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State of emergency extended for another 180 days in Hungary
Hungary’s parliament extended the country's state of emergency by 180 days, citing the ongoing war in neighboring Ukraine and associated economic and humanitarian impacts. The legislation passed with a significant majority ( the ruling party FIdesz has a two-thirds supermajority), grants the government emergency powers "to manage challenges linked to the war".
The extension highlights the ongoing tension and economic strain felt across the region as Hungary continues to adjust its policies in response to unfolding events. The state of emergency has been in place since May 2022, giving Viktor Orbán the power to issue decrees suspending the enforcement of certain laws and taking other extraordinary measures.
Slovakia will not restrict minority language use, Hungarian FM says"
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said he met Slovak parliamentary Speaker Peter Ziga that proposed language legislation would not threaten the rights of ethnic minorities, including Hungarians. "Today I received clear confirmation from the Speaker that the potential new language legislation will not pose any threat to the use of the mother tongue for the ethnic minorities living on the territory of Slovakia," Szijjarto told Hungarian state news agency MTI in Bratislava.
The talks came after concerns over draft laws mandating Slovak language dominance in public services and signage. Szijjártó expressed optimism, citing Ziga’s guarantees and the Slovak government’s positive stance on minority issues. The Hungarian minister emphasized the importance of their dialogue to safeguard minority rights and prevent disputes.
Orbán: "America will quit this war"
"The situation on the front is clear: military defeat. And the Americans will quit this war," Hungary's far-right prime minister said during his weekly interview with state radio, predicting that the US support for Ukraine will soon wane. The Hungarian leader said President-elect Donald Trump is a man who "hates war.
Orbán praised Ukraine’s courage saying they "fought heroically" but argued that Europe cannot continue to bear the financial burden of the war alone. He suggested that attitudes toward adapting to the situation are changing across Europe, with an increasing number calling for a shift in strategy. Echoing Hungary’s longstanding stance, Orbán urged fellow leaders to " leave the past behind and adapt".
"Everyone knows that if Donald Trump had won in the United States in 2020, these nightmarish two years would not have happened. There would have been no war," Orban added saying the Republican politician's "victory is so great that it can not only be seen from the Moon, but also from Mars"
Tisza Party leads over Fidesz in new IDEA poll
In a surprising shift, Hungary's ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition has been overtaken in popularity by the new centrist opposition Tisza Party, according to a new survey by IDEA Institute.
The poll indicates that 30% of the population now backs Tisza, led by Peter Magyar, ex-husband of former justice minister Judit Varga -- compared to 28% for Fidesz-KDNP. If elections were held today, Hungary’s parliament would have four parties: Tisza, Fidesz-KDNP, the far-right Mi Hazánk, and the Democratic Coalition (DK). Analysts caution that with elections 18 months away, these figures reflect current sentiment rather than outcomes.