On June 16th, 1989, a young man named Viktor Orbán held a speech watched by hundreds of thousands of his compatriots. The occasion was the reburial of Imre Nagy, who as a Prime Minister had been the leader of Hungary’s 1956 uprising against the Soviets.
On Wednesday, 11th October I sat on a remarkable podium at the „Budapest Forum”, a conference organized by the City of Budapest, run by mayor Gergely Karácsony, in order to combat „authoritarianism” and „defend democracy”.
I grew up in Western Europe, but live and work in Budapest. Sometimes, Western friends ask me how it compares to other great cities I lived in – say, Paris or Berlin.
While Hungary stands accused of „Rule of Law” deficiencies, Germany’s leftwing goverment has just passed a law that may well end up costing citizens their jobs, if they disagree with the government.
Words don’t come easy when trying to understand the ever more chaotic political landscape in Germany. Maybe it helps to compare some parties to works of literature.
Think tank founder Gerald Knaus proposes to fine Poland 5,2% billion Euros for not implementing an ECJ ruling. In fact, there are no clear rules for imposing fines. This must change.
The EU can inflict murderous financial punishment on states who don’t implement rulings of the European Court of Justice. This instrument has never been used to really hurt a member state – but legally, it can. Poland may soon become the first country to feel the pain. The political consequences could be disastrous for all concerned, including the EU itself.
German authorities began tracking „politically motivated crime” in 2001. In 2020, more such crimes were registered than in any year before. Social tensions are rising.
Populism has become a dirty word in politics, although in its original meaning it should be an elementary democratic virtue. What the People (“populus”) want, expect, express, should be part of the political discussion in any democracy.
Saurabh Sharma is the president and co-founder of American Moment, an organization dedicated to helping young American conservatives build their careers and fill positions of influence.
Podcast with Bimba – Fourth episode with Rizvika: Studying as an Indonesian PhD student in Hungary and reflecting on both Hungarian and Indonesian education.
With the most appreciated contribution of Mr. Alexandre de Sousa Carvalho from the University of Coimbra, the Votes&Seats podcast series gladly issues its episode on the March 2024 Portuguese early legislative election.
In politics, support is everything. But how can a party gain new voters when they are strictly critiqued by the media, labelled a threat to democracy, and excluded by all other political parties? Despite these hurdles, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) became the second largest party in the recent German elections, doubling their support in only 4 years. How did AfD achieve this, and what factors contributed to their success?
Since 2015, the migration crisis has remained one of Europe’s most pressing challenges, sparking intense debate and diverging policy responses across the continent. While a few countries, such as Hungary, swiftly adopted a closed-border approach, most European nations initially embraced an open-door policy, driven by principles of solidarity, inclusion, and humanitarian responsibility. This divide in strategy has shaped political discourse, influenced public opinion, and continued to redefine Europe’s approach to migration.
Following the election of President Donald Trump, a seismic shift has taken shape in American foreign policy—from its stance on the war in Ukraine, relations with Russia, and approach toward Europe and the European Union. The result has been a dramatic acceleration in global geopolitical change, unfolding at a supersonic pace.
Austria’s Weltraumgesetz (Austrian Outer Space Act) was introduced in 2011 to bring Austria’s space industry within international regulations and regulate the industry’s rapid growth. As a backbone of space sovereignty, the Act regulates space activities, establishes a National Registry and establishes authorization criteria of space activities. It also requires liability insurance for commercial space operators.
