Ukrainian Foreign Ministry says Orbán is indirectly calling for Ukraine's defeat in the war

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Ukraine reacts to Orban saying Ukraine can only fight as long as the United States supports it with aids

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday, that the Hungarian PM's statements "show pathological disregard for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people who are fighting Russian aggression, and they also show his political short-sightedness.” The statement points out that the "defeat of Ukraine in the war, which Viktor Orban indirectly calls for, would lead to a direct threat of Russian aggression against Hungary and Hungarians". 

"Orbán should ‘ask himself whether he wants peace’. If the answer is yes, he should use his close ties with Moscow to persuade Moscow to stop its aggression against Ukraine and withdraw its troops," the ministry's statement reads.

The statement reacts to Orban's comments in an interview with Hungarian pro-government outlet Magyar Nemzet, that Ukraine can “only fight as long as the United States supports it with money and arms. If the Americans want peace, there will be peace."

Katalin Novak pardons seven defendants in right-wing extremist case

Hungarian President Katalin Novak had granted pardons to seven defendants in the Budahazy-case. Right-wing extremist Gyorgy Budahazy and his accomplices had been convicted for setting up a terrorist organization and carrying out attacks against lawmakers more than a decade ago. Members of the group were also charged with throwing petrol bombs at the homes of left-wing politicians and gay bars. 

During the retrial this year the municipal court of Budapest sentenced Budahazy to 17 years in prison. His accomplices had been sentenced to 5 to more than ten years.

"17 people are still being prosecuted after 13 years. I find it unfortunate that in almost a decade and a half, the court has not been able to reach a final decision. After careful consideration, I have decided to separate the cases of those who were acquitted by the lower court, and whose offense was considered to be of lesser gravity," Novak's statement reads. "The time spent in pre-trial detention and the 13-year-long period have tested the individuals involved and their families."

Orbán's salary may increase by $2200 next year

According to statistical forecasts, Hungarian MPs can expect a salary increase of at least $600 in 2023, RTL reports. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is also expected to benefit: his gross salary could increase by almost $2200 from March.

Four years ago, the ruling Fidesz-KDNP party's politicians passed an amendment that set the salary of MPs at three times the average salary of the previous year, so politicians do not need to pass new legislation every year to get a pay rise, as their benefits will automatically rise - or fall - based on how their earnings developed in the national economy in the previous year.

The statistics for 2022 are not final, only the January-September figures have been released by the Central Statistical Office. 

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