Knowledge base of the Mathias Corvinus Collegium

Boris Kálnoky

10/24/23, 10:32 AM

Viktor Orbán – Rebel, loser, winner?

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.
10/13/23, 9:06 AM

How I got Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield to admit that the Rule of Law Mechanism is a political instrument

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”.
4/14/23, 8:19 PM

Life in Budapest – better than Paris or Berlin

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.
1/17/23, 9:08 AM

Germany’s Military has a Problem: Its Soldiers

Germany wants to add 20.000 soldiers to its armed forces by 2031. That may well prove to be impossible.
1/11/23, 2:07 PM

It’s time to take Germany’s Left seriously

Germany’s ruling Greens and Social Democrats are becoming adept at capturing formal and informal domestic power bases.
11/9/22, 3:43 PM

A Literary Look at Germany’s Political Parties

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.
10/8/22, 9:08 AM

Russia: Orbán’s strategic shift

There is a widespread view that Hungary’s relations with Russia are so close that they represent a betrayal of the „West”, the EU and Nato.
2/7/22, 8:00 AM

Playing Cluedo with the EU

A major effort is underway to create a more „federal” EU. Officials will deny, but like in the detective game „Cluedo”, there are hints.
12/10/21, 9:34 AM

Media Freedom in Hungary: A Nuanced View

There is a widespread view in the West that free media in Hungary under Viktor Orbán are greatly reduced, and that what remains of them are under immense political pressure. The truth is more complicated.
11/30/21, 8:18 PM

The law that will change Germany forever

Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) Greens and Liberals have agreed on a coalition government, and presented a programme. It contains a radical reform of migration policy that will change Germany forever.
8/16/21, 8:11 AM

The EU needs more transparent rules to punish member states (A reply to Gerald Knaus)

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.
8/11/21, 9:11 AM

The EU can break a member state if it chooses to

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.
6/29/21, 9:50 AM

Can Free Media be a Danger to Freedom of Expression?

It’s never good when media freedom is supressed. But can the media themselves suppress freedom of speech? A leading German pollster thinks they do.
5/21/21, 8:55 AM

Political violence in Germany

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.
4/13/21, 9:33 AM

Prince Philip: The Passing of an Era

Not a man has passed away, but an era. The era of that type of Britishness. The end of the spirit says „Keep calm and carry on”.
3/22/21, 4:02 PM

Life after the EPP: A simple equation for Fidesz

The recent mediastorm around Fidesz's resignation from EPP has gone. But what're the next steps for Orbán?
3/3/21, 3:28 PM

EPP vs. Fidesz: Six observations

Fidesz has left the European People’s Party’s (EPP) parliamentary group. The two year long drama between the EU’s Christian-Democrat umbrella party and it’s strongest performing (in terms of electoral results) single member has thus essentially come to an end. What happened is in the news: Fidesz has left the EPP’s parliamentary group.
1/29/21, 1:02 PM

How the EU mismanaged its Covid vaccination campaign

Why are some non-EU countries better than the EU at vaccinating their citizens against the Covid virus? By Boris Kálnoky.
11/25/20, 4:01 PM

Prince Charles and Transylvania's Hungarians

The member of the British Royal Family spoke about the Hungarian community in Transylvania in his speech at a Romanian-British diplomatic event.
11/10/20, 4:22 PM

Inside Nanny Journalism

Media don’t always trust their readers to form “responsible” opinions. The result is something critics call “Nanny Journalism”, which not only informs, but tries to guide the public. A view from the inside.

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