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Denmark demands Hungary's EU voting rights suspended
Denmark wants the European Union to intensify legal action against Hungary over ongoing violations of the bloc’s fundamental values, including the Article 7 procedure. Politico reports . Danish European Affairs Minister Marie Bjerre emphasized the need to continue the Article 7 hearings on Hungary. She also called for exploring restrictions on EU funds for member states that breach European law.
Another key issue for Denmark is EU enlargement. Bjerre criticized Hungary’s blockade of Ukraine’s membership bid and said Denmark is open to all political and practical solutions to move the process forward. While Hungary’s opposition could potentially be overridden by stripping its voting rights through Article 7, such a move would require strong backing from major players like France and Germany. Bjerre also rejected the idea of handling Ukraine and Moldova’s EU bids separately, reaffirming Denmark’s goal to advance both countries together.
Gender pay gap in Hungary reaches 1.5 million forint per year
The gender pay gap in Hungary is way above the EU average. The situation could improve if men were to participate more in raising children, but the government does not encourage them at all. The gender pay gap is nearly 18%, Lakmusz reports. This means an average loss of 1.5 million Hungarian forints a year for women.
According to the latest Eurostat data for 2023, the gap in Hungary is 17.8 percent. In the EU, women earn on average 12 percent less than men, making Hungary one of the countries with the largest pay gap. Experts agree that the best way to tackle the gender pay gap is for the government to encourage fathers to play a more equal role in raising children. Fanni Csernus, gender equality expert at Amnesty International Hungary, argues that the government's family policies reinforce the unequal distribution of invisible work and may even widen the pay gap.
She highlighted the tax exemption for mothers. In March, the government decided that mothers under 30 will receive an income tax exemption on their entire income, mothers of three will receive a lifetime exemption from October 2025, and mothers of two from January 2026. The move could be a potential risk factor, as employers may take this into account in wage negotiations, and it may lead to fewer promotion opportunities for women.
US Chargé d'Affaires No more moralizing from podiums
At the U.S. Embassy’s Independence Day celebration in Budapest, Chargé d'Affaires Robert Palladino declared the start of a “new chapter” in U.S.-Hungarian relations, crediting Donald Trump’s return to the White House with bringing “new energy and clarity” to foreign policy, Hungarian news agency, MTI reports. Palladino said the U.S. will engage with Hungary privately and respectfully. "No more public scoldings. No more moralizing from podiums. That era is over," he added, referring to previous US Ambassadors like David Pressman who voiced criticism about the state of democracy and the level of corruption in Hungary. Palladino stressed the two countries shared values such as faith, family, nation, and freedom, signaling a close alliance with the Orban government.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó welcomed Palladino's message, thanking him for his work and expressing pride in U.S.-Hungarian relations. Szijjártó said the government was proud to help lay the foundations for what he called a “new golden era” in relations between the two countries, adding that the phase of “lecturing, accusations and stigmatization” was over. He also praised Trump’s presidency, claiming it had made the world "safer". The event was attended by several high-profile figures close to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, including Interior Minister Sándor Pintér, Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, and Orbán’s son-in-law.
Up to 5.5 billion in EU funds linked to Orbán’s inner circle
Between 2011 and 2023, EU taxpayers contributed to Viktor Orbán’s “kleptocracy” with an estimated €3.2 to €5.5 billion, according to a new study by the Budapest-based Corruption Research Center. Researchers analyzed 340,000 public procurement contracts involving 13 businessmen tied to the Orbán regime, including Lőrinc Mészáros, István Tiborcz, and István Garancsi. These actors collectively received €19.3 billion in EU-funded contracts. Many of the tenders were awarded without competition.
The study found that this group won €12.2 billion across 1,312 EU-funded tenders with at least some level of competition, accounting for 14 percent of total EU funding during the period. For comparison, they received just €451 million between 2005 and 2011, showing a tenfold increase following Orbán’s rise to power in 2010. The report describes its findings as conservative, as it only examined public procurement contracts and excluded other types of EU funding. It also noted that while EU taxpayers funded Orbán-linked business interests at a ratio of 1:3, Hungarian taxpayers carried an even heavier burden, financing the system at a ratio of 2:3 due to higher overpricing in state-funded tenders.