Page 3 - Hungary

Xi Jinping arrives in Hungary for talks on expanding Chinese investments

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Hungary late Wednesday, the final stop on his five-day European tour, where he's expected to finalize a number of agreements with Prime Minister Viktor Orbn that will deepen China's economic footprint in the region. Xi is set to spend two nights in the Hungarian capital Budapest where he will meet with Orbn and Hungarian President Tams Sulyok. Talks will center on future Chinese investments in the Central European country, which has courted deep economic ties with Beijing even as mainstream European leaders have pursued more protectionist policies to limit its reach on the continent. Orbn, a nationalist populist whose illiberal policies have pushed him to the fringes of the European Union, made his country the first in the 27-member bloc to participate in Xi's signature Belt and Road Initiative. Hungary has straddled a middle ground between its membership in the EU and NATO and a willingness to establish diplomatic and trade relationships with

Continuing his embrace of autocrats, Trump to meet Hungary PM Viktor Orbn

Former President Donald Trump on Friday is scheduled to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn, as the likely Republican presidential nominee continues his embrace of autocratic leaders who are part of a global pushback against democratic traditions. Orbn has become an icon to some conservative populists for championing what he calls illiberal democracy, replete with restrictions on immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. But he's also cracked down on the press and judiciary in his country and rejiggered the country's political system to keep his party in power while maintaining the closest relationship with Russia among all European Union countries. In the US, Trump's allies have embraced Orbn's approach. On Thursday, as foreign dignitaries milled through Washington, D.C., ahead of President Joe Biden's State of the Union address, Orbn skipped the White House and instead spoke at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank overseeing the 2025 Project, the effort to create a ..

EU approves $54 bn aid package for Ukraine despite Hungary's threats

All 27 European Union countries have reached consensus on an additional 50 billion euros (USD 54 billion) aid package for Ukraine, overcoming potential vetoes, notably from Hungary

Hungary blocks European Union aid for Ukraine after membership talks nod

EU leaders will reconvene for a second day of their summit meeting on Friday with several topics on the agenda, including the conflict between Israel and Hamas

Hungary asks EU to take action against Bulgaria transit tax on Russian gas

Hungary has asked the European Union's executive to open a legal procedure against Bulgaria over a tax it recently imposed on Russian natural gas passing through its territory, a government minister said on Friday. Bulgaria believes the tax, which it levied in October, will reduce the privileged position of Russia's state-owned energy company Gazprom in southeastern Europe and deter Russian influence in the region. But the tax has angered Bulgaria's neighbour Serbia, as well as fellow EU member Hungary, which are heavily dependent on Russian gas coming mostly via Turkey and Bulgaria through the TurkStream pipeline. In a Facebook video, Hungary's minister for EU affairs, Janos Boka, said he had sent a letter to the European Commission urging it to launch an infringement procedure against Bulgaria, the first potential step the bloc can use to ensure its laws are upheld by member states. Boka complained that Bulgaria had imposed the tax without consulting first with Hungary, and that

Ukrainian boat captain found guilty in Hungary for 2019 Danube collision

The captain of a river cruise boat that collided with another vessel in Hungary's capital in 2019, killing at least 27 people most of them South Korean tourists, was found guilty on Tuesday of negligence leading to a fatal mass catastrophe and sentenced to five years in prison. Judge Leona Nemeth with the Pest Central District Court found that the negligence of the Ukrainian captain, Yuriy Chaplinsky, had caused his river cruise boat, the Viking Sigyn, to collide with the tourist boat Hableany (Mermaid) from behind, causing it to sink into the Danube River within seconds. The court acquitted Chaplinsky of 35 counts of failure to render aid. He may appeal. The collision occurred May 29, 2019, when the Hableany, carrying mostly the South Korean tourists, sank after being struck beneath Budapest's Margit Bridge by the much larger Viking Sigyn. Seven South Koreans were rescued from the water in the heavy rain following the collision, and 27 people were recovered dead including the ...

F1 Hungarian GP: Max Verstappen records 7th consecutive win, Red Bull 12th

Formula One champion Max Verstappen needed only a few seconds to stamp his authority on the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday and win his seventh straight race of a crushingly dominant season. Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton started from pole position ahead of Verstappen, who muscled him out at the first corner and never looked back. Red Bull's 12th straight win, including the final race of 2022, broke McLaren's record for consecutive team wins set in 1988. That was so enjoyable to drive, 12 in a row that is unbelievable, Verstappen said. Unbelievable. I was really enjoying that last stint. Verstappen is cruising toward a third straight F1 title. His ninth victory overall complete with another bonus point for the fastest lap means the 25-year-old Dutchman already leads his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez by 110 points. McLaren driver Lando Norris finished second for the second-straight race and Perez was third for a much-needed second podium in six races. Verstappen's career

Explained: Why Turkey has not yet approved Sweden's bid of joining Nato

Despite Sweden implementing new anti-terror legislation in June, Turkey still claims Sweden has not taken sufficient "concrete steps"

Hungarian parliament approves Finland's bid to join Western alliance Nato

Hungary's parliament on Monday approved Finland's bid to join NATO, ending months of delays and bringing the Nordic country one step closer to becoming a full member of the Western military alliance. Hungarian lawmakers voted 182 for and only six against with no abstentions. The vote came after Hungary's government frustrated allies in NATO and the European Union by repeatedly postponing the measure for months after nearly all other members of the alliance had ratified Finland's bid. With Hungary's approval, Turkey is now the only one of NATO's 30 members not to have ratified Finland's NATO accession. Admitting a new country requires unanimity among all member nations.

Hungarian PM vows to block sanctions against Russia to safeguard interests

In the foreseeable future, Hungary would remain dependent on fossil fuel imports from Russia, and he was optimistic that Russia would prove reliable supplier, Xinhua news agency quoted Orban as saying

Hungarian delegation supports Sweden's Nato membership application

A parliamentary delegation from Hungary said Tuesday that it supports Sweden's NATO membership bid after meeting the speaker of the Swedish parliament to iron out what Hungary's governing party has called political disputes. Some Hungarian lawmakers have raised doubts about whether to support the NATO membership applications by Sweden and Finland, citing what they call blatant lies from Stockholm and Helsinki on the state of Hungary's democracy. But the Hungarian delegation indicated Tuesday that the parliament in Budapest would ultimately ratify Sweden's NATO bid. We support Sweden's NATO membership, Hungary's deputy parliamentary speaker, Csaba Hende, told Swedish news agency TT. We made it clear that the Hungarian government, the Hungarian president, the prime minister and most of the Hungarian parliamentarians clearly support Swedish NATO membership, Hende said, according to TT. He added that it was necessary to improve bilateral relations between Budapest and Stockholm. Hunga

Hungary further delays vote on ratifying Sweden, Finland joining NATO

Hungary has further delayed a vote on ratifying Sweden and Finland's NATO accession bids, according to an updated schedule published on Thursday on the National Assembly's website, the latest in a series of postponements that have frustrated Western allies. The delay, which pushes the vote back by two weeks to the parliamentary session beginning March 20, comes as Hungary remains the only NATO member country besides Turkey that hasn't yet approved the two Nordic countries' bids to join the Western military alliance. Hungary's populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, has said that he is personally in favour of the two countries joining NATO, but alleged that the governments in Stockholm and Helsinki have spread blatant lies about Hungary which have raised questions among lawmakers in his party on whether to approve the bids. In a radio interview on February 24, Orban confirmed that Hungary would send a parliamentary delegation to Sweden and Finland to seek clarification on such issues

Hungary calls for peace in Russia-Ukraine conflict, warns of escalation

The Hungarian PM promised that even if it becomes increasingly hard, Hungary would stick to its position, and continue to maintain economic relations with Russia

Fourth Reich to be created: Russia's Dmitry Medvedev makes 2023 prediction

Medvedev also said that a war is likely to break out between France and the Fourth Reich. In the process, Europe will be divided, whereas Poland repartitioned

Quadrilateral agreement inked on Black Sea submarine electric cable

Romania, Hungary, Azerbaijan and Georgia signed on Saturday an agreement on the Black Sea submarine cable for the transport of electricity from the Caspian area to Romania

Western sanctions turned Ukraine conflict into global war: Hungarian PM

The Western countries' sanctions against Russia have turned the "local" conflict between Russia and Ukraine into a "global economic war," Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in Budapest

EU recommends withholding funds for Hungary over graft concerns

The European Commission has today proposed budget protection measures to the Council under the conditionality regulation

In a first, EU moves to cut money for Hungary over damaging democracy

EU executive proposes taking 7.5 billion euros from Hungary; 27 EU countries have three months to decide, no veto; Hungary pledges to meet all commitments to unlock EU funds

Hungarian govt announces extension of fuel, food price caps until year-end

The Hungarian government has decided to extend the fuel and food price caps until December 31, Gergely Gulyas, the Head of the Prime Minister's Office said

Hungarian PM slams European Parliament for 'attacks' amid energy crisis

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing Fidesz party slammed the European Parliament (EP) for "being occupied with attacking Hungary even in the midst of the current crises"