Hungary

Trump cites Hungary's Orbn as example of foreign solidarity during debate

Former President Donald Trump made room during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris to express the mutual admiration he shares with Viktor Orbn, the autocratic leader of Hungary who has cosied up with Russia and China and became a thorn in the side of his allies. They call him a strongman. He's a tough person, smart, Trump said of Orbn in response to Harris' assertion that world leaders are laughing at the former president. Look, Viktor Orbn said it. He said, The most respected, the most feared person is Donald Trump. We had no problems when Trump was president,' Trump said. Why is Orbn popular with conservatives? Orbn, a right-wing populist and the European Union's longest-serving leader, has become an icon to some US conservatives for championing what he calls illiberal democracy, which includes some of the EU's harshest restrictions on immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. He has also cracked down on the press and judiciary in the formerly Communist Central European country an

Orban's charge of EU presidency raises questions about Hungary's stance

The European Union traditionally ends its summer slumber in the dying days of August with an informal meeting of its foreign affairs ministers in a political equivalent of a fireside chat. But with Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Hungary holding the presidency of the 27-nation bloc, vacation has already been turned into one long firebrand's shout. Since July 1, and right up to year's end, the EU's arcane rules allow Hungary, a nation of 9.5 million, to represent and often speak for the bloc of 450 million. The problem is that Orban increasingly stands for everything the EU opposes. The first two months of the half-year rotating presidency has already turned into troll diplomacy, said Peter Kreko of the Center for European Policy Analysis. Orban "just wants to provoke more anger from the leaders of the European Union, he said. When Russian President Vladimir Putin is the EU's archenemy because of his war in Ukraine, Orban travels to Moscow and hobnobs with the autocratic leader. When .

EU putting new pressure on Hungary's Orban over his outreach to Russia

Hungary won't be allowed to host a strategic EU meeting next month because of Prime Minister Viktor Orbn's self-proclaimed peace mission trips to Moscow and Beijing this month aimed at brokering an end to the war in Ukraine, which EU partners overwhelmingly saw as undermining their support for Kyiv. We have to send a signal, even if it is a symbolic signal, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said Monday in Brussels, explaining why he had decided that the upcoming foreign and defense ministers' meeting would take place in Brussels instead of Budapest. Hungary currently holds the rotating EU presidency, and as such had expected to host the annual late August gathering known as the Gymnich in late August. This gathering should now be held in the EU capital in September, Borrell announced. Orbn is seen as having the warmest relationship with Russia in the EU and is largely politically isolated in his stance on the Ukraine war. His government has held up sanctions on Moscow and huge

Hungary PM meets Xi during surprise China visit; Russia-Ukraine on agenda

In a video he posted from a Beijing airport tarmac on Monday on X, Orban hailed China as the only world power "clearly committed to peace''

Far-right groups from France, Hungary to be new political force in EU Parl

Far-right parties from 12 countries, including France's National Rally and Hungary's ruling Fidesz, announced on Monday that they have joined together to form a new bloc in the European Parliament and plan to become a major political force. The European Parliament moved perceptibly to the right following Europe-wide elections a month ago as many voters abandoned the business-friendly liberals and environmentalist Greens. Mainstream centre-right and centre-left groups still hold the majority though. The new bloc, dubbed Patriots for Europe, is made up of 84 EU lawmakers and will be led by Jordan Bardella, the 28-year-old protg of Marine Le Pen. Kinga Gl, from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn's Fidesz party, will be first vice president. Right-wing parties from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain are also involved. Forming a group brings parties more influence, money and the possibility of coveted posts on ...

PM Orbn makes surprise visit to China after trips to Russia, Ukraine

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbn is making a surprise visit to China on Monday after similar trips to Russia and Ukraine to discuss prospects for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. Peace mission 3.0 is how Orbn captioned a picture posted early Monday on the X social media platform depicting him after having stepped off his plane in Beijing. He was being greeted by Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying and other officials. Orbn later met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Besides Russia and Ukraine, the end of the war depends on the decision of three world powers, the United States, the European Union and China, Orbn wrote in a Facebook post showing him shaking hands with Xi. Orbn met with Xi just two months ago when he hosted the Chinese leader in Hungary as part of a three-country European tour that also included stops in France and Serbia, which unlike the other two is not a member of the European Union or NATO. Hungary und

In rare visit from European leader, Hungary's Orbán meets Putin in Moscow

Orbán's visit comes only days after he made a similar unannounced trip to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

9-yr-old Indian-origin girl chess prodigy to be youngest in England team

Bodhana Sivanandan, a nine-year-old Indian-origin schoolgirl is set to make chess history after she became the youngest person selected to represent England internationally in any sport. Bodhana, from Harrow in north-west London, will join the England Women's Team at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, in September. The others in her team are all in their 20s, 30s or 40s. "I found out yesterday after I came back from school when my dad told me. I was happy. I hope I'll do well and I'll get another title," she told the BBC on Wednesday. Malcolm Pein, manager of the England chess team, described the schoolgirl as one of the most remarkable British chess prodigies he has ever seen. "It's exciting she's on course to be one of the best British players ever," he said. Her father, Siva Sivanandan, says he remains mystified about where his daughter got her talent. "I'm an engineering graduate, as is my wife, but I'm not good at chess, he said. Bodhana first picked up chess during

Hungary's PM visits Ukraine for talks with Zelenskyy, first since war began

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn was in Kyiv on Tuesday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his first visit to the country since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Orbn's press chief confirmed to Hungarian news agency MTI that the prime minister had arrived in the Ukrainian capital in the morning for the talks. Bertalan Havasi said the main topic of the rare meeting will be the opportunity for building peace as Ukraine fights off Russia's invasion. This visit comes the day after Hungary took over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union, a position that has little real power but can be used to set the tone of the bloc's agenda. Hungarian officials have indicated that they will act as honest brokers in the role despite worries from some EU lawmakers that Hungary's democratic track record makes it unfit to lead the bloc. Orbn, known as Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest EU ally, has long been accused by his European partners o

Hungary's Orbn to take over EU presidency as many issues hang in balance

When Hungary takes over the helm of the European Union on July 1, many politicians in Brussels will have the same thing on their minds: whether populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbn will use the role to further his reputation as the bloc's main spoiler. Orbn in recent years has seemed to relish opportunities to block, water down or delay key EU decisions, routinely going against the grain of most other leaders on issues like the war in Ukraine, relations with Russia and China, and efforts to defend democracy and the rule of law. His public opposition to EU policies and stances has long frustrated his partners in the bloc and pushed him to the margins of the continent's mainstream. Hungary's motto for its presidency Make Europe Great Again raised eyebrows for its resemblance to the famous tagline of former U.S. President Donald Trump. The EU presidency rotates among its member countries, and while the post holds little real power, it does allow countries to put their priorities high

Hungary forward Barnabas Varga stable after injury against Scotland

Hungary forward Barnabs Varga was in hospital in stable condition after a serious-looking injury at his team's final group match at the European Championship. Varga will likely undergo surgery after fracturing several bones in his face. The 29-year-old also has concussion and will take no part in the rest of Euro 2024 should Hungary advance to the round of 16 as one of the four best third-place teams. The Group A game against Scotland was halted for nearly 10 minutes so Varga could get treatment after colliding with opposing goalkeeper Angus Gunn midway through the second half. Varga's teammates held up blankets to shield the player as he was tended to by medical staff, while everyone looked on in concern. Both sets of fans applauded when Varga was stretchered off. Several bones in Barnabs Varga's face were broken during the collision during the match, and he also suffered a concussion, the Hungarian soccer federation wrote on X, formerly Twitter, after the match. The Ferencvros

Euro Cup 2024 today match: SUI vs GER live match time, SCO vs HUN streaming

The Switzerland vs Germany football match as well as the Scotland vs Hungary football match will begin at 12:30 AM IST on June 24

Euro Cup 2024: Germany vs Hungary live match time (IST), telecast streaming

The Germany vs Hungary football match will begin at 9:30 PM IST today. Victory for Germany would almost guarantee a spot in the knockout stages (pre-quarterfinals, which begin on June 29)

Euro Cup 2024: Italy vs Albania live match to begin at 12:30 AM IST

On Saturday, June 15, three matches will take place in the Uefa Euro 2024 being played in Germany. Teams such as Hungary, Switzerland, Spain, Croatia, Italy and Albania will be involved

EU elections: Huge voter turnout expected; surveys predict shift to right

Voters are heading to the polls for the European Union's election super Sunday amid concern that a likely shift to the political right will undermine the ability of the world's biggest trading bloc to take decisions as war rages in Ukraine and anti-migrant sentiment mounts. Citizens in 20 countries, from the Alpine nation of Austria to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, will cast ballots to elect 720 members of the European Parliament. Seats in the assembly are allocated based on population, ranging from six in Malta or Luxembourg to 96 in Germany. Official results of the elections, which are held every five years and began in the Netherlands on Thursday, cannot be published before the last polling stations in the 27 EU nations close those in Italy at 11 p.m. (2100 GMT). Unofficial estimates are due to trickle in from 1615 GMT. An unofficial exit poll on Thursday suggested that Geert Wilders' anti-migrant hard right party should make important gains in the Netherlands, even thoug

Hungary's PM Orbn faces new serious challenger in upcoming EU elections

About three months ago, a scandal rocked five-time nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbn's Fidesz party which prides itself on upholding family values and Christian conservatism. As party leaders attempted damage control after close Orbn allies, President Katalin Novk and Justice Minister Judit Varga, were forced to resign over a presidential pardon for a man convicted of covering up a string of child sexual abuses, Pter Magyar saw a chance and broke ranks with the party in February. In a matter of weeks, Magyar a 43-year-old lawyer built a political movement, now poised to become Hungary's largest opposition force and challenge Orban's party in the June 9 European Parliament and municipal elections. Magyar said in a recent interview with The Associated Press that the upcoming vote was a prelude to his planned run in the 2026 Hungarian national elections. Whether he can score a win remains to be seen. Orbn has delivered his Fidesz party four straight wins in Hungary's parliamen

Hungary, China sign strategic cooperation agreement during Xi's visit

Hungary and China signed a number of new agreements on Thursday to deepen their economic and cultural cooperation during a visit to the Central European country by Chinese President Xi Jinping, a trip meant to solidify China's economic footprint in the region. Xi and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn held talks in the capital Budapest as part of the Chinese leader's final stop on a five-day European tour that also took in Serbia and France. During a press briefing following the talks, Orbn praised the continuous, uninterrupted friendship between the two countries since his tenure began in 2010, and promised that Hungary would continue to host further Chinese investments. I would like to assure the president that Hungary will continue to provide fair conditions for Chinese companies investing in our country, and that we will create the opportunity for the most modern Western and the most modern Eastern technologies to meet and build cooperation in Hungary, Orbn said. Beijing has .

Xi Jinping arrives in Hungary for talks on expanding Chinese investments

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Hungary late Wednesday, the final stop on his five-day European tour, where he's expected to finalize a number of agreements with Prime Minister Viktor Orbn that will deepen China's economic footprint in the region. Xi is set to spend two nights in the Hungarian capital Budapest where he will meet with Orbn and Hungarian President Tams Sulyok. Talks will center on future Chinese investments in the Central European country, which has courted deep economic ties with Beijing even as mainstream European leaders have pursued more protectionist policies to limit its reach on the continent. Orbn, a nationalist populist whose illiberal policies have pushed him to the fringes of the European Union, made his country the first in the 27-member bloc to participate in Xi's signature Belt and Road Initiative. Hungary has straddled a middle ground between its membership in the EU and NATO and a willingness to establish diplomatic and trade relationships with

Continuing his embrace of autocrats, Trump to meet Hungary PM Viktor Orbn

Former President Donald Trump on Friday is scheduled to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn, as the likely Republican presidential nominee continues his embrace of autocratic leaders who are part of a global pushback against democratic traditions. Orbn has become an icon to some conservative populists for championing what he calls illiberal democracy, replete with restrictions on immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. But he's also cracked down on the press and judiciary in his country and rejiggered the country's political system to keep his party in power while maintaining the closest relationship with Russia among all European Union countries. In the US, Trump's allies have embraced Orbn's approach. On Thursday, as foreign dignitaries milled through Washington, D.C., ahead of President Joe Biden's State of the Union address, Orbn skipped the White House and instead spoke at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank overseeing the 2025 Project, the effort to create a ..

EU approves $54 bn aid package for Ukraine despite Hungary's threats

All 27 European Union countries have reached consensus on an additional 50 billion euros (USD 54 billion) aid package for Ukraine, overcoming potential vetoes, notably from Hungary