- Stay updated on the latest news from Hungary by signing up for the free InsightHungary newsletter.
Hungary is the only EU country to oppose tariff response to US
On Wednesday, the European Union Member States approved the first countermeasures against US President Donald Trump's tariffs, imposing a 25% tariff on US goods. This is in response to the US imposing a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports from the EU, 444 reports. "The EU considers the US tariffs to be unjustified and harmful, causing economic damage to both sides and the global economy. The European Union has repeatedly made clear its preference for negotiated solutions with the United States that would be balanced and mutually beneficial," the European Commission said after the decision.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó warned the Hungarian government would vote against EU counter-tariffs on US products "because they would cause a significant price increase, and instead, we should negotiate to reduce the burden". Szijjarto said that "strategic calm is the most important thing" in this situation. Hungary is the sixth most damaged country by Trump's tariff war. The value of total Hungarian exports is forecast to fall by 0.37 percent, three times the average for the EU as a whole.
The EU since has suspended its retaliatory tariffs after the US put a sudden 90-day pause on their decision. "That's why we voted no yesterday. It was a totally unnecessary and wrong decision. Let's withdraw it as soon as possible," Szijjarto wrote on X/Twitter on Thursday.
Telex: US report was written by economists, Trump administration confirms
The White House dismissed claims by Hungary’s foreign minister Péter Szijjártó that a recent U.S. trade report was influenced by former Ambassador David Pressman. “We have nothing to add to the administration’s compilation of tariff and non-tariff barriers, which was produced by our country’s top economic minds to ensure our trade policy puts America First,” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told Hungarian online news site Telex. The report, published in late March, outlines economic practices harmful to U.S. trade and was followed days later by a new round of tariffs on the European Union.
The U.S. government’s identification of Hungary’s corruption risk as a factor in the tariff decision comes months after the Biden administration sanctioned Antal Rogán, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s close ally and cabinet chief, under the Global Magnitsky Act. At the time, the Hungarian government denounced the move as “petty revenge of Pressman".
France does not extradite Albanian anti-fascist to Hungary
Hungarian authorities accused Rexhino Abazaj an Albanian man of assault in Budapest. He allegedly attacked far-right extremists with his companions, on the day of the Outbreak tour in February 2023. The Antifa activist, known by the name Gino, was arrested in France on 12 November 2024 based on an arrest warrant issued in Hungary, Humanite reports.
The Albanian man immediately protested against his extradition to Hungary because he said prison conditions here did not meet European standards. The Paris Court of Appeal released him under police supervision at the end of March. The Hungarian authorities have asked for the Albanian man's extradition. But on Wednesday, the Paris Court of Appeal refused to extradite him. The Paris Court of Appeal referred to the risks of violation of the rights guaranteed by the articles of the European Convention on Human Rights on the prohibition of torture and the right to a fair trial. The court also lifted the police custody of Rexhino Abazaj, who left the courtroom accompanied by his family and to the applause of supporters.