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Hungarian government unsure about supporting von der Leyen for another term
On Monday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed Balázs Orbán's (no relation to the PM) statement that the Hungarian government would not support Ursula von der Leyen to lead the European Commission for another five years. In 2019, Hungary's far-right prime minister Viktor Orban welcomed that a German mother of seven had been appointed to replace Manfred Weber.
When the Hungarian Foreign Minister was asked about the matter, he said that after the EP elections, it is worth returning to the question of who will be the next President, but that they are not satisfied with Ursula von der Leyen:
"Europe has been very badly off with her presidency. And this is not a political statement, but the facts show that. After all, it was during her term of office that China - the European Union - overtook us in terms of share of world GDP. Last year was the first year that the Chinese share of world GDP was already greater than the European Union's share. One by one, the threads of East-West cooperation have been cut. No one has an answer to the question of what will be the next basis for economic growth in Europe, instead of the previous European economic growth model, which was based on advanced European technologies and cheap Russian energy resources," Péter Szijjártó added
According to Szijjártó, under the leadership of President von der Leyen, the European Commission is constantly putting Poland and Hungary at a disadvantage compared to other countries.
US expresses concerns over János Lázár's involvement in rehabilitating Horthy's legacy
“Miklós Horthy was complicit in the slaughter of Hungary’s Jewish population during the Holocaust. The United States is concerned by the participation of a senior Orbán government official in efforts to rehabilitate and promote his brutal legacy,” US Ambassador David Pressman wrote in a statement after János Lázár's speech at Horthy commemoration. The US Embassy also shared Chief Rabbi Róbert Frölich's Facebook post on the matter where Frölich quotes the former regent's letter to Adolf Hitler.
When talking about Horthy, Lázár called him an "exceptional head of state, a true Hungarian patriot, and a heroic soldier". During the commemoration on Sunday, he also said that in 1919 Horthy "saved the country from the fate that the Western powers had in mind for Hungary".
Jason Crow: Orban's rhetoric is not in the interest of the Hungarian people
Colorado Congressman Jason Crow visited Hungary last week amid concerns about the government's rhetoric on NATO and the state of democracy. In an interview with 444, Crow said he was concerned by Orban's rhetoric -- calling the United States an enemy or implying that NATO members are partly or fully responsible for the conflict in Ukraine. The Congressmen said these allegations were simply false and not supported by facts.
"It is in Hungary's interest as a NATO member to stop Putin because he will not be satisfied with Ukraine. He will go as far as he is allowed to go," he added. Crow said he believes three steps need to happen to prevent Russia from launching similar wars in the Central and Eastern European region. The first is the downgrading of the Russian army, which will result in a reduction of its combat power. The second condition is that the sanctions are effective and enforceable. This will prevent the Russians from recapitalizing their military machine. And the third is the range of security assurances with Ukraine.
"A negotiated settlement will need the support of European countries and the United States. It is up to the future to determine the content of the agreement. I am sure that several discussions and negotiations will precede it," Crow told 444.
Vučić among speakers at upcoming Budapest Demographic Summit
The fifth edition of the Budapest Demographic Forum, officially known as the Budapest Demographic Forum, will be held from 14-15 September. According to Hungarian President Katalin Novák, it is one of the largest international conferences in Hungary."From 14 to 15 September, heads of state and government, opinion leaders, and experts from around the world will gather at the Museum of Fine Arts for Europe's largest family policy forum" Novak wrote on her social media. The event is organized every two years since 2015.
As for the speakers, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are expected to attend the forum. Novak even invited Elon Musk, who recently shared Tucker Carlson's interview with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, adding "Extremely interesting. Hungary is trying hard to address their birth rate problem".