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Former Hungarian PM claims secret police tried to recruit him as in informer in the '80s

Former Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán claims Hungary’s communist-era secret services tried to recruit him as an informer during his military service, but he refused and was placed under surveillance. In a statement posted on Facebook, accompanied by secret service documents from the 1980s, the former PM said he, his wife and fellow opposition members had been subjected to state investigations. He also alleged that informers had been assigned to monitor them and that listening devices were planted in their workplaces, homes and even bedrooms. However, Vqsuare later reported that former Hungarian PM, Miklós Németh saw three handwritten informant reports attributed to Orban.

His comments came ahead of the launch of a public online database containing tens of thousands of files from Hungary’s communist-era state security services. The release is part of Magyar’s pledge to open the archives, which have been stored in a vast basement facility in Budapest, and allow the country to confront its totalitarian past. Although communist rule ended in 1989, the following governments had failed to make the records fully accessible, citing a lack of political will. Until now, Hungarian citizens could only request access to files concerning themselves or close relatives, while researchers had broader access. The new database will allow anyone to search the records, which include lists of informers and collaborators. About 55,000 secret collaborators were recorded in Hungary between 1956 and 1989.

US and Hungary sign agreement targeting far-left terrorism

Hungary’s foreign minister, Anita Orbán and her US counterpart, Marco Rubio, agreed to strengthen cooperation against violent far-left organisations, including through increased intelligence-sharing and law enforcement collaboration. The agreement was one of two signed during their meeting in Washington, alongside a memorandum on developing regional oil and gas infrastructure under the Trump Peace Pipelines Framework. Orbán initially announced the agreements in a social media post but gave few details about the law enforcement deal. Rubio later said it was intended to help prevent what he described as a resurgence of far-left terrorism, arguing that politically motivated violence and vandalism had become a problem on both sides of the Atlantic. He said these groups are targeting police forces, critical infrastructure and historical landmarks, and said some had organized themselves into international networks seeking to destabilize western societies. The US and Hungary would work together to track these cross-border networks and bring those responsible to justice, he said.

Orbán said the agreement would build on existing law enforcement cooperation by improving the exchange of information to help prevent, detect and prosecute violence by left-wing groups, naming Antifa Ost as an example. The meeting between the foreign ministers was held behind closed doors, with no press in attendance.

HIIA director dismissed after previous contracts with Orban-government revealed

Botond Feledy was dismissed as director of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA), after his contracts with the previous government were made public. State secretary György László Velkey announced the decision on Facebook late on Monday, saying the ministry had lost confidence in Feledy after learning of his links to the Orban administration. The announcement came hours after Telex reported that Feledy’s company, Red Snow, had held three contracts with the ministry of construction and transport, then led by János Lázár, between December 2023 and the change of government. The contracts, confirmed through a public records request, were worth a combined 84.2m forints (€230,780). Prime minister Péter Magyar said Feledy’s dismissal was a difficult but necessary decision, arguing that someone who had failed to disclose receiving such a sum in public money from the previous government could not hold a senior position under his administration. He also questioned why Lázár’s ministry had needed the analyses, which cost about 3m forints a month.

Magyar said there was nothing wrong with working professionally and transparently for the previous government, nor with having been a member of Fidesz, but argued that concealing the contracts during the recruitment process was compunacceptable. Feledy, meanwhile, said his work had involved writing analyses on international developments for clients, but never advised them on domestic politics. He maintained that clients had never influenced his views and said he would continue working to support Hungary’s democratic transition.

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UK, France and Hungary would 'firmly oppose' Orban's nomination for leading the UN

Members of the Trump administration have expressed support for Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s former prime minister, for the post of UN secretary-general, according to the Wall Street Journal. Orbán, lost power in April after 16 years in office and could reportedly also count on backing from Russia and China, potentially giving him the support of three of the five permanent members of the UN security council, including the US. The WSJ reported that the US state department believed between eight and 10 of the council’s 15 members would support him. Diplomats cited by the Times said the UK and France, the two other permanent members with veto powers, would be firmly opposed.

Orbán’s reported candidacy is striking given his earlier criticism of the UN as a “paralyzed” institution. One theory is that the Trump administration could be seeking a compromise that would give Orbán immunity from prosecution in Hungary, where Péter Magyar’s new government has launched an anti-corruption investigation into officials from the Orbán era. Magyar has warned that appointing his predecessor to lead the UN would spell the end of the organization.

Hungary is looking to replace Rosatom in Paks project

Hungary is loooking to replace Russia’s Rosatom as the main contractor for the expansion of its Paks nuclear power plant, with the government already seeking out suppliers, Reuters reports. The project was awarded to Rosatom without a tender in 2014 by former PM Viktor Orbán and has become a politically sensitive and costly undertaking. Prime minister Péter Magyar’s government is expected to decide on its future later this year or early next year. Originally estimated to cost €12.5bn, the expansion had already cost Hungary more than €2bn by the time concrete was first poured in February. Rosatom said it was continuing work according to the agreed schedule and had received no formal notification that Hungary intended to terminate the contract. The company also said it saw no legal grounds for doing so.

The project faces several other complications. The original contract has been amended five times, with a sixth amendment prepared but not signed, while a 2025 ruling by the European Court of Justice overturned the European Commission’s approval of state aid for the expansion. Magyar’s pro-EU government remains committed to nuclear power as a way to meet rising electricity demand and balance intermittent renewable energy. In the meantime, Budapest is considering seeking a 20-year extension for the operating licences of Paks’s four existing Russian-built reactors, which expire between 2032 and 2037. Replacing Rosatom could leave Hungary liable for the €1.1bn already paid to the company, as well as potential penalties for breaking the contract.

Hungary plans budget cuts to pave way for euro

Hungary’s government hopes to put the country on a path towards euro adoption by 2032 by making significant spending adjustments early in its term, finance minister András Kármán told Reuters. PM Magyar’s first budget targets a deficit of 4.9% of GDP in 2027, down from an expected 7.5% this year, in what investors have welcomed as a positive first step. The government aims to bring the deficit below the EU’s 3% threshold by 2030, meeting a key condition for joining the euro. Kármán says the goal was not simply to reduce the deficit in the short term, but to make lasting changes that would bring Hungary closer to adopting the single currency. Those measures include limiting an income tax exemption for mothers and slowing the introduction of an extra month’s pension payments, both policies inherited from Orbán’s government. Magyar’s cabinet hopes that acting early will reduce the need for politically difficult cuts as the 2030 election approaches.

Kármán said a deficit below 3% by 2030 could allow Hungary to adopt the euro in 2032, although the government has not yet committed to a date. Next year, it plans to establish a working group with the central bank to prepare for joining Exchange Rate Mechanism II (ERM-2), the waiting stage before euro adoption, and develop a realistic timetable. Kármán said the priority was not to enter ERM-2 as quickly as possible, but to minimise the time spent in the mechanism before adopting the euro.

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Former Hungarian central bank chief detained as son faces international arrest warrant

Former governor of Hungary’s central bank, György Matolcsy has been detained as a suspect in an investigation into more than 266bn forints ($817m) in funds that passed through foundations stablished by the bank during his tenure. Prosecutors said the case involved significant financial losses and that they had questioned Matolcsy on Wednesday, alongside other suspects. They have also initiated international arrest warrants for two people, while Matolcsy declined to testify, according to prosecutors. His lawyer, Pál Bátki, confirmed the detention, saying the allegations were complex and that the defense had not yet had the opportunity to examine them fully. The investigation began after a report by Hungary’s State Audit Office raised concerns about investments by a foundation established by the National Bank of Hungary and Optima Investment, which managed its assets. The allegations, according to Hungarian online news site Telex include suspected fraud causing significant financial losses and the use of a forged private document.

The investigation has focused on the Pallas Athene foundations, established by the central bank in 2014 under Matolcsy and funded with public money from the bank’s exchange-rate gains. In May, prosecutors and police seized about 92bn forints ($300m) in funds and securities as part of a related money-laundering investigation. Prosecutors have also alleged that, on 28 February 2025, two days before Matolcsy’s final day as governor, a private equity fund represented by Optima entered into a sham securities-lending agreement intended to transfer control of the foundations’ assets to people who would remain under Matolcsy’s influence after he left office. They allege the arrangement was intended to allow Matolcsy and his son, Ádám to use the assets for their own investments and profit. On Wednesday, Hungarian authorities have issued an international arrest warrant for Ádám Matolcsy.

Magyar meets Herzog in Budapest

Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, has met Hungary’s prime minister Péter Magyar, in Budapest. The event marks the first meeting between an Israeli leader and the country’s new premier since Magyar defeated Viktor Orbán six months ago. Orbán, who served as prime minister for 16 years, was a close ally of Benjamin Netanyahu and one of Israel’s staunchest defenders within the EU. Herzog and Magyar discussed bilateral cooperation, Israel’s relations with the EU and regional challenges during a private meeting and working lunch attended by senior Hungarian ministers, according to Herzog’s office. Herzog thanked the Magyar government for its "stance against antisemitism" and invited the prime minister to visit Israel.

Herzog also met his Hungarian counterpart, András Baka, at Sándor Palace before holding talks with Magyar. At a joint press briefing, Herzog described Hungary as a “friend and an ally”, praised its efforts to promote “balanced and constructive relations” between Israel and the EU, and said he was confident bilateral ties would continue to develop under the new government. He said the two countries’ alliance had deepened over the past year, with cooperation aimed at building secure economic and technological futures. Baka struck a more reserved tone, describing relations as “cordial and stable” and Israel an “important economic partner” to Hungary.

Vance on Orban "I've endorsed one foreign candidate in my entire life, and it didn't go particularly well

At a press conference on Wednesday, the Vice President of the United States was asked why he had not pledged his support for Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the Israeli elections held on October 27. J. D. Vance replied that he endorsed only one foreign politician in his life, Viktor Orbán, and "it didn't go particularly well."

LOL -- JD Vance says "I've endorsed one foreign candidate in my entire life, and it didn't go particularly well, as much as I'm very much an admirer of Orban" https://t.co/pyRzXtnPyb

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 21, 2026

"I'm very much an admirer of Orban," Vance added. A few days before the parliamentary election in April, the US Vice President spoke confidently at the Karmelita, saying he was convinced that Orbán would win. He even called on Donald Trump during a Fidesz campaign rally, and put him on speakerphone in front of the crowd.

PM Magyar to hold first meeting with Ukrainian President

Hungary’s prime minister, Péter Magyar, has announced that he plans to hold his first official bilateral meeting with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the sidelines of an EU summit today in Brussels. The summit, taking place on 15 and 16 October, is expected to focus heavily on Ukraine. Magyar’s announcement came two days after Zelenskyy signed a law strengthening the educational rights of minorities, a key demand from Budapest before it would allow Kyiv’s EU accession talks to advance.

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A post shared by Péter Magyar (@magyar_peter_official_the_man)

The new law gives Ukraine’s Hungarian-speaking minority and other EU-language minorities greater scope to use their native languages in education. Ukrainian officials have said it formalizes existing rights rather than introducing major practical changes. About 80,000 ethnic Hungarians live in Ukraine’s western region, Zakarpattia. Under former prime minister Viktor Orbán, Hungary frequently cited minority rights to block Ukraine’s EU accession process.

Magyar’s election victory has opened the way for more constructive dialogue with Kyiv. After Hungary lifted its veto on Ukraine’s accession talks this summer following an agreement on the rights of the Hungarian minority, Budapest later blocked further negotiating clusters pending progress on education. The new law has cleared the way for more clusters to open, and the EU shared two additional reform clusters with Ukraine on 13 October.

Hungary amends controversial Orban-era anti-LGBTQ law

Hungary’s parliament has voted to roll back restrictions targeting LGBTQ+ people, repealing provisions of a controversial "child protection" law introduced under the previous far-right prime minister, Viktor Orbán. The law banned the “depiction or promotion of homosexuality” for under 18 year olds. LGBTQ and human rights campaigners welcomed the changes but said further reforms were needed. The vote was followed within minutes by an announcement from Budapest that the EU had agreed to release €4.2bn in frozen funds. The European Commission said last month that Hungary had addressed several rule-of-law breaches affecting the EU budget, and urged EU leaders to unlock the money and restore the country’s access to Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe.

The changes mark a shift from Orbán’s continous attacks on LGBTQ rights, but Magyar has stopped short of presenting his government as a champion of full equality. During the election campaign, he emphasised protecting children in state care while avoiding the topic of gay rights. "Child protection" had been a central theme of Orbán’s government, but became a political liability after public outrage over its support for a pardon for a children’s home deputy director convicted of covering up his boss’s crime: abusing minors. Budapest’s Pride march drew an estimated 250,000 people in June 2025 despite Orbán’s promise to prevent it, and this year’s event went ahead without restrictions. LGBTQ activists are calling for further changes, including full recognition of same-sex marriage, adoption rights for same-sex couples and the restoration of transgender people’s right to change their names on official documents.

Expelled Russian spies fed pro-Kremlin narratives to Orban's propaganda outlets

The recently expelled ten Russian diplomats expelled were intelligence officers involved in recruiting and handling agents, according to European national security officials briefed on the decision, Vsquare reports. The officials said the expulsions, announced by Budapest on 8 September, followed more than a decade in which Viktor Orbán’s government had undermined counterintelligence efforts. The officers were selected according to how much their removal would disrupt Moscow’s spy network in Hungary, and included members of both Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, and its foreign intelligence service, the SVR. Some were also involved in supplying pro-Kremlin narratives to Pro-Orban media outlets.

Alexander Kurkov, the SVR’s Budapest station chief, was not among those expelled, according to the officials. His previous diplomatic cover included press affairs, and he had met Hungarian journalists and foreign correspondents. Hungary did not impose a limit on the number of diplomats Russia could post to its embassy, meaning Moscow could theoretically send replacements. However, Hungary’s counterintelligence service is expected to deny accreditation to new arrivals with known or suspected intelligence backgrounds.

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PM Magyar presents 'substantive defence' in phone theft case

Hungary’s prime minister, Péter Magyar, has been questioned as a suspect in a case involving the alleged theft of a phone at a Budapest nightclub in 2024. Magyar announced on Facebook that he was questioned by the Central Investigative Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday evening. He denied any involvement in the case. The prosecutor’s office confirmed that Magyar had been questioned as a suspect and said he had presented a substantive defence. The case relates to an incident at the Ötkert nightclub, shortly after Magyar was elected to the European Parliament. Prosecutors alleged that, after an argument with a man who was filming him without his consent, Magyar took the man’s phone and later deliberately dropped it into the Danube river.

Magyar described the questioning as the result of “political provocation” on Facebook and accused the authorities of applying a double standard. He asked why former prime minister Viktor Orbán had not been questioned in connection with the “cash transport” case, or Ádám Matolcsy and his associates over the scandal at Hungary’s central bank, before concluding: “What tyranny!” The prosecutor’s office had requested the suspension of Magyar’s parliamentary immunity on the same day it made similar requests concerning former ministers Miklós Seszták and Balázs Hankó, who have since been arrested in separate corruption cases. Parliament voted to suspend all three politicians’ immunity at an extraordinary session on 28 September. Magyar had himself requested that his immunity be lifted.

Russia expels Hungarian diplomats "as a reciprocal measure"

Russia has ordered several Hungarian diplomats to leave the country within two weeks in retaliation for Hungary’s expulsion of ten Russian diplomats earlier this month. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Hungary’s temporary chargé d’affaires, Gábor Gergics, on Thursday morning to inform him of the decision, which affects staff at the Hungarian embassy in Moscow and the country’s consulates general in St Petersburg and Kazan. On 8 September, Hungary’s foreign minister, Anita Orbán, announced that 10 Russian embassy staff would be expelled for activities deemed incompatible with diplomatic status under the Vienna Convention. Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, had warned that its response would be “harsh and painful”."As a reciprocal measure, a group of staff members from the Hungarian Embassy in Moscow and the Hungarian Consulates General in St ⁠Petersburg and Kazan must leave the territory of the Russian Federation within two weeks," the ministry said

Although Budapest has not officially confirmed that the Russian diplomats were engaged in espionage, András Rácz, deputy director general of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, said there "activities were incompatible with diplomatic status". The expulsions may also have been intended to signal a change in Hungary’s approach to Russia and reassure western allies about their foreign policy shift. During Viktor Orbán’s governments from 2010 to 2026, Hungary publicly expelled only one Russian diplomat before then: in 2018, in solidarity with the UK after the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.

Budapest among contenders to host 2036 Olympics

Two-thirds of Hungarians would support Budapest hosting the 2036 Olympic and Games, according to a September survey by the Medián Public Opinion and Market Research Institute. The poll, commissioned by the Hungarian Olympic Committee, surveyed a national sample of 1,000 people, supplemented by a further 500 respondents in Budapest. The International Olympic Committee said on Tuesday that six other countries had also expressed interest in hosting the 2036 event.

Interested parties must submit information on their proposed hosting concepts to the relevant IOC committee by the end of November, with strategic discussions with the IOC executive board due to begin next March. The committee will then narrow the field of candidates and, after November 2028, hold targeted negotiations with those selected. It will also consult interested parties about the 2040 and 2044 games. The host city for the 2036 Olympics will be chosen at the IOC’s 2029 general assembly.

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Exclusive: Áron Orbán tried to arrange for Ukrainian gold convoy to be intercepted in Austria

A newly published investigation by 444.hu alleges that Áron Orbán, younger brother of former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, contacted a former political acquaintance in Austria just weeks before Hungary’s 2026 election to ask whether an incoming shipment from Ukraine could be “caught”. According to the investigation, Orbán contacted Csongor Lászlóvári-Thoma, a Hungarian businessman living in Graz, on 26 March. The two had not spoken for several years. Lászlóvári-Thoma had previously been involved in Austrian politics and appeared on the ÖVP’s list in the 2021 Graz municipal election, although he did not win a seat.

Messages obtained by 444.hu show Orbán first asking how much influence his former acquaintance had in Austria before bringing up a shipment travelling through the country. He then asked whether they could “catch” it. Lászlóvári-Thoma understood the reference to be about a shipment of cash and asked for clarification. Orbán reportedly replied that he was referring to a new shipment, rather than the one that had already been intercepted in Hungary earlier that month.

Former Hungarian minister detained over alleged misuse of public funds

Two former Hungarian ministers have been detained on suspicion of corruption, hours after MPs voted to lift their parliamentary immunity. Balázs Hankó, Orbán’s former culture minister and a current MP for Fidesz, was detained late on Monday over alleged misappropriation of public funds, while Miklós Seszták, a former national development minister and MP for Fidesz ally KDNP, was detained as part of a separate bribery investigation. Both men deny wrongdoing. Prosecutors allege that Hankó oversaw the misuse of 17.3bn forints (€47m) from Hungary’s national cultural fund, directing the money to artists and groups with links to Fidesz and financing its 2026 election campaign. Shortly before his arrest, Hankó said in a live video that his “conscience is clear” and called the case a “political show trial”.

The detentions came on the same day parliament also voted to lift the immunity of PM Péter Magyar, whose Tisza party swept to victory in April after campaigning on promises to investigate alleged corruption and abuse of office during Orbán’s 16 years in power. Magyar, who had asked for his immunity to be lifted, is accused of taking a phone from a man filming him in a nightclub in 2024 and throwing it into the Danube. He denies that his actions amounted to theft and has called the case a “sham”. The investigations into Hankó and Seszták are the first against senior figures from the former government, according to the report. Magyar said the arrests marked a new era of “equality before the law”, while criticising prosecutors for linking the corruption investigations to what he described as an attempt at “political character assassination”.

EU chief prosecutor says first Hungary investigation could begin next year

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office could launch its first investigation in Hungary next year, its chief prosecutor, Laura Kövesi, has told Hungarian online news outlet Telex. Kövesi travelled to Budapest for talks with ministers in the Tisza government and representatives of the prosecutor general’s office about Hungary joining the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Kövesi, who was elected the office’s first chief prosecutor in 2019, previously led Romania’s anti-corruption directorate, where two former prime ministers, dozens of ministers and numerous other politicians and mayors were brought to trial. In her interview with Telex, she discussed which cases the European Public Prosecutor’s Office could investigate in Hungary, her relationship with the Orbán government, her message to PM Péter Magyar and Tisza’s campaign promise to establish a National Office for Asset Recovery and Protection.

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Hungary says it could replace Russian gas next year

Hungary could stop relying on Russian gas by October 2027, the economy and energy minister, István Kapitány, has told online news site Telex. Kapitány said Hungary had enough pipeline connections to secure gas from other sources at competitive prices. “If the situation develops the way it currently appears, Hungary’s gas supply can and will be secured from other sources” by October 2027, he said. That is also the EU deadline for member states to stop importing Russian natural gas. Kapitány said the Paks II nuclear power plant project, awarded by the Orbán government to Russia’s Rosatom, was also under review.

The Orbán government deepened energy ties with Moscow after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and continued importing Russian energy products, arguing that it's in Hungary's interest to do so.

Hungary addressed previous rule-of-law concerns, Von der Leyen says

The European Commission has proposed unlocking €4.2bn in previously blocked cohesion funding for Hungary, saying Budapest has addressed rule-of-law concerns affecting the EU budget. If approved by the Council, the move would also restore full access to the Erasmus+ student exchange and Horizon Europe research programs for Hungarian students and researchers. The EU suspended €6.3bn in cohesion funding in 2022 over the state of democracy in the country, including Hungary’s anti-corruption framework, conflicts of interest and public procurement. The Commission now says Hungary has addressed those issues.

The move follows an agreement in May between Hungarian PM Péter Magyar and Ursula von der Leyen to release €16.4bn in EU funding if Hungary met key rule-of-law milestones. Hungary said in late August that it had fulfilled all the conditions, including resolving the issue of public interest trusts (KEKVA), a legal structure used by the previous government to take control of public institutions such as universities. Hungary is also seeking €10bn in recovery funds, with the Commission’s assessment ongoing. Meanwhile, about €2.7bn in cohesion funding remains blocked over concerns including academic freedom, the child protection law and the right to asylum. Magyar has pledged to resolve the remaining issues by the end of the year.

Hungary could join eurozone as early as 2033

Hungary is moving closer to meeting the requirements for adopting the euro, helped by improving inflation and lower country risk premiums. But Péter Aradványi, chief analyst at Equilor, said sustained progress would require consistent economic policy. Hungary hasn't met the convergence criteria based on last year’s data, he said, although favorable inflation developments could allow it to meet the price stability requirement this year. The biggest hurdle remains the fiscal criteria: relatively high government debt and its interest burden are putting pressure on the budget.

Equilor expects euro adoption to bring greater exchange-rate stability, lower interest-rate premiums and deeper integration into the EU economy, but Hungary would lose its independent monetary policy and ability to use nominal currency depreciation. The firm forecasts economic growth of about 2.5% over the next two years, while the central bank’s base rate is expected to fall to 4% and the euro to trade between HUF360 and HUF370. Fiscal policy remains a key concern, with Equilor forecasting a budget deficit of 7.5% of GDP in 2026 and government debt reaching 77.5% of GDP. The credibility of the 2027 budget will be crucial, Aradványi said. Equilor considers a deficit of 5%-6% of GDP realistic for 2027, while warning that excessive cuts to investment could improve short-term figures at the expense of potential growth.

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Budapest expels several Moscow diplomats amid espionage concerns

Hungary expelled, ten Russian diplomats "in attempt to protect the country’s security and sovereignty," the country's new foreign minister, Anita Orbán said. Orbán added that the decision did not mean diplomatic relations with Moscow would be severed. A Russian-language news outlet had reported in April that nearly half of 47 Russian diplomats in Hungary could be linked to Russian intelligence. Moscow said it would retaliate, accusing Hungary of “Russophobia”, while the Russian foreign ministry's spokespreson Maria Zakharova told TASS that the response would be “harsh and painful”.

Allegations of Russian interference in Hungary peaked before April’s election, with Hungarian media reporting that Russia’s embassy in Budapest was involved in espionage, disinformation and efforts to support Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party.Orbán, who campaigned against Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and pledged to maintain low energy prices through Russian supplies, was defeated by PM Péter Magyar’s Tisza party, which formed the government in May. On election night, thousands of young people celebrated in Budapest, chanting “Russians go home”, a slogan associated with the 1956 anti-Communist uprising.

Euronews: MEPs to end article 7 procedure against Hungary

The European Parliament is moving towards ending its Article 7 procedure against Hungary, launched in 2018 over concerns about violations of EU values under Viktor Orbán, Euronews reports. With PM Péter Magyar now leading the government and Hungary revising laws from the Orbán era, several MEPs and officials say parliament is reconsidering its position. A fact-finding mission is planned for late October, after which MEPs will assess the rule of law situation and could recommend ending the procedure. Some officials expect a decision as early as December, while the MEP leading the file expects a report in early 2027.

Ending the procedure would require a two-thirds majority, or 480 of the parliament’s 719 members. The EPP, which includes Magyar’s Tisza party, is expected to support withdrawal, while the Greens and The Left could oppose it. The positions of the Socialists and Democrats and Renew Europe are likely to be crucial. Both groups acknowledge Hungary’s progress but have called for a thorough assessment. One issue remains the law restricting school educational materials or TV shows depicting or promoting homosexuality, gender transition or a deviation from biological sex: Hungary has not repealed the legislation or signalled intends to do so.

EU court dismisses Hungary lawsuit over frozen Russian assets

The EU’s General Court has rejected a lawsuit by Hungary’s previous government over the use of income from frozen Russian central bank assets to support Ukraine. The Orbán government had sought to overturn the decision to channel the interest generated by the assets through the European Peace Facility, arguing that Hungary’s opposition had been disregarded and that this violated its rights as an EU member state. The court said it could not rule on the case because the decision concerned the EU’s common foreign and security policy, which is largely outside the jurisdiction of the EU judiciary.

The EU had allocated €6.1bn through the European Peace Facility for Ukraine’s military and defense needs between 2022 and 2024, before raising the facility’s ceiling by a further €5bn for a Ukraine Assistance Fund. The ruling comes after a major shift in Hungary’s foreign policy following April’s election: the new government now describes Russia as a threat.

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Magyar's Tisza Party would "gladly" join the EPP if EU ends Article 7

Hungary's PM Péter Magyar has told Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party, that Hungary’s Tisza party would “gladly” join the centre-right European grouping once EU institutions close the Article 7 proceedings against Hungary. Magyar said the two discussed changes in Hungary since what he described as the end of publicly funded “hate campaigns”. Weber, according to Magyar, said supporting Hungary had always been important to him and that he had found Viktor Orbán’s smear campaigns against him personally difficult to bear.

Magyar also said Weber had offered to help find a solution to the €1m-a-day fine Hungary is paying over its asylum rules. He told Weber that Tisza would continue to protect Hungary’s borders and that, during negotiations on the EU’s next seven-year budget, he would seek to have the fines already imposed waived. Magyar said he would also meet European Council president António Costa in Budapest to discuss the EU’s new seven-year budget and challenges facing Europe.

Hungary blocks Ukraine's EU accession process for the third time

Hungary has blocked Ukraine’s EU accession process for a third time, refusing to approve the screening results for two negotiation clusters unless Kyiv takes further steps to protect the rights of its Hungarian minority. The decision, taken at an EU Council enlargement working group meeting on Tuesday, prevents the bloc from formally opening the clusters, which requires the unanimous support of all 27 member states. Cluster 2 covers the EU internal market, while Cluster 3 concerns competitiveness and inclusive growth.

The latest move follows earlier Hungarian objections to Ukraine’s accession negotiations, although Budapest has lifted its opposition to one cluster covering foreign and security policy. Hungary previously blocked technical work on several other clusters and has continued to oppose progress despite Magyar agreeing in June to an agreement with Ukraine on the educational, cultural, language and political rights of ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia.

Investigation launched into Orbán's social media contracts

The National Police Headquarters (ORFK) confirmed to Telex that it had accepted the complaint filed by the Prime Minister’s Office and had launched a criminal investigation on suspicion of embezzlement regarding Viktor Orbán’s social media contracts. No further information was disclosed.

The Prime Minister’s Office filed a complaint after reviewing the former prime minister’s most recent contracts(totaling 4 billion forints in public funds )related to his social media appearances. The owner of Triton Communications, the company awarded the contract without a public procurement process, is Fanny Kaminski, Orbán’s press advisor. Bertalan Havasi, Fidesz’s communications director, responded to the complaint by saying that Kaminski and his company were being “attacked for political reasons.”

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National Assembly’s Committee nominates political analyst as head of asset recovery office

The National Assembly’s Committee on Justice and Constitutional Affairs has nominated political analyst Anna Unger to become president of the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office. The 12-member committee voted six in favor, one against and one abstention on Thursday, after Unger was questioned by MPs and civil society representatives following her speech as a presidential candidate on Tuesday. Dr Katalin Tasnádi has also been nominated as deputy chair of the investigative committee, while a new round of nominations will be held for the deputy chair of the public finance committee after applications received so far were declared invalid.

Unger, whose academic research mainly focuses on democracy, said the new office should investigate already known corruption cases but that its greater value would be in uncovering the institutional system behind them. Unger argued that those responsible must be named. Officials, she said, had been paid to protect public assets but had failed to do so. Members of the National Assembly will vote on the president and the proposed vice president on Friday.If the candidates can secure the votes of two-thirds of the members of the National Assembly, they will serve a six-year term.

Hungary files criminal complaint over $965m ventilator purchases

Hungary’s foreign ministry has filed a criminal complaint with prosecutors over suspected fraud linked to the Orban government’s purchase of about 17,000 ventilators from China for $965m during the Covid-19 pandemic. The purchases, made in March and April 2020 drew criticism at the time because Hungary bought far more ventilators than could realistically be deployed and paid more per unit than other European countries. Foreign Minister Anita Orbán said a ministry investigation had raised suspicions of breach of fiduciary duty causing particularly substantial financial loss.

Orbán did not detail the specific allegations, but said the investigation had examined tens of thousands of documents, some of which were recovered using digital tools after unsuccessful attempts to delete them. She said the findings also raised questions about the responsibility of the ministry’s former senior leadership. A statement on the Hungarian government’s website cited other suspected irregularities, including the fact that most of the ventilators were bought through intermediary companies whose revenues rose exponentially as a result of the transaction.

Hungary's new foreign policy direction: Russia poses a threat to the country

A recently published government resolution, set out the positions the foreign minister and Hungarian delegation will represent at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The guidelines condemn Russia’s military aggression and support Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to self-defense, saying Russia’s actions threaten Hungary, Europe and the global order. They also call for negotiations towards sustainable peace and long-term security guarantees.

The statement also calls for support for the International Court of Justice and other international dispute-resolution bodies, while opposing the politicization of international legal forums. On the Middle East, Hungary says civilian populations must be protected, Israel’s right to self-defense respected and Hamas disarmed, while the humanitarian situation in Gaza should be improved. It also supports direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and calls for Lebanon’s sovereignty to be restored and Hezbollah disarmed, while praising the US's efforts to end the conflicts.

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Ukraine's president invites Magyar to Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited Hungary’s Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, to Kyiv, according to a letter published by the Ukrainian embassy in Budapest. Zelenskyy congratulated Magyar and the Hungarian people on the national holiday St Stephen’s Day, and said he was ready to continue direct dialogue with Hungary’s leadership. The Ukrainian leader said he would be pleased to welcome Magyar to the capital.

The two leaders met in June on the sidelines of an EU summit, when Magyar said he would prefer bilateral talks to take place in Berehove, in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region. Kyiv was among the other locations discussed. The embassy’s letter did not give a date for a possible visit, so the invitation does not indicate that a trip to Kyiv has been confirmed.

Hungary closes investigation into Ukrainian cash couriers over lack of evidence

Hungary’s National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) has closed its investigation into Ukrainian cash couriers after finding no evidence of a crime, according Ukraine’s Oschadbank legal representation. NAV said the cash and gold seized during an inspection could be traced to an interbank transaction between Raiffeisen Bank and Oschadbank. Raiffeisen Bank International also provided documents confirming the origin of the banknotes and precious metals, as well as Oschadbank’s payment for them.

Oschadban's legal team said the investigation had established that the cash and gold had not been obtained through criminal activity and that their lawful origin was not in doubt. NAV had suspended the investigation in July, saying at the time that the available information indicated the couriers had not committed a crime, although it had not yet decided whether to close the case completely.

US postpones signing 4iG agreement last minute

A term sheet between 4iG Nyrt. and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) was supposed to be signed in Budapest on Tuesday, but according to information obtained by HVG, a last-minute decision was made to postpone the signing.

According to the newspaper, the ceremony was supposed to take place at 4iG’s headquarters, but shortly before the event was set to begin, the invitees received a message from Chairman and CEO Gellért Jászai informing them that the event had been canceled and that the agreement was expected to be signed in late September. According to the newspaper, the American delegation has already left Hungary.

Earlier this month in Washington, Jászai held talks with the company’s U.S. strategic partners and government officials regarding the expansion of 4iG’s collaborations in the aerospace, defense, energy, and digital infrastructure sectors, as well as regional investment opportunities. He held discussions with Conor Coleman, the organization’s chief investment officer, and Christopher P. Vincze, a member of the DFC’s board of directors.

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CPAC Hungary organizer charged over post featuring swastika

The Hungarian prosecutor’s office has filed charges against Zoltán Koskovics, at the Center for Fundamental Rights, over his use of a nazi symbol, according to former MP Ákos Hadházy. Last June Koskovics posted an image of a rainbow flag with a swastika on X during the Budapest Pride. The Center for Fundamental Rights, which is linked to Fidesz, describes its work as focused on "preserving national identity, sovereignty and Christian traditions," and has received substantial public funding under Viktor Orbán’s government.

Police initially declined to investigate, arguing that the deleted post made it impossible to establish how widely it had been seen. The prosecutor’s office overturned that decision, finding that information about the post’s reach and engagement could be established through a simple online search. Hadházy said the investigation was reopened and charges were subsequently filed against Koskovics, who faces a maximum penalty of 90 days’ imprisonment or a fine.

Hungary elects former supreme court chief András Baka as president

András Baka has been elected president of Hungary, winning 140 of the 146 votes cast in parliament, with six votes against and no abstentions. The former head of the Supreme Court was nominated by the ruling Tisza party after the term of Tamás Sulyok, who had been appointed under Fidesz, was ended prematurely by the 17th amendment to the Fundamental Law in July. The presidency includes representing Hungary internationally, signing legislation and, in some cases, returning laws to parliament or referring them to the Constitutional Court.

Baka is best known for having been unlawfully removed as head of the Supreme Court after criticising the Orbán government’s plans to reform the judiciary. A specialist in human and minority rights, he served as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights between 1991 and 2008. Fidesz MPs did not take part in the vote, arguing that Sulyok’s removal was illegitimate, while Baka is due to take office on 19 August. Until then, Ágnes Forsthoffer will continue to perform the duties of president.

Polish ex-minister fled to Russian-occupied Transnistria

According to Polish media reports, Marcin Romanowski, a PiS member of parliament and former deputy minister of justice, is reportedly in Transnistria, a region of Moldova under Russian occupation. Citing RMF FM radio, Polish newspapers suggest that Romanowski is in Tiraspol, the region’s capital.

Romanowski had been granted political asylum in Hungary, but fled after the elections. However, the Warsaw District Court has now received an official petition from him, in which he listed an address in Tiraspol, Transnistria, allowing Polish authorities to immediately identify his whereabouts. The politician turned to the court because, he requested a guarantee that, by suspending the arrest warrant issued against him, he would be able to defend himself while remaining free in the Polish proceedings. By fleeing to a territory that is Russian control, Polish and international law enforcement agencies are unable to take action against him or secure his extradition.

Anita Orbán recalls 25 ambassadors

Foreign Minister Anita Orban recalled twenty-five ambassadors, including key posts in Washington, London, Brussels, Moscow and Kyiv (including Szabolcs Takács, Ferenc Kumin, Tamás Iván Kovács and Norbert Attila Konkoly.) The latest round follows the June dismissal of 37 heads of diplomatic missions.

The changes also affect Hungary's representatives to NATO, the OSCE and the country's permanent missions to the United Nations in Vienna and Geneva. Days later, the foreign ministry, announced that foreign policy expert Botond Feledy would become head of the Hungarian Institute of Foreign Affairs. His predecessor, Gladden Pappin, a US-born pro-MAGA academic, had previously resigned.

Hungary establishes National Agency for the Recovery and Protection of Assets

The newly established National Agency for the Recovery and Protection of Assets (NVVH) has been granted broad powers to investigate suspected abuses involving public assets. Its pre-investigation division will conduct risk assessments and can access bank accounts, records and official documents, with assistance from police, prosecutors and the National Tax Authority if needed. Depending on the allegations, the agency can initiate proceedings to protect public assets or criminal proceedings. Parliament must elect its chair and deputy chairs within 30 days of the law taking effect.

The agency was created by legislation passed by parliament with 143 votes in favour and 47 against, fulfilling one of the Tisza party’s key campaign promises. Acting president Ágnes Forsthoffer said the law had been reviewed for constitutionality before she signed it and that no concerns had been raised. The NVVH is intended to operate independently of the government and report only to parliament. Fidesz figures have criticised the agency as a tool to target people with different political views, while PM Magyar has said it could take over some existing investigations, potentially including a case involving foundations of the Hungarian National Bank.

100m fine imposed over fatal accident at BYD construction site

The government office has imposed a fine of 100 million HUF on those responsible for the fatal workplace accident at the BYD construction site in Szeged, Péter Stumpf (Tisza), a member of the National Assembly wrote on Facebook.

The Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Rural and Urban Development said that the Fidesz era, when the interests of major investors took precedence over human lives, is over. The politician emphasized that under the Tisza government, the laws apply equally to everyone, “including Péter Szijjártó’s new employer.” The authorities are working to protect the health and safety of the people of Szeged and all Hungarians, the representative stated.

A fatal accident occurred on February 14 at the construction site during a loading and crane operation; the victim was a Chinese worker. According to the communications department of the National Ambulance Service, the man sustained such severe injuries at the scene that he could not be resuscitated.

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Hungary's president signs amendment ending his term, warns of risks to rule of law

Hungary' s President Tamás Sulyok has signed a constitutional amendment that immediately ends his term as head of state. The amendment, part of PM Peter Magyar's effort to dismantle institutions established under former prime minister Viktor Orbán, cites society's "serious loss of confidence" in Sulyok, who was elected in early 2024 by lawmakers from Orbán's Fidesz party. In a statement, Sulyok said he had no choice but to sign the legislation because it complied with the letter of the law, but warned that it had damaged Hungary's constitutional order. "The seventeenth amendment to the Constitution has marked a watershed in Hungary's constitutional democracy," he said. "By removing public office holders in a manner that openly violates the rule of law."

Orbán previously criticised the amendment on Facebook, writing: "Tyranny is no longer a threat but reality. If this could be done to the President, tomorrow, no one will be safe." Parliament, where the Tisza Party holds a two-thirds majority, will elect a new president to serve until a new constitution takes effect, or for a maximum of five years. After Sulyok signed the amendment, Magyar announced that parliament speaker Ágnes Forsthoffer would become interim president from Monday. "With these decisions, we are restoring something that the Orban regime spent many years trying to take away from the Hungarian people," he wrote on Facebook. "The certainty that power can be constrained, that public assets can be recovered, and that the state can once again serve its citizens, free Hungarian citizens." The amendment also introduces a 12-year term limit for lawmakers and a mandatory retirement age of 70 for Constitutional Court judges, requiring the retirement of the court's president, Péter Polt.

Hungary’s chief prosecutor resigns

Hungarian chief prosecutor Gábor Bálint Nagy resigned. PM Peter Magyar, who has pledged to restore democratic standards, has repeatedly called on officials appointed or elected under the previous government to step down, including the chief prosecutor. Nagy said in a statement that his resignation would take effect on 25 August, adding that the institution he led had recently been subjected to attacks "far beyond the framework of acceptable professional and public debates", despite his having carried out his mandate in accordance with the law.

Nagy, who was elected chief prosecutor by a Fidesz-dominated parliament in June 2025 for a nine-year term, was described by Magyar as "another Orban puppet who stood in the way of regime change". Fidesz has accused Magyar's government of pursuing authoritarian policies since the election, while Orbán urged supporters on Wednesday to "restore democracy" in Hungary, arguing that it had been crushed by the new government. Tisza rejects accusations that it has taken an authoritarian approach towards its political opponents.

Hungary's new defense minister: "We are closing the door on the Russians"

Hungary is "closing the door" on Russia and aligning more closely with its allies, Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said. "We are closing the door on the Russians," he said, adding that "it is necessary to see the interests and values of the nation and allies." Ruszin-Szendi said Russia's intelligence services had "tried to come in through the back door" after Hungary shifted away from Moscow, and argued that trust in Hungary's alliances needed to be rebuilt because the country's interests coincide with those of its partners. He said Budapest's security focus was on Russia's war against Ukraine and the US-Iran war.

PM Péter Magyar's government has adopted a more pro-European stance than Orbán, who was widely regarded as one of Russia's only allies in Europe. While maintaining a cautious approach, the new government has sought to improve relations with Ukraine and Europe. On 19 June, authorities lifted a nine-month ban on Ukrainian media imposed by the previous administration, while at a meeting of EU leaders on 18 June, Magyar argued that the bloc should reduce the urgency of advancing Ukraine's EU accession process.

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Hungarian parliament votes to remove Orban loyalist president

Hungary's parliament has approved a constitutional amendment removing President Tamás Sulyok from office. Sulyok, widely regarded as a loyalist of former far-right prime minister Viktor Orbán, has five days to either sign the amendment or refer it to the Constitutional Court. Magyar has said he will initiate impeachment proceedings if Sulyok chooses the latter, while the president could also resign. Fidesz lawmakers walked out of parliament before the vote, accusing the government of concentrating power.

The amendment, part of a broader package of constitutional changes, also removes Constitutional Court judges over the age of 70 and bars MPs who have served three parliamentary terms from standing again, a provision that applies to more than half of Fidesz's current deputies. Tisza lawmakers gave a standing ovation after the vote. Since its defeat in April, Fidesz has struggled to recover, with Orbán refusing to take his parliamentary seat and remaining largely absent from public life.

Ex-foreign minister Szijjarto joins BYD, drawing criticism

Hungary's former foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, has resigned from parliament to take on an executive position at Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD. Szijjártó, who served as foreign minister for nearly 12 years under former prime minister Viktor Orbán, announced on Facebook that he had accepted “a highly prestigious offer” from BYD. “BYD is one of the greatest success stories in the automotive industry over the past 20 years,” he wrote. “Starting today, I will continue my work as the executive responsible for the group’s external relations and the development of new business lines.”

During his time in government, Szijjártó played a leading role in attracting Chinese investment to Hungary, including BYD’s first European factory, which he described as “one of the largest investments in Hungarian economic history”, as well as the company's European headquarters and research and development centre in Budapest, both backed by Hungarian state support. PM Magyar criticised the appointment, accusing Szijjártó of representing “foreign interests” and saying the former minister had “previously lobbied to secure massive Hungarian state subsidies” for BYD. “In hindsight, it may now become clear even to Fidesz voters whose interests the former foreign minister of the failed Orbán government represented in connection with the ... investments in the battery and automotive industries,” Magyar wrote.

Orbán attends World Cup semi-final while posting about the end of democracy in Hungary

Hungary's former PM Viktor Orbán attended the World Cup semi-finals in Dallas, where his reactions during the match were captured on video. The footage shows Orbán raising his hands in frustration before returning to his unmistakable pose of watching the game with his arms crossed. According to the footage, his family members joined him on the US trip: his son Gáspár Orbán, his daughter Sára Orbán and her husband, Tamás Szokira also appear on the video.

Orbán travelled to the US on Monday, the same day Hungary’s parliament approved the 17th amendment to the Fundamental Law, a measure strongly opposed by his Fidesz party. Fidesz argued that the amendment would undermine the rule of law and democracy, and organised a protest under the slogan “Stop the tyranny!”, which Orbán did not attend.

His decision not to cancel his trip drew criticism, particularly as it coincided with the resignation of Fidesz’s parliamentary group leader. On the day of the vote, Orbán posted a black-and-white image of PM Magyar with the words “Democratic Hungary 1990–2026” and a black heart emoji.

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Hungarian public television halts news broadcasts

Hungarian public television suspended its news broadcasts, replacing programming with a message on screen that read: “Public media should not lie. We apologize for having done so for many years! Public media is currently being transformed to ensure that in the future, it remains trustworthy and independent. News services are temporarily suspended. Please stay with us!” During the election campaign, Prime Minister Péter Magyar and other Tisza party politicians repeatedly pledged to end what they described as state-funded party propaganda in the public media if elected.

M1, the public broadcaster’s news channel, had served as the flagship outlet of Fidesz’s propaganda tool within MTVA after being transformed into a dedicated news channel during Orbán’s governments. Earlier on Tuesday, András P. Horváth, MTVA’s interim chief executive appointed last week, removed M1 director Zsolt Németh from his post and, according to reports, also dismissed deputy content director Zsolt Mezei.

Hungary revokes asylum for Ziobro and Romanowski

Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski said on Thursday that Hungary had revoked the refugee status of former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, former deputy justice minister Marcin Romanowski and Ziobro’s wife, Patrycja Kotecka-Ziobro. “I have received written confirmation that Hungary has revoked refugee status for Marcin Romanowski, Zbigniew Ziobro, and Patrycja Kotecka-Ziobro. They have also annulled their travel documents. The wheels of justice grind slowly, but they grind,” Sikorski wrote on X. The move formally reverses the political asylum granted by Viktor Orbán’s previous government. Both Ziobro and Romanowski left Hungary after the April elections.

Romanowski fled to Hungary in 2024 after Polish authorities accused the Law and Justice politician of corruption, including embezzlement of public funds, and was granted asylum by the Orbán government. Ziobro, who also received asylum in January along with his wife, is wanted in Poland on suspicion of founding and leading a criminal organisation that allegedly embezzled 150m zlotys while he served as justice minister. After winning the election, PM Péter Magyar said his government would review the status of politicians granted asylum by the previous administration who were facing convictions or criminal proceedings in their home countries, and later said Hungary would no longer serve as a refuge for internationally wanted suspects. The interior ministry began reviewing such asylum cases in early June, a process that could also affect former North Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski.

Budapest falls four places in global quality of life rankings

Copenhagen was named the world’s most livable city (for the second time) in the Economics Group’s annual ranking. Vienna remains the world’s second most livable city, while Melbourne ranks third. Five factors are ranked on a scale of 0 to 100 (stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure), and then an average is calculated. The Danish capital won with 98 points, receiving perfect scores of 100 in education, infrastructure, and stability.

Budapest finished in 36th place, which is four spots lower than the previous year, but it is still the highest ranking among the capitals of the post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The four-place drop is still a strikingly poor result: only six cities fell further in the rankings, five of which are in the Middle East and have been affected by the Iran-Iraq War, such as Doha, Muscat, and Kuwait City.

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Hungary passes new media law dismantling previous public broadcaster

The Hungarian parliament has approved amendments to the media law with support from the Tisza party and Mi Hazánk and opposition from Fidesz-KDNP. The legislation aims to overhaul the media system established under the previous government. Under the changes, the mandates of members of the Media Council of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH), the board of trustees of the Public Service Foundation, and the current senior executives of Duna Media Service and the Media Services Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA) will be terminated. Duna Media Service and MTVA will be dissolved and replaced by two new entities: Hungarian Radio and Television Nonprofit Ltd. and the Hungarian News Agency Nonprofit Ltd. The law also provides for the appointment of new leaders through open competitions and establishes an Independent Public Media Board to oversee the independence and financial management of public media. The board will comprise three members nominated by the governing parties, three by opposition parties, and three by media-sector professional organisations. A new Press Fund, managed by the NMHH, will also be created to support independent media outlets.

The proposal, submitted by Tisza lawmakers, prompted sharp debate in parliament. Tisza MPs criticised public media, comparing its operations to North Korean and Russian editorial practices, while Tisza MP Ervin Nagy read out the names of artists and public figures he said had been blacklisted under Fidesz. Fidesz lawmakers defended the broadcaster and criticised the reform process for proceeding without public consultation. The Hungarian National Media Association raised similar concerns.

Orbán could be investigated over raid on Ukrainian convoy, lawyer says

Hungary's prosecutors have questioned the former head of the country's anti-terrorism unit, János Hajdu, over a police raid on a cash convoy carrying money and gold to Ukraine, while the lawyer representing seven Ukrainians detained during the operation has argued that former prime minister Viktor Orbán should also be investigated and taken into custody over his alleged role in the case. In early March, two vans transporting a large quantity of cash and gold from Vienna to Oschadbank's headquarters in Kyiv were stopped near Budapest. The crew was detained, questioned, and expelled from Hungary, and the valuables were confiscated. Hajdu, who is suspected of issuing the orders that led to the allegedly unlawful detention of the Ukrainians, was questioned on Tuesday but was not detained. Lawyer Lóránt Horváth, who represents Oschadbank and the seven Ukrainians, said those responsible for the operation should have been taken into custody.

Last week, 444 published a leaked document from the prosecutor's office identifying four officials involved in the decision-making behind the raid: Orbán, former state secretary Örs Farkas, former deputy head of Hungary's tax authority Tamás Demeter, and Hajdu. Horváth said the four should all have been treated as suspects because they could influence witnesses, destroy evidence, or flee. He said Hajdu was being investigated on suspicion of unlawful detention, torture and malicious intent, while more serious charges, including terrorism, had not been ruled out. After his questioning, Hajdu was appointed by Orbán as Fidesz's security chief, but was dismissed by PM Péter Magyar following the party's election defeat. Horváth said he believed Hajdu was unlikely to make incriminating statements about Orbán, while prosecutors have denied any political involvement in the case. Orbán said in June that "Everything was done in accordance with the law."

Hungarians are hopeful about the future, new EU survey shows

According to the European Parliament’s new Eurobarometer survey, Hungarians are the most optimistic citizens in the EU about the future, with significantly more respondents viewing both Hungary’s prospects and the European Union as a source of stability than six months earlier. The representative survey was conducted between 9 April and 1 May across the bloc, with fieldwork in Hungary taking place immediately after the general election. While uncertainty remained the most commonly reported feeling across the EU, cited by 44% of respondents, 57% of Hungarians said they felt hopeful, the highest proportion among all 27 member states. Hungarians also reported lower levels of uncertainty, helplessness, and anxiety than the EU average, while confidence, happiness, and determination were more common.

Seventy-three percent of Hungarians said they were optimistic about the country’s future, up 16 percentage points from six months earlier and well above the EU average of 59%. Optimism about the EU also increased, rising to 69% from 64%, while 80% expressed confidence about their own and their family’s future. Eighty percent of Hungarians described the EU as a source of stability, a 14-point increase compared with six months earlier. While 59% said they wanted the EU to play a greater role in protecting citizens against global crises and security risks, this remained below the EU average. Unlike most member states, where defence and security topped the list of priorities for the EU, Hungarian respondents most frequently identified energy independence, resources, and infrastructure as the EU's main tasks.

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Hungarian parliament approves constitutional term limits that would bar Orbán from returning as PM

Hungary's parliament has approved a constitutional amendment introducing an eight-year limit on how long a prime minister can serve, a change that would prevent former prime minister Viktor Orbán from returning to office. The amendment was passed on Monday with 135 votes in favour, 50 against, and six abstentions. It also creates the constitutional basis for dissolving the public interest asset management foundations and the Sovereignty Protection Office. Lawmakers from the former governing coalition, Fidesz and the Christian Democratic People’s party (KDNP), voted against the proposal, while members of Mi Hazánk abstained.

The amendment was submitted on 20 May by two Tisza party MPs, rather than by the government, drawing criticism because it was not preceded by public or professional consultation. During the parliamentary debate, Melléthei-Barna said the proposal reflected the kind of state Tisza wanted to build, centred on three principles: that power should not last forever, that public assets belong to the nation, and that state institutions should not serve political self-preservation. One of the amendment’s most contested provisions limits prime ministers to two terms and counts any time served in office since 2 May 1990, prompting Fidesz to describe it as "Lex Orbán".

Szijjártó offered his assistance to Lavrov during the Wagner rebellion

Investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi has published another audio recording of a phone conversation between the Russian and the former Hungarian foreign ministers. Panyi revealed an English-language call from Peter Szijjártó, dated June 24, 2023, believed to have taken place during the Prigozhin-led uprising.

Around the time when Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner private military company, openly defied the Russian military leadership, claiming that the Russian army had launched an attack on one of Wagner’s camps, Szijjarto picked up the phone and told Lavrov: "I just wanted to know if things are under control and that you are OK?. The Hungarian ex-minister also asked his Russian counterpart if the Kremlin has stopped Wagner's advance towards Moscow, and added: Well, if you ever need anything personally, just let me know. Lavrov laughed and said, "I don’t need anything. There is no problem. Thank you for calling."

Hungary delays next step in Ukraine's EU accession process

Hungary has delayed the next procedural step in the European Union accession process for Ukraine and Moldova, according to two EU diplomats, Politico reports. The two countries reached a milestone on 15 June when EU member states unanimously agreed to open the first formal negotiating chapter of their membership bids, ending a years-long blockage by former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, who opposed Ukraine's accession. Because the two applications are politically linked, progress on one is tied to the other. Kyiv had hoped to open all six negotiating clusters by mid-July. That timetable is now in doubt after Hungary opposed sending a joint letter from the EU's 27 member states to the European Council and the European Commission outlining the bloc's common position. According to the diplomats, Hungary was the only country to oppose the move, which requires unanimous approval and will be discussed again next week.

The move is consistent with Prime Minister Péter Magyar's cautious approach to Ukraine's EU membership. Although his government did not object to opening the first negotiating cluster, it insisted on removing the words "as soon as possible" from the European Council's written conclusions on Ukraine's accession at last week's summit in Brussels, one diplomat said.

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Orban re-elected as Fidesz party leader

Viktor Orbán was re-elected as chairman of Fidesz for another year at the party’s congress on Saturday, after standing as the sole candidate. According to the results, 729 delegates voted in favour of his reappointment, while eight delegates did not cast a vote. Orbán has led the party since 1993, except for three years between 2000 and 2003. Delegates also approved the party’s four deputy chairs. Speaking after the result was announced, Orbán thanked members for their confidence and said they were prepared to devote even a decade to building a "sovereign Hungary."

Orbán said he believed that moment represented Hungary’s final opportunity before being “swallowed up by the bottomless pit that is the Western globalist liberal world”. Reflecting on his years in office, he said he had not anticipated developments such as the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and migration. He warned that “the foreigners are coming, and they’ll empty Hungary's pockets”, adding that he knew both his opponents and the challenges facing the country.

Orbán said he had considered stepping down after following Fidesz’s election defeat in April, but not to withdraw completely from public life. "I do not give up, I never, never, never, never, never give up," he said. “I have always been open about what you are getting with me. You know I have no interest in changing. I don’t do things halfheartedly, I don't make complete U-turns, and I won’t be showing up at frivolous parties,” he said, adding that "neither wealth nor international recognition motivated him" and that he wished only to serve his country.

Orban government had plans for a secret migrant camp, Magyar says

According to Hungarian PM Péter Magyar, after the 2024 European Parliament elections, the Orbán government had planned to build a migrant facility near the Austrian border. He claimed the project was intended to ease tensions with the European Union and halt the daily €1m fine imposed on Hungary over its migration policies. The interior minister strongly denied the allegation at the time, but Magyar and his allies have continued to argue that a classified government decree relating to the project exists. Magyar now says that, following the change of government, a previously classified document has surfaced which could demonstrate that the former administration had indeed planned a refugee facility in the village of Vitnyéd, near the Austrian border.

Speaking in parliament, Magyar told Fidesz MP János Pócs that the government had intended to spend several billion forints on establishing a migrant camp in Vitnyéd and had prepared a secret cabinet resolution to that effect. He pledged to release both the decree and related official documents. The controversy first emerged in autumn 2024, when residents and journalists noticed construction work at Csermajor being carried out under police supervision. While the government repeatedly denied that a refugee camp was being built, local speculation persisted, with estimates suggesting the site could accommodate up to 500 people.

Hungary ranks last in the EU in terms of consumption

Consumption by Hungarian households stood at 73% of the European Union average in 2025, tying with Latvia for last place among member states, according to Portfolio’s report on the latest Eurostat data. The publication notes that this is the first time comparable EU-wide statistics on 2025 consumption have been released.

The picture has not changed much from the previous year, but the slight shifts have been unfavorable for Hungary. In 2024, Latvia’s final consumption was the lowest at 72% of the EU average, while Hungary tied with Bulgaria for second-to-last place at 73%. In 2025, the Bulgarian and Latvian figures improved, so we now share the bottom spot with Latvia, just behind Estonia at 74%. The Bulgarians improved to 77%. Among the Central European EU member states, Romania is far ahead of Hungary at 86%, while Slovakia stands at 77%, the Czech Republic at 83%, and Poland at 88%. Hungary’s relative consumption level is low, even by its level of development.

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Hungary says breakthrough reached with Ukraine over minority rights

“Hungarian foreign policy has once again become visible and proactive in Europe,” foreign minister Anita Orbán told parliament’s foreign affairs committee. She said Budapest had renewed its engagement with the Visegrád Group, which had been neglected under the previous government. Referring to Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s first foreign trip to Warsaw, she said: “We have now recalibrated Hungarian-Polish relations.” Hungary is expected to host a summit of V4 prime ministers in the near future. In contrast, a Hungarian-German summit is scheduled for early October in Berlin, beginning with talks between the two countries’ foreign ministers and followed by wider government consultations.

Orbán also highlighted the recently announced Hungarian-Ukrainian agreement, describing it as the result of extensive consultation and negotiation rather than political gestures. Under the agreement, Ukraine committed to restoring the system of schools for ethnic minorities and guaranteeing the free use of the Hungarian language and national symbols. In municipalities where Hungarians make up more than 10% of the population, Hungarian may be used in healthcare, public events, academic conferences, and political campaigns. These commitments form part of the action plan linked to Ukraine’s EU accession process, which Orbán said would begin once the conditions had been fulfilled, proceed under the standard timetable, and be preceded by a referendum. She did not provide a timeline for a meeting between Magyar and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Hungarians increasingly doubt US would defend Europe

Doubt among Europeans is growing about whether the United States would defend the continent, and they increasingly believe Europe should develop stronger defence capabilities of its own, according to a new survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations. Conducted across 15 countries ahead of next week’s G7 meeting in France and July’s Nato summit, the poll found that support for Ukraine remains intact, but enthusiasm for further EU enlargement to the east is limited under current conditions. Views on energy also remained divided: 44% of respondents opposed returning to Russian energy imports, while 27% supported such a move.

Hungarians, however, 42% backed importing Russian oil and gas. The survey found confidence in the US alliance had weakened amid recent developments, including troop withdrawals from Europe, tensions over Greenland, and repeated remarks by US President Donald Trump about the possibility of withdrawing from NATO. Only 11% of respondents described the United States as an ally, down from 16% six months earlier and 22% in November 2024.

According to the survey, trust in the US is declining in most countries, but it is a new phenomenon in Hungary and Poland. At the same time, support for replacing NATO remained limited, and attitudes towards European defence spending varied sharply across the continent. Hungarians were among the least supportive of expanding defence spending at the expense of other sectors and showed little appetite either for national nuclear deterrence or a pan-European alternative. The survey also found divisions over buying US-made weapons and differing views on responsibility for higher energy prices, with Hungarians among the least likely to blame either their own government or the EU.

Hungary’s easing inflation may open path to lower rates

Hungary’s central bank may require a lower interest rate to maintain price stability following a decline in inflation and an improvement in risk premia, but policymakers remain cautious amid volatility in long-term yields and energy markets, a senior official has told Reuters. The bank last month discussed a rate cut for the first time since reducing its base rate to 6.25% in February from what had been the highest level in the European Union, after inflation fell below its 3% target earlier this year.

However, uncertainty linked to the war in Iran and turbulence in global markets has tempered expectations of an easing cycle, despite the potentially disinflationary effects of the forint’s appreciation following the 12 April election that ended Viktor Orbán’s rule. Consumer prices rose by 1.8% in the first four months of 2026, below the central bank’s March forecast of 3.8% average inflation for the year, while economists expect May inflation at 2.3%.

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Magyar seeks constitutional change to remove Hungary’s president

Hungary’s government is preparing a constitutional amendment to remove President Tamás Sulyok, as Prime Minister Péter Magyar moves to replace officials appointed during Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power. Magyar, whose Tisza party secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority in April’s election, has repeatedly called on Sulyok to step down, arguing that the president has failed to fulfil his constitutional duties. After meeting Sulyok at Budapest’s Sándor Palace, Magyar said the president had refused to resign and announced that lawmakers from his party would begin the “necessary procedures” to remove him.

While the Hungarian presidency is largely ceremonial, the officeholder signs legislation into law and can refer bills to the constitutional court for review. Magyar accused Sulyok of remaining silent on issues, including remarks made by Orbán about his political opponents and legislation passed by the previous government banning Pride. “It is in Hungary's interest that this institution regain the prestige that has been eroded by its silence and inaction,” he said. Fidesz caucus leader Gergely Gulyás criticised the move, saying that “in a constitutional democracy, it is not conceivable that a president is forcibly removed” before the end of their term. Last week, Sulyok’s office said Magyar’s calls for his resignation undermined both the constitutional functioning and authority of the presidency, adding that the president had sought a legal assessment from the Venice Commission.

Budapest Mayor: "Finally, Pride will be celebrated the way it is in a normal European country."

Budapest Pride will go ahead on 27 June, with Hungarian police saying they will not prevent people from attending the LGBT+ march. “The Budapest Metropolitan Police has approved the 2026 Budapest Pride Parade and also has issued restrictive orders in relation to three counter-demonstrations,” a police spokesperson said. Welcoming the decision, Budapest’s mayor, Gergely Karácsony, wrote on Facebook: “Freedom and love can’t be banned,” describing Pride as “the event of freedom-loving Hungarians”. He added, “Finally, Pride will be celebrated the way it is in a normal European country.”

The development follows an attempt by Viktor Orbán’s right-wing nationalist government to ban the event last year. In response, Karácsony organised the parade as a municipal event in an effort to circumvent the restriction. Last year’s march had a record high turnout, which turned into an anti-Orbán demonstration.

Vsquare: Maga circles exploring UN role for Orban

According to investigative outlet Vsquare, MAGA figures are working on securing a senior position for Viktor Orbán within the United Nations, with the specific role seen as less important than the diplomatic immunity such a post could provide. The extent of that immunity would depend on the position. Under the 1946 UN Convention on Privileges and Immunities, the Secretary-General, under-secretaries-general, and assistant secretaries-general receive diplomatic immunity equivalent to that of ambassadors, while lower-ranking officials enjoy more limited protection linked to their official duties.

The outlet's sources said Orbán could potentially count on support not only from the United States but also from Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, who, like JD Vance, visited him in Budapest before April’s election. The source noted that the contest to succeed António Guterres as UN secretary general is already underway, with Rafael Grossi, the Argentine head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, regarded as a leading candidate. Sources close to the former prime minister said that if political pressure in Hungary intensifies, he could remain in the US for an extended period, and that a UN position could offer what they described as a more graceful exit than seeking political asylum.

Majority of Hungarians see no path for Orbán's comeback

Nearly two-thirds of Hungarians believe Fidesz has little chance of regaining its former dominance, according to a new survey by Publicus Institute. The poll found that 66% of respondents believed the party would not recover its previous strength, while 27% said it could still rebuild itself. Among Fidesz supporters, however, eight in 10 said they believed the former ruling party would eventually regain its position. Fewer respondents considered a comeback by Viktor Orbán happening in the future. According to the survey, 76% said the former prime minister either would not or was unlikely to return, with 69% saying there was “absolutely no chance” of such a comeback. Fewer than two in 10 respondents thought Orbán could return to power.

The survey also found that 44% believed Orbán “is doing the right thing by retreating into the background”, while 14% agreed that “he is doing the right thing because this is how he can reorganize Fidesz”. Nearly half of Fidesz voters said stepping back could help Orbán reorganise the party, although two in 10 considered the decision a mistake. Among Tisza supporters, many believed it was time for Orbán to withdraw from politics, though 44% said he should still have taken up his parliamentary mandate. More than half of Fidesz voters saw former foreign minister Péter Szijjártó as the strongest potential future leader of the party. According to the survey, six in 10 people believed corruption was the biggest reason for Fidesz's electoral defeat.

Zelensky honours Budapest for standing with Ukraine

Budapest mayor, Gergely Karácsony, received an award in Kyiv from the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Facebook, he wrote that Budapest had been presented with the “Savior City” award, given to cities that have provided exceptional support to Ukraine. “Budapest has indeed provided a great deal of tangible assistance,” he said. Karácsony said the city had supported its sister cities, Berehove and Kyiv, with donations, generators, and other technical equipment, while also helping refugees arriving from Ukraine. “We will continue to do everything we can to make our friends fleeing the war feel at home in our city. But we have done something else as well: we have preserved our moral compass in this era of madness and evil.”

Karácsony said the recognition belonged to the people of Budapest, “who showed their solidarity in many ways even amidst the hate campaigns forced upon them”. He added that Zelenskyy had highlighted in his speech that Budapest had taken a different position from the foreign policy of Hungary’s previous government and had expressed hope for cooperation with the country’s new administration. Recalling a visit to Transcarpathia last autumn, Karácsony noted that he had accepted a donation worth five million forints and attended the opening of the “Autumn in Berehove” event.

Several diplomatic passports issued by Szijjártó's foreign ministry are being revoked

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reviewing the diplomatic passports issued by Péter Szijjártó, György Velkey announced. The state secretary cited very serious abuses; according to their data, and based on a ministerial decision and individual requests, nearly 1,500 individual diplomatic passports were issued under the previous system. Radio Free Europe previously reported that a total of 10,219 such documents were issued between 2019 and September 2023.

Last year, Antal Rogán’s ministry, citing national security reasons, refused to answer whether, for example, Tamás Lánczi, the president of the Office for the Protection of Sovereignty, former minister Zoltán Balog, soccer player Balázs Dzsudzsák, or Ádám Matolcsy held diplomatic passports. Velkey has now promised to revoke those passports that were issued to people “undeservedly and without any justification.” “Cronies, sports club members, NER business circles, and individuals with foreign ties received diplomatic passports from the state for no reason whatsoever. And they were able to use those passports for years without any explanation,” the state secretary stated.

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Hungary reverses plan to leave the International Criminal Court

Hungary’s new centre-right prime minister, Péter Magyar, has announced changes to the country’s foreign policy direction, including reversing plans to leave the International Criminal Court and reintroducing restrictions on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products. “The government is withdrawing Hungary’s intention to leave the International Criminal Court and is banning the import of agricultural products from Ukraine,” Magyar wrote on X.

In 2025, Hungary’s previous government backed a proposal to withdraw from the ICC after a visit to Budapest by Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for whom the court had issued an arrest warrant. The withdrawal process was due to conclude on 2 June 2026. Since his election victory, Magyar has repeatedly said Hungary would remain a member of the court, stressing the importance of complying with international obligations, including enforcing decisions relating to wanted individuals.

Independent Balkan media outlets set to be sold to Orban-linked fund

A major Balkan media group known for its independent journalism is quietly being prepared for a sale to an investment fund linked to the political orbit of former nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, according to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which cited a leaked draft contract. The report said United Group was preparing to sell media assets, including the N1 and Nova television networks, described as “rare bastions of critical reporting” in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro.

The official buyer is listed as European Future Media Investments, a Luxembourg-based investment fund, but details in the draft contract point to the investment firm Alpac Capital. The company previously acquired a majority stake in Euronews in a deal that was reportedly heavily financed by Hungarian state capital and businesses linked to Orbán’s propaganda network.

Magyar greeted with military salute in Vienna

Péter Magyar was welcomed with a military salute at Vienna’s Ballhausplatz, outside the Austrian chancellor’s office, during the latest stop of his first foreign trip since taking office. The Hungarian prime minister arrived in the Austrian capital from Gdańsk alongside several members of his cabinet, including foreign minister Anita Orbán, transport and investment minister Dávid Vitézy, energy and economy minister István Kapitány, and living environment minister László Gajdos. After talks with Austria’s chancellor, Christian Stocker, the two leaders addressed a range of issues at a joint press conference, including asbestos contamination in western Hungary linked to aggregates from Austrian mines, transport cooperation, special taxes and energy diversification. Stocker said he was confident cooperation between the two countries would improve, describing the Hungarian election result as significant beyond Hungary’s borders because, in his view, it showed that a large majority of Hungarians had rejected isolationism in favour of a civic approach.

Stocker said the two sides had also discussed Hungary’s special taxes, which Austria views as discriminatory towards Austrian companies, adding that resolving these disputes would help build trust through dialogue. “We are stronger together when we act as a region,” he said, arguing that closer cooperation would also strengthen both countries’ voices in Brussels. He stressed the importance of improving competitiveness and avoiding dependence on external actors. Referring to the war in Ukraine and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, Stocker said European unity was now more important than ever. “Both Hungary and Austria are committed to the European Union,” he said, while adding that although both countries supported EU enlargement, “there is no fast lane, and there are no shortcuts”.

Hungary summons Russian ambassador after drone attack on Transcarpathia

Russia’s ambassador to Hungary, Yevgeny Stanislavov, was summoned by Hungary in connection with Wednesday’s Russian drone attack on Ukraine, which also struck Transcarpathia. The ambassador arrived at 11.30 am at the Foreign Ministry and left half an hour later. Prime Minister Péter Magyar had announced the summons the previous day, and, similarly to Foreign Minister Anita Orbán, strongly condemned the attack on behalf of the Hungarian government. Magyar said it was the most intensive drone strike to hit Transcarpathia since the start of the war, with Mukachevo, Uzhhorod, Svalyava, and several smaller towns affected. Hungary’s state railway company, MÁV, also informed transport minister Dávid Vitézy that railway employees at Chop station near the Hungarian border had been forced to take shelter during the attack before later being brought into Hungary.

The response stands in sharp contrast to the previous government’s approach to Russia. Under former foreign minister Péter Szijjártó, ambassadors from countries including the US, Austria, Germany, Finland, Denmark, and Ukraine were repeatedly summoned over statements concerning Hungary. Still, the Russian ambassador was not called in even after Russian hackers breached the foreign ministry’s IT system in 2022 or after Russian strikes hit Transcarpathia in 2025. Following the latest attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Magyar for his compassion and firm stance. On Thursday, Anita Orbán also held the first general assembly for foreign ministry staff in 12 years, pledging to restore “the professional and strategic tasks that have been the strength of Hungarian diplomacy for decades”. Shortly after meeting the Russian ambassador, Orban urged Russia to do everything possible to secure a ceasefire.

'State of danger' due to war next door ends in Hungary

After six years, Hungary’s state of danger has come to an end. The state of danger, one of six forms of special legal order defined in Hungary’s constitution, differs from a state of emergency in that it allows the government to rule by decree without parliamentary approval. Viktor Orbán’s government first introduced the measure in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic and later maintained it in 2022, citing the war in Ukraine. At the time, Minister Gergely Gulyás said accusations from the opposition that the government wanted to maintain the special legal order indefinitely were unfounded, adding that it would end sooner than in most European countries. In the years that followed, however, Hungary’s Fidesz-KDNP parliamentary majority repeatedly extended the measure, allowing Orbán’s government to govern an entire four-year term under the special legal order.

After Tisza’s election victory, Péter Magyar asked Fidesz to prolong the state of danger until 31 May, saying around 160 emergency decrees remained in force and warning that an abrupt end could create legal chaos. Without an extension, decrees introduced during the pandemic and the war in Ukraine would have immediately lost validity. The outgoing government declined to extend the arrangement, and on 9 May, the new parliament voted to elevate the emergency decrees into law.

Warsaw expects the US to return ex-minister who fled via Hungary

Poland says it expects the United States to extradite former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro after reports emerged that he had travelled there from Hungary, where Viktor Orbán had granted him asylum. Polish prosecutors said they were investigating how Ziobro, a central figure in Poland’s previous nationalist conservative government, managed to leave Hungary and enter the US on the same day as the inauguration of Orbán’s successor, Péter Magyar. Sikorski said Polish prosecutors would seek both European and international arrest warrants and that Warsaw expected “friendly countries to honour our request”. Ziobro, who was stripped of his Polish and diplomatic passports last year, confirmed to the rightwing broadcaster Republika that he was in the US, saying he had arrived in the “strongest democracy in the world”.

Polish prosecutors said Ziobro remained wanted under a domestic arrest warrant and noted that he had not possessed a passport for months, raising questions about how he entered the US. He faces charges carrying a possible 25-year prison sentence over allegations that he created and led a criminal group which diverted funds intended for victims of violence, including to purchase Pegasus spyware allegedly used to monitor political opponents. Ziobro denies the accusations, describing them as "politically motivated." Poland’s foreign ministry said it would seek explanations from both Washington and Budapest regarding the legal basis for Ziobro's leaving Hungary and entering the US. Ziobro said he travelled using asylum documents issued by Hungary, while Polish media reported he may have obtained a US journalist visa.

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Only 39 percent of Hungarians feel like Orban was qualified to serve as PM, research shows

The trend of voters gravitating toward the winner continues: for every Fidesz supporter, there are now three Tisza supporters, a new Medián poll commissioned by the magazine and conducted between April 27 and May 2. Tisza’s support stands at 61 percent among the total population, nearly three times that of Fidesz; the gap has widened even further among party voters and those who are certain in their party preferences, with support for the winning party reaching 70 percent among the latter group.

Fewer and fewer people believe that outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was qualified to serve. Now, only 39 percent consider him qualified, while 59 percent are not satisfied with him.

In contrast, 72 percent of respondents have no doubts about Péter Magyar’s competence. The proportion of those who have complete confidence in his abilities has doubled since then.

Hungarian authorities returned the cash and gold bars seized from the bank convoy to Ukraine

Hungarian authorities today returned the assets seized during a raid on Ukrainian money couriers in March, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced.

“An important step in relations with Hungary: today, Oschadbank’s funds and valuables, seized by Hungarian special services in March, were returned. At that time, the Hungarian side had unlawfully detained the Ukrainian cash-in-transit employees. We had already brought our people home earlier, and now the assets have also been returned in full to Ukrainian territory, “The Ukrainian president wrote on X:

“I am grateful to Hungary for its constructive approach and civilized stance. I want to thank every member of the Ukrainian delegation who fought for a fair decision and defended the interests of our state and our people,” Zelenskyy added.

TV2's propaganda program "Tények" shuts down

TV2 Tények is shutting down, Miklós Vaszily, the channel’s CEO, announced. It currently appears that the magazine program Napló will also be discontinued.

“We are currently in the process of revamping our infotainment programs, a move necessitated primarily by the erosion of the Tények brand. My goal is for TV2 to provide news coverage that meets the expected professional standards with the newly launched brands, after drawing the necessary lessons,” the CEO wrote to 444.

"Tények" was one of the central channels for Fidesz's smear campaigns and had the widest reach. The program launched in 1997, and like TV2, the commercial channel, its editorial stance was liberal at first. After 2010, it ended up in the hands of Andy Vajna and Fidesz circles and ultimately became the most vicious propaganda machine.

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Orban-linked oligarchs are carrying their wealth out of Hungary

Private jets allegedly carrying assets linked to the pro-Orbán elite have been steadily leaving Vienna, while others are said to be moving quickly to transfer their wealth abroad, according to The Guardian. Hungary’s prime minister- elect, Péter Magyar, wrote on X that “Orbán-linked oligarchs are transferring tens of billions of forints to the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Uruguay and other distant countries”. He added that Hungary’s tax authorities had suspended several high-value transfers connected to Antal Rogán’s circle on suspicion of money laundering. Magyar also said that the family of Lőrinc Mészáros, Hungary’s richest man, a former gas-fitter and a childhood friend of Viktor Orbán, was expected to travel to Dubai in the coming days.

Two sources inside Orbán's Fidesz party told the Guardian that members of Orbán’s inner circle were moving assets to Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, while others were considering relocating funds to Australia and Singapore. The Guardian also reported that senior figures linked to Fidesz were applying for US work visas.

The Hungarian police are investigating the asset-transfer case on suspicion of embezzlement causing particularly significant financial loss, they wrote on a social media post on Tuesday. In the statement, they emphasized that they are investigating “alleged” asset stripping, meaning activities aimed at concealing unlawfully obtained money and other assets from the authorities through financial or other transactions.

Local Fidesz leader was arrested at the airport

A former regional leader of Orbán’s right-wing Fidesz party has been detained at Budapest airport in connection with a fraud case, according to reports. Rádi Feríz, who previously led the party in Szeged, Hungary’s third-largest city, resigned from his position last week after the National Tax and Customs Office issued an arrest warrant against him. He was arrested on Friday at Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc international airport upon returning from a trip to Egypt.

Feríz is suspected of budget fraud, according to the broadcaster RTL Klub. The politician, who joined Fidesz from the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) three years ago, has a background in agribusiness and runs a successful plant-breeding company with his family.

Orban steps down from Parliament, won't take his seat

Hungary’s outgoing prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has said he will not take up his parliamentary seat after his party suffered a landslide defeat. “I am now needed not in parliament, but in the reorganisation of the patriotic movement,” he said in a video statement published on social media on Saturday evening. Although his nationalist Fidesz party's seats fell from 135 to 52 in the 12 April election, Orbán had been re-elected as an MP via its proportional representation list.

After a meeting of party officials, Orbán, said Fidesz’s parliamentary group would be led from Monday by Gergely Gulyás, who has served as the minister in charge of the prime minister’s office. “The mandate I obtained as the lead candidate of the Fidesz-KDNP list is, in fact, a parliamentary mandate of Fidesz. For this reason, I have decided to return it,” he said.

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Hungary will not veto, EU can finalize €90 billion loan to Ukraine

European Union ambassadors approved a €90bn loan to Ukraine and a new package of sanctions against Russia after Hungary lifted its veto, the bloc’s Cypriot presidency said. The EU’s 27 member states are expected to formally sign the agreement by Thursday afternoon. The loan is intended to support Ukraine’s finances through 2026 and 2027. Hungary had previously blocked the deal, accusing Ukraine of sabotaging the transit of Russian oil through a pipeline damaged by Russian attacks, a dispute that also delayed the sanctions package the EU had hoped to adopt to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Hungary’s oil group MOL said it had been informed that the Ukrainian operator of the Druzhba pipeline was ready to resume crude oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia. The company said it expected shipments to restart by Thursday at the latest. Both countries remain heavily dependent on Russian energy supplies.

New Medián poll shows Tisza would defeat Fidesz by 65-25

Medián published its first post-election poll in HVG. According to their survey, Tisza Party has continued to gain strength, while Fidesz’s support has declined significantly. Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar’s party would receive votes from 56 percent of the total voting-age population and 66 percent of eligible voters, while Fidesz would receive 21 and 25 percent.

The phenomenon of “siding with the winner” shows not only in party preferences, but also in how respondents recall their decision on April 12. Although Tisza won by a margin of 53 to 39 based on the election results, 59 percent of respondents recalled voting for Tisza, while only 26 percent recalled voting for Fidesz.

The survey also revealed a similar trend regarding voter turnout. Although actual voter turnout was 79 percent, 95 percent of respondents said they voted.

Arrest warrant issued in case linked to Orbán’s younger brother

Arrest warrants have been issued in a criminal case involving a labor hire agency, Hungary’s Central Investigative Prosecutor’s Office said on Friday. The two suspects were taken into custody on suspicion of influence peddling and other offences. At the time, reports indicated that the younger brother of the outgoing prime minister, Áron Orbán, had links to the case, which Telex first wrote about last year.

Prosecutors said a search had been carried out, evidence had been seized, and four individuals were questioned as suspects, with two placed in detention. Citing a risk that the suspects could flee, go into hiding, or obstruct the investigation, authorities sought their arrest, a request upheld by the court. Both suspects and their lawyers have appealed the decision. Áron Orbán is not among those detained.

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Hungary's next PM pledges Hungary would be a “constructive partner” in the EU and NATO

Hungary’s prime minister-electPéter Magyar held his first international press conference on Monday, after his landslide victory that ended Fidesz’s 16-year rule. During the press briefing, he said Hungarians had made clear that “Hungary’s place was, is, and will be in Europe”. He urged President Tamás Sulyok to convene parliament and begin the process of forming a government without delay. Framing the result as the start of “a new era”, Magyar said voters had backed not only a change of government but a “complete regime change”, pledging to represent all Hungarians and to amend the constitution to introduce a two-term limit for prime ministers. He also promised to restore checks and balances, review undisclosed agreements and contracts, and make public any that do not harm national interests, while involving citizens more directly in decision-making through referendums and local votes.

Magyar said his government would prioritise tackling corruption, including setting up an anti-corruption office and pursuing audits of major public procurements, as well as seeking to join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. He pledged that Hungary would be a “constructive partner” in the EU and NATO, while maintaining pragmatic relations with Russia and diversifying energy sources, stressing that Hungary would not interfere in other countries’ internal affairs. He said Ukraine was “a victim in this war”, while adding that normalising relations would require addressing the rights of Hungary’s minority there, and ruled out supporting Ukraine’s accelerated EU accession during wartime. Magyar also signalled efforts to rebuild ties with allies, including Poland, Germany, and Austria.

He said the rule of law would govern Hungary, maintain close relations with the United States, and seek to restore its standing in Europe, while addressing issues such as migration through what he described as more direct and realistic approaches.

Magyar vows to halt state media, calling it a ‘propaganda machine.’

Péter Magyar has said he will suspend news coverage by state media when his government takes office in mid-May, describing the system as a “propaganda machine”. Speaking in two tense interviews on public radio and television on Wednesday, following his landslide election victory that ended Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power, Magyar outlined plans for the move and used the appearances to sharply criticise the outlets’ editorial line.

Magyar said it was his first invitation to appear on state media in 18 months, contrasting it with Orbán’s regular presence. During the interviews, he accused the outlets of spreading fear and falsehoods, likening their output to propaganda from North Korea and Nazi-era Germany. “Every Hungarian deserves a public service media that broadcasts the truth,” he told Kossuth radio, adding that his government would introduce a new press law and establish a media authority aimed at ensuring state media fulfils its intended role.

Hungary's regulator investigates use of Webloc mass surveillance system

An investigation by VSquare and Citizen Lab has found that Hungarian intelligence agencies have been covertly using Webloc, a mass geolocation surveillance system developed by the Israeli-American firm Cobwebs Technologies. The tool draws on location data gathered by smartphone apps for advertising purposes, enabling authorities to track the movements of hundreds of millions of people through unique device identifiers, without their knowledge or consent. It allows agencies to geofence specific areas, reconstruct individuals’ movements from historical data, and link digital identities to physical locations in near real time. Within the EU, the use of such personal and advertising data for government surveillance is widely regarded as incompatible with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which tightly restricts how such data may be processed and shared.

A week after the report was published, Hungary’s data protection authority said it was taking action. Attila Péterfalvi, head of the National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, said the body had no prior knowledge of the tool or its alleged use before receiving a press inquiry, indicating that intelligence agencies had been operating the system without the regulator’s awareness. He confirmed that no complaint or notification had been filed and announced the launch of an ex officio investigation into the use of Webloc in Hungary. The response came days after Viktor Orbán’s electoral defeat, at a time when other institutions previously seen as aligned with the government have begun to act.

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Leaked call transcript between Putin and Orban shows dynamics between the two leaders

Bloomberg News obtained a Hungarian government transcript of a call between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin on 17 October, in which Orbán likened their relationship to that of a “mouse” ready to assist a Russian “lion”. According to the transcript, Orbán told Putin: “Yesterday our friendship rose to such a high level that I can help in any way … in any matter where I can be of assistance, I am at your service.” He was also said to have invoked one of Aesop’s fables, describing a mouse that repays a lion’s earlier mercy by freeing it from a hunter’s net, a remark that reportedly drew laughter from the Russian president.

Orbán, a right-wing populist who has sought to reshape Hungary into what he calls an “illiberal democracy”, is widely seen as the European Union’s most Moscow-friendly leader, prompting some critics to label him Putin’s Trojan horse. The reported exchange is likely to intensify scrutiny of his ties to the Kremlin, as questions have mounted in recent weeks when both the United States and Russia may be seeking to bolster him while he trails in the polls.

Hungary alleges a sabotage threat gas pipeline in Serbia right before elections

Serbia has said it discovered “explosives of devastating power” near a pipeline carrying Russian natural gas to Hungary and beyond, prompting Hungary’s leading opposition candidate to suggest a possible “false flag” operation aimed at influencing the country’s election. On Sunday, Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, said he had been informed by Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vučić, of the find near an extension of the TurkStream pipeline, which transports Russian gas through the Balkans to central and eastern Europe. Orbán said an investigation was underway and that he had convened an emergency meeting of the defence council. The discovery comes one week before a pivotal parliamentary vote in which Orbán’s 16-year hold on power faces an unprecedented challenge from Péter Magyar, a former senior figure in the ruling Fidesz party.

The campaign has intensified in recent months: Orbán has warned that the war in Ukraine poses a grave threat to Hungary and cast himself as the best guarantor of security, while Magyar and his Tisza party have urged voters to focus on economic stagnation, strained public services, and corruption. Vučić said Serbian forces found two backpacks containing “two large packages of explosives with detonators” in the northern municipality of Kanjiža, a few hundred metres from the pipeline, describing it as a threat to critical infrastructure that could have endangered lives and caused significant damage. However, he declined to disclose details about their origin.

JD Vance endorses Orban after expressing concerns over foreign interference in Hungarian elections.

Five days before Hungarians head to the polls, US Vice President JD Vance has expressed his full endorsement of the Hungarian prime minister and expressed sharp criticism towards the European Union. Standing alongside Orbán in Budapest, Vance said he is shocked by the level of foreign interference in the Hungarian election campaign, right before he said he is “to help him in this campaign cycle”. Orbán’s challenger, Péter Magyar, is leading in most opinion polls, posing the most serious threat yet to a political career that has spanned nearly four decades and delivered four consecutive election victories since 2010.

The last-minute effort to bolster Orbán before the 12 April vote, Vance and his wife, Usha, travelled to Budapest in the first high-level US visit to Hungary in two decades. Vance said Orbán’s relationship with Donald Trump had ushered in a “new golden age” in bilateral ties. Magyar said his Tisza party welcomed Vance’s visit, adding that a future government under his leadership would view the United States as a key partner, both within NATO and economically.

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Hungary files espionage case against top journalist

Hungary’s government has filed espionage charges against investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi, in a case tied to reporting on alleged contacts between Budapest and Moscow. Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás, said justice minister Bence Tuzson had decided to proceed, arguing that publicly known details were "sufficient" and accusing Panyi of acting “in cooperation with a foreign state”. The allegations follow a Washington Post report claiming Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, regularly shared confidential information from EU meetings with his Russian counterpart.

After the Post's piece was published, pro-government outlet Mandiner published claims that foreign intelligence services had wiretapped Szijjártó with Panyi’s assistance, alongside an edited recording in which the journalist discussed sharing the minister’s phone number with a source at an EU government agency. Gulyás rejected the notion that such actions constituted journalism, alleging the intent was surveillance. Panyi denied the accusations in a Facebook post, saying the recording had been heavily edited. He is currently working on a book about Russian interference in Hungarian politics. Panyi has previously been targeted with the Pegasus spyware.

Hungarian government rejects opposition claims of secret service operation against Tisza's IT system

Hungary’s main opposition party has accused the government of orchestrating a covert operation to infiltrate and undermine its activities, weeks before the parliamentary election on April 12. The claims, dubbed “Orbán-gate”, draw on an investigation by Direkt36, citing police documents that describe an alleged attempt to compromise the IT systems of Tisza. According to the report, operatives sought to recruit a young volunteer linked to the party to gain access to its digital infrastructure and install loyal insiders in key positions.

The alleged plan was disrupted after police raided the homes of two men associated with the party, who were said to be preparing to record the recruitment attempt using a concealed camera. Direkt36 reported that the raids were carried out under the pretext of a child pornography investigation, though no such material was found, and attention instead shifted to the planned recording.

Bence Szabó, a senior investigator at the Cybercrime department of the National Bureau of Investigation, sat down with Direkt 35 on the record about the case. In the video, Szabo explained that several screenshots were discovered between the IT specialists and individuals, including Magyar's ex-girlfriend, revealing details of a secret service operation. The goal of the operation was to hack into the Tisza Party’s IT system and bring it down.

Magyar has presented the affair as evidence of democratic backsliding, while the government has rejected the allegations and framed the issue as one of national security.

Government spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said individuals linked to Tisza had connections to Ukrainian actors and hacker networks, a claim amplified by pro-government media, while several state bodies declined to comment on the specifics of the reported operation.

Politico: Anxiety builds in MAGA world over fate of Hungarian elections

As war with Iran dominates attention in Washington, concern is mounting within the MAGA movement over the electoral prospects of Orbán, Politico reports. After more than a decade consolidating power, Orbán now faces one of his most difficult contests, with polling ahead of the 12 April vote showing his Fidesz party trailing the centre-right Tisza party. Discontent over a sluggish economy, rising living costs, and a series of scandals has weighed on his campaign, prompting unease among allies of US President Donald Trump, who regard Orbán as a key ideological partner in Europe. In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly endorsed him, while Marco Rubio visited Budapest in February, and JD Vance is reportedly considering a trip, though it has not been formally confirmed.

Orbán is seen as a model of “illiberal” governance in the Trumpist segment of the Republican Party, from his hardline immigration policies to opposition to military aid for Ukraine and efforts to reshape Hungary’s institutions. His allies have cultivated close ties with MAGA-aligned groups such as the Heritage Foundation, and the relationship has yielded tangible benefits, including a US exemption allowing Hungary to continue purchasing Russian oil. Yet the overt support carries risks: far-right parties in Europe have sought to distance themselves from Trump, and some within his orbit fear the strategy could alienate Hungarian voters. Diplomatic tensions further complicate the picture, as Orbán’s move to block an EU loan to Ukraine clashes with US efforts to encourage European support for Kyiv.