Hungarian journalist. News junkie. Former Brussels correspondent. Lives in Leuven. @eublogo on X
Katalin Halmai
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In Hungary, Fidesz has once again made migration the center of political debate. The party repeatedly demands that PM Péter Magyar distance himself from the EU Migration Pact which enters into force next week. Magyar accuses Orbán of failing to prevent the pact from being adopted in the EU. 2/1
Nothing to see here, just our favourite former prime minister supporting European extreme right activists' ethnic cleansing plans.
What is striking is that Fidesz appears determined to keep relying on fear as a political weapon. Even after voters delivered a strong message of change on April 12, the party continues to rely on the same political playbook, a policy bulit on fear. 2/2
Katalin Halmai
Gabriela Greilinger
Katalin Halmai
Few expected Péter Magyar’s government to secure even half of Hungary’s €10bn recovery fund slice. “The Commission’s starting position was €4bn-€5bn. We worked that up to €10bn,” transport and investment minister Dávid Vitézy said. “There were tough rounds of talks in recent weeks.”
Hungary’s Péter Magyar and his Tisza party — already sitting with the @eppgroup.bsky.social in the European Parliament — have begun the process of formally joining the party, two officials told @politico.eu
We've been waiting for this for a long time! Great! 👏
☝️What we’re seeing in multiple recent cases is a broader pattern: once external political pressure eases, institutions begin to correct course on their own.
Without direct government intervention, questionable processes get reviewed, restrictions are lifted, and past anomalies gradually unwind.
Orbán will also hold a press conference at the headquarters of a Fidesz foundation based in Brussels. I’m curious to see if they’ll let the independent press in. When he was prime minister, they didn’t let them in for about the last ten years.
The head of the Integrity Authority said that under the Orbán government he was subjected to politically motivated attacks — as well as being the target of attempted bribes — while trying to probe the public procurement scheme. His wife had been offered a jobbwhich involved high pay for no work.
The @ec.europa.eu is aware of the brewing constitutional row in Hungary and “following it actively,” spokesperson Markus Lammert told @politico.eu.
@michaelmcgratheu.bsky.social travels to Budapest today but is unlikely to raise the issue in his meetings, an EU official said.
