparent disdain for the rule of law. With money available in Brussels but their ideal model in Russia, they are caught in a dilemma over which side to choose.

Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orbán, begins a two-day visit to Tbilisi on Monday to congratulate a government whose victory in parliamentary elections is disputed both domestically and internationally.

Viktor Orbán suggested Brussels now wants ‘puppet government’ in Budapest

The U.S. is ready to provide up to $20 billion of the $50-billion G7 loan to Ukraine, which is to be repaid using profits generated by frozen Russian assets, Financial Times reported on Friday.

The European Commission is taking Hungary to court over a ‘defense of sovereignty law’ that Budapest says was introduced to prevent external political interference.

It is Hungary, not Poland, that is conducting business with Russia, a Polish deputy foreign minister said on Sunday in response to the Hungarian prime minister accusing Warsaw of “hypocritical” policy towards Moscow.

The Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has told Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukraine should consider a ceasefire in the hope that it could accelerate peace talks with Russia.

Political analysts have expressed their hopes and fears as to what the future may hold as Viktor Orbán’s Hungary assumes the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Foreign ministers of 26 EU countries on Monday circumvented Hungary's veto on proposed aid to Ukraine, enabling them to grant Kyiv up to €1.4 billion for ammunition and air defense.

NATO’s Secretary General Stoltenberg and Hungary’s Prime Minister Orbán came to an agreement in which Budapest will not be expected to participate in aiding Ukraine in any form, in return for a guarantee that Hungary will not hamper efforts of other allies in the endeavor.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz, the ruling party in Hungary, is Google’s biggest advertiser in the EU, according to a report prepared by the independent Political Capital analytical center.

Hungarian security services raided the office of the attorney of the mayor of Budapest, the mayor wrote on the X social media platform on Friday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban have released a joint statement declaring “a new era” and an “all-weather, comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Hungary”.

An increasing number of German companies are beginning to criticize the Hungarian government for attempting to take over their assets, says a new report by Bloomberg.

The march was led by Péter Magyar, a lawyer formerly close to the administration.