BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary’s pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accused Ukraine on Monday of seeking to meddle in his country’s upcoming elections and ordered Kyiv’s ambassador to be summoned to the foreign ministry.
The step was the latest in Orbán’s long-running anti-Ukraine campaign as he seeks to convince voters that the neighboring country, embroiled in a war with Russia since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, poses an existential threat to Hungary’s security and sovereignty.
Hungary will challenge the European Union’s plan to end Russian energy imports and take the case to an EU court, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Friday.
Speaking on state radio, Orbán accused the bloc of trying to sidestep his veto power over sanctions on Russian energy by instead using trade rules in its plan to phase out all imports of Russian oil and gas by the end of 2027.
“We are turning to the European Court of Justice in this matter,” Orbán said.
“This is a flagrant violation of European law, the rule of law and European cooperation … They will pay a very high price for this.”
BUDAPEST, Hungary — BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Thousands of Hungarians congregated on the streets of Budapest on Thursday in a show of force on behalf of their leader, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who six months ahead of parliamentary elections looks set to face the most competitive ballot in his 15 years in power.
The gathering, dubbed a “peace march” by organizers, came on Hungary’s Oct. 23 national holiday, a remembrance of a failed anti-Soviet uprising in 1956 that was crushed by the Red Army. Marchers shouted slogans backing Orbán and his message that Hungary is at risk of becoming directly involved in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Ukraine is working to influence Hungary’s elections, warns Hungarian foreign minister– rmx.news Source Link Excerpt:
Ukraine is interested in influencing Hungarian national elections in April, said Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in a new video posted to his Facebook page.
He points to work done by Ukrainians in creating an app for the rival Tisza Party, which is the main opposition facing Orbán during April national elections.
“It is clear what Ukraine’s interest is in the Hungarian parliamentary election, and it is clear who and through what they want to act in line with this interest,” said Szijjártó.
He added that “if anyone had any doubts about whether the Ukrainians would interfere in next year’s Hungarian parliamentary election, they could be sure that the Ukrainians are strongly interested in influencing the outcome of the Hungarian parliamentary election.”
The foreign minister is referencing a data leak that showed that individuals connected to Ukraine were behind the creation of an app for the Tisza party. The leak affected approximately 18,000 users of the party’s mobile app. Among the data leaked was that of one of its admins, a Ukrainian developer, Myroslav Tokar, who works for app development company PettersonApps.
As negotiations for Ukraine’s EU accession near, everybody is talking about how to get around Orbán’s veto– rmx.news Source Link Excerpt:
According to Marta Kos, European Union Commissioner for Enlargement, the screening phase of Ukraine’s and Moldova’s EU accession process is almost complete.
However, of course, there is still that pesky Hungarian veto the EU must find a solution to, at least regarding Ukraine’s accession.
Kos, echoing sentiments expressed by Denmark’s Minister for European Affairs Marie Bjerre, assured the press that they will “proceed with the technical aspects,” even if the EU Council does not give its political approval, reports Magyar Nemzet.
Previously, Bjerre stated: “We are still trying to find a solution to get Hungary to give up its veto. If that doesn’t work, we are ready to consider all political and practical means to succeed [in opening negotiations], because our security is at stake.”
Readers should note that Denmark is the current president of the European Union, and it has made it clear that starting accession negotiations with Ukraine is a top priority of its presidency. As noted above by Bjerre, they are directly linking it to the security of the entire EU.
Denmark is not alone. Lithuania has actually presented a way to get around Hungary’s veto by simply starting negotiations without it. Although it is unclear as to how this would work, European Council President António Costa also believes that negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU should continue, despite Hungary’s veto.
Zelensky says that the Druzhba (friendship) between Kiev and Budapest ‘will depend on Hungary’s actions’.
Orbán made it clear that Zelensky’s threats will not be forgiven or forgotten.
We have been reported how the repeated Ukrainian missile attacks on the Druzhba (meaning ‘friendship’) pipeline cut the flow of crude oil from Russia to both Hungary and Slovakia.
And what became an internet spat between the Hungarian and Ukrainian foreign ministers escalated now to a controversy between Kiev regime leader Volodymyr Zelensky and Hungarian President Viktor Orbán.
Budapest Liberal Mayor Defies Orbán’s Hungarian Child Protection Law That Bans Public LGBT Events, Sets up Confrontation by Confirming ‘Pride March’ Is To Take Place | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com Source Link Excerpt:
Conservative champion, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán implements his nationalistic, pro-family agenda despite the uproar in the Liberal-Globalist European establishment.
“Now, emboldened by the historic return of his long-time ally Donald J. Trump and by the growing surge of right-wingers and populists in the continent, Orbán is unleashing his policies ever more strongly, to the absolute dismay of the USAID-media.
Yesterday, it arose that this year’s edition of Hungary’s ‘Budapest Gay Pride’ will have to be held in a ‘closed venue’ rather than parading along central Budapest as it previously did.
According to Orban’s Chief of Staff, the measure will be undertaken to better implement child protection.”
The European Parliament will send a fact-finding mission to Hungary in mid-April to assess the latest developments regarding the rule of law, and 19 EU member states are already ready to take away Hungary’s voting rights.
The EUobserver claims that “rule of law in Hungary continues to deteriorate,” which is why EU institutions are considering accelerating sanctions under Article 7 of the Treaty.
This claim comes even as Marine Le Pen is banned from running for office in France on trumped-up charges as well as the presidential frontrunner in Romania, Călin Georgescu, being banned from running for president and suffering a show-trial arrest. At the same time, Germany is working on banning the largest opposition party in the country, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), all in a clear breach of fundamental democratic rights.
NEW: Le Pen slams yesterday’s court ruling barring her from standing in the presidential election.
“People say this is a judicial decision. No, it’s a political decision.
Maybe next time I should arrive on my knees with a rope around my neck to make things easier for you?” pic.twitter.com/HmW3AsLpIG
Hungary passes law to ban Pride march, triggering protest – The Straits Times Source Link Excerpt:
Hungary’s parliament passed a law on Tuesday to ban the Pride march by LGBTQ+ communities, triggering the blockade of a bridge in central Budapest in protest against the changes fast-tracked by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling Fidesz party.
Fidesz, which holds a commanding parliamentary majority, submitted a bill on Monday that would ban the annual Pride march on the grounds that it could prove harmful to children, and approved the legislation in an expedited process on Tuesday.
A group of protesters gathered outside parliament to oppose the changes before marching on to Margaret Bridge, where several thousand demonstrators chanted “Assembly is a fundamental right” while facing down a police cordon.
EU Parliament wants to deprive Hungary of voting rights – Politico – RBC-Ukraine Source Link Excerpt:
MEPs from the Volt party are calling for Hungary’s voting rights in the EU to be revoked because it blocks joint decisions. They will send a corresponding plan to European leaders, Politico reports.
According to the agency, their plan consists of 9 points. The document, in addition to calling for the deprivation of Hungary’s voting rights, proposes to appoint the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, as a full-fledged EU Foreign Minister.
The authors of the text also seek to create a common European army and to ensure that EU treaties can be revised to include new defense competencies and prepare for enlargement.
Hungary’s Orban claims Poland’s center-right government was installed by the EU– www.washingtontimes.com Source Link Excerpt:
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban suggested on Friday that Poland’s government and its prime minister, Donald Tusk, were installed by the European Union as part of a plot to remove the country’s previous right-wing populist leadership.
