About Hungary beta

    • CORONAVIRUS: Here's the latest

    A regularly updated feed of the latest information about coronavirus in Hungary.

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    The success of Hungary’s family policy: 2020 has been our best year to date

    The Family Protection Action Plan was launched by the Hungarian government in February 2019 and has since grown into an impressive success story. Here’s where we’re standing now.

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    CORONAVIRUS: 4,853 infected. In compulsory home quarantine: 7,707. Recovered: 3,509. Deceased: 607.

    If you have a question call + 36-80-277-455 and + 36-80-277-456 or email koronavirus@bm.gov.hu.

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    PM Orbán: Everyone must assist in the defense against the coronavirus

    In his regular slot on public radio, Prime Minister Orbán spoke about the importance of a collective defense against the coronavirus, the link between the epidemic and illegal migration, the national consultation and Hungary’s improving employment figures

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    Tourism is back on track – best destinations besides Budapest and Balaton

    Following the onset of the coronavirus epidemic, the Hungarian government made rebooting tourism a paramount goal. And Hungary offers much more than Budapest and Lake Balaton!

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    PM Orbán: Our defense against the coronavirus is currently well-tuned, any change would only bring new risks

    Prime Minister Orbán said in his regular interview on Kossuth Rádió that while the crisis keeps growing in neighboring countries, Hungary’s defense has proven to be effective. Besides the coronavirus, the PM touched upon the state of Hungary’s economy and

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán bei „Europe Uncensored“: Es gibt zwei konkurrierende Konzepte für die Zukunft Europas

    Jul 11, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    Eines dieser Konzepte – ein fortschrittliches, liberal-linkes, halbmarxistisches Konzept – kommt aus Westeuropa, sagte Ministerpräsident Orbán. Es gibt jedoch noch ein anderes: das Konzept eines Europas, das auf christlicher Kultur, familienfreundlicher Politik und jenem Verständnis beruht, dass die nationale Identität ein Wert ist, der bewahrt werden muss.

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    State Secretary Izer: Tax discounts aimed at countering coronavirus impact have already saved Hungarians HUF 62 billion

    Jun 24, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    Among a series of other steps to protect the economy and help Hungarian families get by during the epidemic, the Hungarian government instructed the tax authority to exercise leniency concerning tax-discount applications made as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Thanks to these measures, Hungarian families have, according to a state secretary from the Ministry of Finance, saved Hungarians more than HUF 62 billion so far.

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    Ungarns jüngste Nationale Konsultation wurde am Montag gestartet. Hier ein Rückblick auf frühere Konsultationen

    Jun 18, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    Ab Montag werden in Ungarn an jeden Haushalt Fragebögen für die ungarische Nationale Konsultation verschickt, dies betrifft rund 7,8 Millionen Menschen. Dies ist die achte Nationale Konsultation seit der ersten vor fast zehn Jahren im September 2010. Was als an Rentner adressierte Briefe begann, in dem sie um ihre Meinung gebeten wurden, ist zu einer der wirksamen Methoden der ungarischen Regierung geworden, die Öffentlichkeit zu konsultieren, bevor wichtige politische Entscheidungen getroffen werden.

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    Hungary’s latest national consultation launched on Monday. Here’s a look back at earlier consultations

    Jun 16, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    Beginning on Monday, questionnaires for Hungary’s national consultation are going out to every household in the country, some 7.8 million. This is the eighth national consultation since the first one nearly ten years ago, in September 2010. What began as a letter to pensioners asking for their opinions has become one of the Hungarian government’s effective methods for consulting the public before making important policy decisions.

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    Blog Prime Minister

    PM Orbán at V4 summit: It’s morally unacceptable that rich countries would receive more from the EU recovery fund

    Jun 12, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    Speaking at a Visegrád Four summit in Prague yesterday, Prime Minister Orbán said that although it goes directly against Hungarians’ philosophical convictions about money, an extraordinary situation requires an extraordinary solution. Hungary is therefore willing to accept and welcome the initiative to jointly take out loans at the EU level.

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    Außenminister Szijjártó: Sowohl die Ukraine als auch Ungarn müssen von der Zusammenarbeit profitieren

    Jun 02, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    Auf der heutigen Pressekonferenz haben der ukrainische Außenminister Dmytro Kuleba und der ungarische Minister für auswärtige Angelegenheiten und Handel Péter Szijjártó ein Protokoll zur Änderung des Abkommens zwischen der ungarischen Regierung und der ukrainischen Regierung unterzeichnet, in dem ein Rahmen für die finanzielle Zusammenarbeit sowie eine Absichtserklärung über Energieeffizienz festgelegt wurden, der die erneuerbaren Energien und die alternativen Kraftstoffe betrifft.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán: Das ultimative Ziel der Regierungsführung ist es, jedem ungarischen Bürger das Gefühl zu geben, Teil einer großen Nation zu sein

    Jun 02, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    In seinem gewohnten Interview am Freitagmorgen im Radio Kossuth erörterte Premierminister Viktor Orbán die Ergebnisse der letzten zehn Regierungsjahre und die erfolgreiche Strategie Ungarns zur Seuchenabwehr. Er sprach auch über die nächsten Nationalen Konsultationen und den 750-Milliarden-Euro-Plan der Europäischen Kommission.

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    FM Szijjártó: Both Ukraine and Hungary must benefit from cooperation

    May 29, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    At today’s press conference, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó signed a protocol amending the agreement between the Government of Hungary and the Government of Ukraine, establishing a Framework for Financial Cooperation and a Memorandum of Understanding concerning energy efficiency, renewable energy and alternative fuels.

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    Operational Group: Number of recovered is now higher than active coronavirus cases

    May 25, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    CMO Cecília Müller said at today’s Operational Group press conference that Hungary’s coronavirus figures are “very favorable,” as there are now more people who have recovered from the virus than the number of active coronavirus cases. Meanwhile, András Tállai, Deputy Minister at the Finance Ministry, said that the most critical part of the most recent Economy Protection Action Plan was the moratorium on loan repayments.

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    Operational Group: Epidemiological preparedness must be maintained to keep the epidemic under control

    May 21, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    At today's Coronavirus Operational Group press conference, Chief Medical Officer Cecília Müller said that it is not yet possible to say how the next stage of the coronavirus infection will develop, therefore epidemiological preparedness must be maintained. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Róbert Kiss reiterated the new regulations that now apply to entering Hungary.

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    Operational Group: Hungary ranks well in Europe regarding the number of infected per 100,000 inhabitants

    May 20, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    In terms of the number people infected with coronavirus per 100,000 inhabitants, Hungary is in a good spot in Europe, said Chief Medical Officer Cecília Müller at the Coronavirus Operational Group’s press conference earlier today. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Róbert Kiss revealed that the police are in “continuous dialogue” with neighboring countries’ authorities so that we can gradually return to ordinary border-crossing procedures.

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    PM Orbán on European Court decision: There is a coordinated assault on Hungary and our laws, but our constitution will prevail

    May 15, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    In his Friday morning interview on Kossuth Radio, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán discussed the possibility of lifting restrictions in Budapest, the government’s job creation programs, transit zones, the court ruling on the case concerning the Roma community in Gyöngyöspata, and the decision handed down yesterday by the European Court of Justice concerning migration and border protection.

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    Operational Group: Government will create same number of jobs that the epidemic destroys

    May 10, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    The government has created 1 million jobs over the last 10 years, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Innovation and Technology Tamás Schanda said, adding that Hungary will adhere to its policy of job creation and create as many jobs as the coronavirus destroys. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel of the Hungarian Police Róbert Kiss reported an increase in police actions in Budapest and the surrounding Pest County during last week.

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    Operational Group: High school final exams to take place starting tomorrow despite coronavirus

    May 03, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    Today’s Operational Group press conference was attended by Zoltán Maruzsa, state secretary for Education at the Ministry of Human Capacities, who spoke about the commencement of this year’s high school final exams tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Róbert Kiss said that the total number of actions taken by police due to the coronavirus epidemic has topped 40,000 this weekend.

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    Gergely Gulyás: Hungary is prepared, and its coronavirus defense now moves to the second stage

    Apr 30, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    Following PM Orbán’s announcement last night that Hungary can now begin a gradual return to normal life and business, Minister Gergely Gulyás today provided details on how the country will move forward with the second phase of its coronavirus defense. He noted some economic stimuli for tourists this summer and also had some direct words for the local opposition and Donald Tusk.

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    Operational Group: Nearly 500 have recovered from coronavirus

    Apr 27, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Hungary grew to 2,583, while 280 have succumbed to the epidemic thus far. At the Operational Group’s regular press conference, officials spoke about incoming shipments of protective gear, police actions against those violating movement restrictions, a new form of treatment, and the success of the free parking policy. Cecília Müller also explained how to wear masks properly.

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    Chief Medical Officer: 50 percent of all hospital beds have been successfully freed up in preparation for the virus’ peak

    Apr 22, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    At today’s press conference, Hungary’s Coronavirus Operational Group discussed new protective gear shipments to elderly homes, education and exams in these extraordinary times, and the latest figures for criminal proceedings and compulsory home quarantine. Cecília Müller also revealed that 50 percent of all hospital beds have been successfully freed up in preparation for the peak of the virus.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán: Hoffe aufs Beste – und bereite dich aufs Schlimmste vor

    Apr 18, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    In seinem Radiointerview heute Morgen sprach Ministerpräsident Orbán über die laufenden Vorbereitungen des Landes für das Worst-Case-Szenario der Coronavirus-Epidemie. Er merkte an, dass weiterhin Vorräte zur Bekämpfung des Virus ankommen, dass die Krankenhäuser streng verwaltet werden müssen, und dass die Regierung den größten Wirtschaftsschutzplan in der Geschichte Ungarns vorbereitet hat.

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    Ungarische Landeschefärztin: Der Schutz der Beschäftigten im Gesundheitswesen ist sehr wichtig, da die Epidemie eine steigende Tendenz zeigt

    Apr 13, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    Alle Medikamente zur Linderung der Symptome sind verfügbar, sagte die ungarische Landeschefärztin Cecília Müller auf der heutigen Pressekonferenz des Operativstabes. Zu ihr gesellte sich heute Landwirtschaftsminister István Nagy, der über jene Maßnahmen sprach, die ergriffen wurden, um die Beschäftigten im Agrarsektor zu entlasten.

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    "Operational Group: The risk of a large-scale infection looms large in Budapest"

    Apr 05, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    There are 733 confirmed cases of coronavirus nationwide, but Chief Medical Officer Cecília Müller said that the greatest risk of a large-scale infection looms large in Budapest, as most cases have been encountered in the capital and the surrounding Pest County. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Róbert Kiss of the Hungarian Police said that the growing number of movement restriction violations signals that citizens are “losing their patience.”

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán: Wir kämpfen gegen zwei Viren: Einer ist die Angst, der andere ist der Virus selbst

    Apr 04, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    In seinem gewohnten Radiointerview erörterte Premierminister Orbán heute Morgen die mögliche Ausweitung der Ausgangsbeschränkungen, die eventuellen Vorbereitungen für eine Verbreitung der Infektion in großem Umfang und einen neuen Plan zur Belebung der Wirtschaft. Er dankte auch allen, die derzeit an der vordersten Front kämpfen, und kündigte an, dass die Beschäftigten im Gesundheitswesen einen Bonus von 500.000 HUF erhalten werden.

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    Operational Group: Restrictions on movement proving effective

    Mar 30, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    “We are still in the state of cluster infections,” Cecília Müller, Hungary’s Chief Medical Officer, said at today’s Operational Group press conference, adding that the current restrictions on movement have been effective. Members of the Operational Group also discussed the role of “hospital commanders,” enforcement of the movement restrictions, best practices to avoid infection and more.

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    The OSCE’s double standards: Because…press freedom

    Mar 25, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    Late last year, the OSCE softened its position on laws against “fake news” proposed by a Socialist government, laws that were being roundly criticized internationally. This week, the OSCE took a stance to express concerns about Hungary’s draft laws against dangerously false information in a state of emergency. If the government is leftist, it seems, laws against fake news are okay. But if not, then not so much. Because…press freedom.

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    Operational Group: Large shipment of protective equipment has arrived

    Mar 24, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    “Another person has passed away from the coronavirus,” Chief Medical Officer Cecília Müller said at today’s press conference of the Coronavirus Operational Group. Müller implored everyone to follow all epidemiological regulations prescribed by the government, while Colonel Tibor Lakatos, head of the Operational Group, reported that close to 200 people have broken compulsory home quarantine in 24 hours.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán in seiner Rede zur Lage der Nation: Das letzte Jahrzehnt ist in Ungarn das erfolgreichste in den letzten 100 Jahren

    Feb 18, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    Der Aufbau einer Nation, sagte Premierminister Orbán, beginne mit „der Stärkung der Selbstachtung.“ Während sich die Ungarn von der Vorstellung entfernt haben, dass „wir uns als erfolgreiches Volk betrachten können“, ist es an der Zeit, dass wir es laut aussprechen: „Die letzten zehn Jahre waren die erfolgreichsten in den letzten 100 Jahren der ungarischen Geschichte.“

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    Blog Prime Minister

    PM Orbán in State of the Nation address: The last decade has been the most successful in Hungary’s last 100 years

    Feb 16, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    Building a nation’s stature, said Prime Minister Orbán, begins with “the strengthening of self-respect.” While Hungarians have grown distant from the idea that “we can look at ourselves as a successful people,” it is time that we say it out loud: “The last ten years have been the most successful in the last 100 years of Hungarian history.”

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    PM Orbán: One would have to be blind not to see that migration in the Balkans is organized by the Soros Network

    Jan 31, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    On Tuesday morning, dozens of illegal immigrants stormed the Hungarian border crossing near Röszke, where they were immediately captured by border guards. “This is not the first occasion. We have seen this before,” Prime Minister Orbán said on Kossuth Radio this morning, reminding listeners that there have been nearly 3,500 illegal attempts in January alone. The PM then discussed the Soros network, the coronavirus and the Roma segregation case in Gyöngyöspata.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán: Wir waren einen Zentimeter davon entfernt, die EVP zu verlassen

    Jan 21, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    „Das kann so nicht weitergehen“, sagte Premierminister Orbán in seinem gewohnten Interview am Freitagmorgen über den öffentlich-rechtlichen Sender Kossuth Rádió. „Wenn die EVP nicht für Ungarn eintritt, müssen wir eine neue christlich-demokratische europäische Bewegung gründen.“ Neben der gestrigen Abstimmung des Europäischen Parlaments sprach der Ministerpräsident auch über die Beziehung der V4-Länder zu Österreich, die „Gefängnis-Deals“ in Ungarn und über den Fall der Roma-Segregation in Gyöngyöspata.

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    Chief Security Advisor: Boom in illegal border crossing attempts at sections without border fence

    Jan 20, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    In a press conference held at Hungary’s southern border fence, Prime Minister Orbán’s Chief Security Advisor György Bakondi confirmed that the number of illegal border-crossing attempts have increased dramatically around border sections not protected with a border fence, even though increased police and military presence is supported by high-end heat cameras, drones and radar technology.

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    Staatliche Übernahme von Fruchtbarkeitskliniken: Es geht darum, Hindernisse für jene Paare zu beseitigen, die Kinder haben möchten

    Jan 19, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    Natürlich haben bestimmte kritische Stellen ganz schnell die ungarische Maßnahme, die Behandlung der Unfruchtbarkeit kostenlos zur Verfügung zu stellen, angegriffen. Der Premierminister hat unsere Lage letzte Woche auf einer internationalen Pressekonferenz dargelegt, die Erklärung wurde jedoch weitgehend ignoriert. Hier ist noch einmal unsere Begründung für die Maßnahme.

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    PM Orbán: We were one centimeter away from leaving the EPP

    Jan 17, 2020 - Zoltán Kovács

    “This cannot go on,” Prime Minister Orbán said in his regular Friday morning interview on the public Kossuth Rádió. “If the EPP doesn’t stand up for Hungary, then we will have to start a new, Christian-Democratic European movement.” Besides the European Parliament vote yesterday, the prime minister talked about V4 relations with Austria, “prison deals” in Hungary and the Roma segregation case in Gyöngyöspata.

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    Der Migrationsdruck an der Südgrenze nimmt zu, als die Polizei zwei Tunnel unter der Grenze entdeckt

    Dec 03, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Ungarn verzeichnete in diesem Jahr allein 11.808 illegale Grenzübertrittsversuche, 2.418 davon in diesem Monat und in dieser Woche allein ereigneten sich neun Prozent der diesjährigen Versuche. Während der Druck zunimmt und illegale Migranten neue Taktiken anwenden, sind die ungarischen Behörden bereit, die Grenze auch gegen viel höhere Zahlen zu sichern.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán: Das wichtigste Portfolio in der Europäischen Kommission zu erhalten, ist für Ungarn der größte diplomatische Erfolg seit zehn Jahren

    Nov 28, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    In Bezug auf die neue Position von Olivér Várhelyi als EU-Kommissar betonte Ministerpräsident Viktor Orbán die Bedeutung des Portfolios für Erweiterung und europäische Nachbarschaftspolitik. Der Premierminister sprach auch darüber, auf welche Weise im nächsten Jahr der wirtschaftliche Erfolg des Landes aufrechterhalten werden soll.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán: Wir müssen den demografischen Rückgang stoppen

    Nov 21, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Ein Land mit einer rückläufigen Bevölkerungsentwicklung, so Premierminister Orbán, sollte nicht unter der Illusion leben, dass der Rückgang ohne unsere eigenen Anstrengungen aufhören wird. In seiner gestrigen Rede auf der Tagung des Rats der Ungarischen Diaspora ging der Ministerpräsident auf eine Reihe dringender Fragen ein, darunter Einwanderung, Familienpolitik, die Wirtschaftslage Ungarns und die militärischen Fähigkeiten des Landes.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán in Prag: Wir sind Europas Zukunft

    Nov 20, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    „Die Zusammenarbeit der mitteleuropäischen Länder ist im Herzen der mitteleuropäischen Bevölkerung verankert“, sagte Premierminister Orbán heute in Prag und fügte hinzu, dass in den kommenden Jahren der Erfolg von Mitteleuropa und der Länder der Visegrád-Gruppe im Mittelpunkt stehen werden. Dies sind einige Höhepunkte aus der Rede des Premierministers zum 30. Jahrestag der Samtenen Revolution in der Tschechoslowakei, einem friedlichen Machtwechsel, der das Ende der kommunistischen Ära markierte.

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    PM Orbán in Prague: We are Europe’s future

    Nov 17, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    “The cooperation of Central European countries is engraved in the hearts of Central European people,” Prime Minister Orbán said earlier today in Prague, adding that the upcoming years will be all about the success of Central Europe and the Visegrád Four. A few highlights from the PM’s speech honoring the 30th anniversary of Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, a peaceful transition of power that marked the end of the communist era.

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    PM Orbán: We need to halt the demographic decline

    Nov 15, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    A country with a declining population, Prime Minister Orbán said, should not live under the illusion that the decline will stop without our own effort. In his speech at the meeting of the Hungarian Diaspora Council yesterday, the Prime Minister touched upon an array of pressing issues including immigration, family policy, the state of Hungary’s economy, and the country’s military capabilities.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán: Wir brauchen immer mehr Partnerländer mit einem Interesse an Ungarns Erfolg

    Nov 11, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    In seinem gewohnten Radiointerview am Freitagmorgen sprach Premierminister Orbán – nach drei bilateralen Besuchen in Budapest innerhalb von acht Tagen – über das Hauptziel der ungarischen Außenpolitik, über die Rolle der Türkei beim Stoppen der Migration sowie über die Ukraine und die Ungarn in Transkarpatien, bevor er sich den Themen Tourismus und gemeinsamer EU-Haushalt zuwandte.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán mit Präsident Erdoğan: „Ohne die Türkei von Präsident Erdoğan ist es nicht möglich, die Migration nach Europa zu stoppen“

    Nov 11, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    In einer gemeinsamen Pressekonferenz nach der Unterzeichnung von zehn bilateralen Abkommen erklärte Premierminister Viktor Orbán, dass Ungarns außenpolitisches Denken von der Prämisse ausgehe, dass es ohne die Türkei von Präsident Erdoğan nicht möglich sei, die Migration nach Europa zu stoppen. Außerdem sprach Premierminister Orbán die Zusammenarbeit der beiden Länder in Bezug auf Sicherheit, Energie und Kultur an, bevor er die Pressekonferenz mit dem Thema EU-Erweiterung abschloss.

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    PM Orbán with President Erdoğan: “Without President Erdoğan’s Turkey, it is not possible to halt migration to Europe”

    Nov 07, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    In a joint press conference following the signing of ten bilateral agreements, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that Hungary’s foreign policy thinking starts from the premise that without President Erdoğan’s Turkey, it is not possible to halt migration to Europe. Furthermore, PM Orbán touched upon cooperation between the two countries in terms of security, energy, and culture before closing with the topic of EU enlargement.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán: Sowohl Ungarn als auch Slowenien wissen genau, was Migration und unkontrollierte Grenzübertritte darstellen – eine Bedrohung für die nationale Sicherheit

    Oct 31, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Ungarn und Slowenien teilen das gleiche Schicksal, wenn es um Migration geht, sagte Ministerpräsident Viktor Orbán, und Ungarn wird Slowenien beim Schutz seiner Grenzen helfen. Der Premierminister sprach auch von „sehr ernsten Konsequenzen“, wenn die EU weiterhin neue Mitgliedstaaten blockiert. Der slowenische Premierminister Sarec brachte währenddessen seine uneingeschränkte Unterstützung zum Ausdruck, damit Ungarn in der Europäischen Kommission das Portfolio Nachbarschaft und Erweiterung erhält.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán: „Es liegt in unserem grundsätzlichen Interesse, ein weiteres Ereignis wie das in Röszke zu vermeiden“

    Oct 30, 2019

    In seinem gewohnten Interview am Freitagmorgen auf Kossuth Rádió ging Ministerpräsident Orbán auf eine Reihe dringender Themen ein, darunter den anhaltenden türkisch-syrischen Konflikt, die Kommunalwahlen sowie das derzeitige Mandat der Regierung, den „Borkai-Skandal“, die Aktionspläne zum Schutz der Familie und der Wirtschaft und äußerte sich sogar zum Thema Brexit.

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    PM Orbán: Both Hungary and Slovenia know exactly what migration and uncontrolled border crossings mean – a threat to national security

    Oct 28, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Hungary and Slovenia share the same fate when it comes to migration, said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and Hungary will help Slovenia protect its borders. The prime minister also spoke about “very serious consequences” if the EU continues to block new member states, while Slovenian Prime Minister Sarec expressed his government’s full support for Hungary receiving the European Commission enlargement portfolio.

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    The apparatchiks are back, and they’ve joined forces with the far-right

    Oct 24, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    While Hungarians remembered on October 23rd the martyrs of the 1956 Revolution – the everyday men and women, boys and girls who took up arms and made a heroic stand against Soviet military might on the streets of Budapest – the direct descendants of the Communist Party cadre that helped break the revolution were busy whitewashing their grandparents and – just for good measure – allying themselves with Hungary’s anti-Semitic, far-right in a shameful maneuver for political power.

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    PM Orbán: ‘The Hungarian miracle didn’t come cheap. We demanded an independent Hungary in a Europe of nations’

    Oct 23, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    In his speech honoring the martyrs of Hungary’s 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that he has no doubt that the youth of today’s Pest would stand strong just as their grandparents did in 1956. After all, the PM said, “a homeland can only exist as long as the patriots outnumber those that align with foreign powers.”

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    Remembering the heroes of the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight

    Oct 23, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Today, October 23, marks the sixty-third anniversary of the beginning of our 1956 Revolution. On this autumn day in 1956, students at Budapest’s Technical University marched to József Bem Square, issuing a list of demands, referred to as the 16 points, that called for the end of the one-party state and the holding of free and democratic parliamentary elections, the country joining the United Nations and leaving the recently established Warsaw Pact.

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    PM Orbán: “Homeland cannot be in opposition”

    Oct 22, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Opening the fall session of the Hungarian Parliament yesterday, PM Orbán said that it is ready to cooperate with all mayors and local councils that will cooperate and that everyone must work for Hungary and the Hungarian people. He also noted Fidesz’s continued strength and mandate, family policy success, further economic goals, the EU’s mistake regarding Albania and North Macedonia, and carbon neutrality.

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    Hungary hosts international military exercise focused on responding to illegal migration – still one of Europe’s gravest threats

    Oct 18, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Members of the Hungarian police and armed forces were accompanied by hundreds of foreign participants for the “Cooperative Security 2019” military exercise at two locations in rural Hungary. The goal? Strengthen cooperation to help keep the peace in countries from which people are forced to flee, and protect and preserve our own homeland.

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    Homecoming: Remember that argument about how Hungarians are emigrating in masses?

    Oct 16, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    If you’ve read anything about Hungary over the last nine years, you’ve most certainly encountered the argument that Hungarians are leaving the country by the thousands. Because of Prime Minister Orbán, of course. While emigration has indeed been a challenge for many of the countries of the CEE region, PM Orbán has been part of the solution rather than the cause. And our fellow Hungarians are, in fact, coming home.

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    Inspiring Hungary: Wir präsentieren eine der leistungsstärksten Volkswirtschaften Europas!

    Oct 08, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Inspiring Hungary, eine exklusive Konferenz, die diese Woche von der Ungarischen Agentur für Investitionsförderung organisiert wurde, präsentierte die Erfolge des ungarischen Wirtschaftsmodells – mehr Auslandsinvestitionen, mehr Arbeitsplätze, höhere Löhne – und bot eine Networking-Plattform für die Teilnehmer in den wichtigsten Wirtschaftssektoren des Landes. Hier sind einige der wichtigsten Erkenntnisse.

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    PM Orbán: “When they question the rule of law, they step on our honor”

    Oct 01, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    At a joint press conference with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the Finnish PM, Antti Rinne, made clear that he will seek to make EU payments subject to the rule of law. Yet Finland itself fails to meet several important criteria of the rule of law, thus giving a clear example of the double standards that continue to prevail in the European Union. We should focus “more on what we agree on and less on where there are disagreements,” said Prime Minister Orbán.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán an italienischen Ministerpräsidenten: „Bei Bedarf übernehmen wir den Schutz bestimmter Abschnitte der italienischen Grenze.“

    Sep 30, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Die Regierungspartei Fidesz hielt heute ihren Jahreskongress ab, den 28. seit der Gründung der Partei. Ministerpräsident Viktor Orbán hob nach seiner Wiederwahl zum Parteivorsitzenden in seiner Rede jene Ziele hervor, die der Fidesz in drei Jahrzehnten erreicht hat, darunter die Schaffung eines „neuen und funktionierenden Modells der Staatstheorie, eines christdemokratischen Staates“.

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    PM Orbán to Italian PM: ‘If necessary, we will take over protection of certain sections of the Italian border’

    Sep 29, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Ruling party Fidesz held its annual congress today, the 28th since the party’s establishment. In his address following his re-election as president of the party, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán highlighted the goals that Fidesz has achieved over the course of three decades, including the creation of a “new and working model of state theory, a Christian Democratic state.” Regarding the EU’s latest ideas for responding to the migration challenge, the PM made an offer to Italy to help in protecting the EU border.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán: „Wir haben einen christlich-demokratischen Staat aufgebaut“ und „bilden die Mehrheit im Volk“

    Sep 24, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    “In Ungarn haben wir in den letzten Jahren ein neues Modell zur Theorie der Politik und des Staates entwickelt und einen christlich-demokratischen Staat aufgebaut“, sagte Premierminister Orbán auf einer von Fratelli d'Italia in Rom organisierten Veranstaltung. Den Beweis für den Erfolg des Modells liefern drei Siege bei den Parlamentswahlen mit einer Zweidrittelmehrheit.

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    PM Orbán: “We have built a Christian democratic state” and “we are a majority among the people”

    Sep 21, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    “In Hungary, in recent years, we have developed a new model of political and state theory, and a Christian-democratic state has been built,” said Prime Minister Orbán, addressing an event organized by Fratelli d’Italia in Rome, adding that proof of the model’s success is demonstrated in three parliamentary election victories that delivered a two-thirds majority.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán über die neue Europäische Kommission: Die V4-Länder haben wichtige Portfolios gewonnen

    Sep 17, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Zwei der Vizepräsidenten der neuen Europäischen Kommission werden aus der Slowakei und der Tschechischen Republik kommen, während der polnische Kommissar für die Landwirtschaft verantwortlich sein wird. „Die gesamte Region, mit der Visegrád-Gruppe an der Spitze, gewinnt zunehmend an Wertschätzung“, sagte Ministerpräsident Orban heute Morgen in einem Radiointerview, bevor er über die Erweiterung der EU, die europäische Lebensweise, die außenpolitischen Ziele und Familienpolitik sprach.

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    PM Orbán on the new European Commission: The V4 countries have won vital portfolios

    Sep 13, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Two of the vice-presidents on the new European Commission will come from Slovakia and the Czech Republic, while the Polish commissioner will oversee Agriculture. “The whole region, with the V4 at the helm, is seeing an on-going increase in appreciation,” Prime Minister Orbán said in a radio interview this morning, before talking about enlargement, the European way of life, foreign policy goals and family policy.

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    Remembering Steindl, here’s a list of Budapest’s 10 most beautiful buildings

    Aug 30, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    With August upon us, we’re enjoying peak tourist season in Hungary and expecting record numbers again this year. Most international visitors who come to Hungary will pay a visit to the capital and for many good reasons. It’s not only the historic thermal baths, the terrific cuisine, world-class music offerings, rich cultural scene and lively night life but also the capital’s monumental architecture and exceptional buildings.

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    Is this what Brussels calls solidarity?

    Aug 28, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Two years ago, Prime Minister Orbán asked the European Commission to support Hungary – and the EU’s own border defense efforts – by covering half of what it cost to reinforce our southern border, a fence erected in 2015 on an important external border of the EU that has blocked a major human trafficking route and reduced illegal crossings into the EU along that border to close to zero. We had to wait a while for the response, and the answer they gave us is a disgrace.

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    PM Orbán: Freedom fighters like us always knew there was one, single Europe

    Aug 19, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Even at times of division, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said, “freedom fighters like us always knew that there was only one, single Europe.” As the prime minister reflected on the historic significance of Hungary-Germany relations, Hungary’s role in German reunification and the future of Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel named the Pan-European Picnic a symbol of unity and thanked Hungarians who 30 years ago helped overcome the lines of division.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán in Tusványos: “Das Wesen der illiberalen Demokratie ist der Schutz der christlichen Freiheit“

    Jul 30, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Die Liberalen haben die Bedingungen so gesetzt, dass Demokratie nur liberal sein kann. Nach Ministerpräsident Orbán jedoch stimme diese Anforderung, dass christliche Demokratie liberal sein müsse, nicht. Ihr liberaler Internationalismus kann nur dann erfolgreich sein, wenn er universell wird. Und sie lehnen ab, was wir in Ungarn tun, weil ein echtes, funktionsfähiges Modell eines illiberalen Staates zusammenkam, unser eigener christlich-demokratischer Staat.

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    PM Orbán at Tusványos: “The essence of illiberal democracy is the protection of Christian liberty”

    Jul 27, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Liberals defined the terms so that democracy can only be liberal. However, according to Prime Minister Orbán, the requirement that Christian democracy must be liberal is not true. Their liberal internationalism can only succeed when it becomes universal. And they oppose what we are doing in Hungary because a true, working model of an illiberal state has come together, our own Christian democratic state.

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    PM Orbán: We can only support EU leaders who respect Central Europe

    Jun 14, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    The Visegrád Group is unified in terms of both personnel- and content-related questions, PM Orbán said in his radio interview this morning, adding that he thinks it’s possible to find the right candidate for European Commission president “within one or two weeks”. In the remainder of the interview, the prime minister touched upon the relationship between Fidesz and the European People’s Party, Hungary’s priorities in the next five years, economic policy and the aftermath of the Hableány boat accident.

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    PM Orbán in Transylvania: We need a Europe that can ensure the safe future of our children

    May 10, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    At an informal EU summit in Nagyszeben/Sibiu yesterday, the 27 heads of state and government adopted the Sibiu Declaration emphasizing the bloc’s commitment to “one Europe…united, through thick and thin”. While most leaders were busy coming to such general conclusions, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – in his characteristic straight talk – spoke in detail about migration and the future of Europe as we know it.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán an eine österreichische Tageszeitung: Europa sollte das österreichische Modell übernehmen, bei dem sich die Mitte-Rechts-Partei mit der Rechten verbündet

    May 06, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Ministerpräsident Orbán wird heute Nachmittag in Budapest mit dem Vorsitzenden der Freiheitlichen Partei Österreichs, Heinz-Christian Strache, zusammenkommen. Vor dem Treffen sprach der Premierminister in einem exklusiven Interview mit der österreichischen Zeitung "Kleine Zeitung" über die Beziehungen zwischen Ungarn und Österreich, über Liberalismus, Europapolitik und Migration. Hier einige Highlights:

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    Und noch einmal: nein, wir lassen die Menschen in der Transitzone nicht „hungern“

    May 03, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Am Freitag veröffentlichte The Guardian einen Artikel, in dem behauptet wird, dass die ungarische Regierung den Asylbewerbern Nahrungsmittel vorenthält und es zudem beinahe unmöglich macht, die Anforderungen für die Unterbringung in der Transitzone zu erfüllen, da „jeder, der aus einem sicheren Land nach Ungarn gekommen war, für ein Asyl automatisch nicht in Frage kam. Die meisten Menschen kommen aus Serbien, was als sicher gilt.“

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    Happy birthday, NATO! Ungarn und die USA feiern mit der Unterzeichnung eines Verteidigungsabkommens

    Apr 10, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Das erfolgreichste Militärbündnis der Welt ist gerade 70 Jahre alt geworden, und wir haben ein weiteres wichtiges Jubiläum zu feiern. Es ist 20 Jahre her, dass Ungarn zusammen mit der Tschechischen Republik und Polen der NATO beigetreten ist und uns den Platz in dieser Organisation gesichert hat, ein großartiger Moment unserer langersehnten Rückkehr nach Europa und in die euro-atlantische Gemeinschaft.

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    Jobbik-LMP-Romanze: Fraktionsvorsitzende der Grünen/EFA meint: „Das ist verrückt!"

    Apr 05, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Erinnern Sie sich an jene Zeiten, als internationale Beobachter Ministerpräsident Orbán vor einer Kooperation oder gar einer Verbindung mit der rechtsextremen, antisemitischen Jobbik gewarnt haben? Offensichtlich ist dies kein Problem mehr. Denn jetzt sind es die linksliberalen Grünen Ungarns, die sich bei den Rechtsextremen einschmeicheln wollen. Und ihr Schweigen lässt vermuten, dass viele von denselben Leuten der Meinung sind, dass das in Ordnung ist.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán: Man sollte der Kommission die Migration und den Grenzschutz wegnehmen und sie den nationalen Regierungen zurückgeben

    Mar 28, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Ministerpräsident Viktor Orbán schloss sich am Wochenende im Rahmen der Veranstaltung „Budapest Summit on Migration“ der Meinung anderer prominenter politischer Persönlichkeiten an, einschließlich des ehemaligen französischen Präsidenten Nicolas Sarkozy, und meinte, die Zuständigkeit für Migration und Grenzschutz sollte den EU-Mitgliedstaaten zurückgegeben, und an einen unabhängigen Rat der EU-Innenminister delegiert werden.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán: "Wir sind nicht bereit, das zu tun, was Brüssel uns diktiert, wenn es für die Ungarn nicht gut ist."

    Mar 27, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Mit aufrichtigen Kommentaren zu der allmählichen Verschiebung der Europäischen Volkspartei nach links und die ununterbrochenen Bemühungen um eine Einwanderungsagenda in Brüssel forderte Ministerpräsident Orbán die Wähler auf, sich bei den Wahlen zum Europäischen Parlament am 26. Mai in großer Zahl teilzunehmen, und erklärte, dass Ungarn dem Druck nicht nachgeben darf.

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    PM Orbán: Take migration and border protection away from the Commission, give them back to the national governments

    Mar 23, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Drawing on the remarks of other prominent political figures at this weekend’s Budapest Summit on Migration, including former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán concluded that migration and border protection competences should be returned to the EU’s member states and delegated to an independent council comprised of EU interior ministers.

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    Ich hasse es Ihnen unter die Nase zu reiben, aber wir haben es ja gesagt! Die Europäische Kommission zieht die Annahme des gescheiterten Globalen Paktes für Migration in Erwägung

    Mar 19, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Ein offizielles Dokument der Europäischen Kommission kommt zu dem Schluss, dass Brüssel den Text des UN Global Compact für Migration [GCM, Globaler Pakt für eine sichere, geordnete und reguläre Migration) annehmen sollte. Sobald dies der Fall ist, sind die EU-Mitgliedstaaten zur Einhaltung verpflichtet. Außer Acht gelassen wurde dabei die Tatsache, dass neun der EU-28 sich gegen das Abkommen ausgesprochen hatten.

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    Ministerpräsident Orbán: “Ohne die christliche Kultur wird es in Europa kein freies Leben geben“

    Mar 18, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    “Ohne die Verteidigung unserer christlichen Kultur verlieren wir Europa, und Europa wird nicht mehr den Europäern gehören“, sagte der ungarische Ministerpräsident heute. In seiner Festrede anlässlich des 171. Jahrestages der Revolution von 1848/49 in Ungarn sprach der Ministerpräsident auch über die ungarische nationale Einheit und eine "mitteleuropäische Renaissance."

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    PM Orbán at NATO anniversary in Warsaw: “If we do not take help where it is needed, then the problems will come to us”

    Mar 11, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    The role of NATO will be enhanced due to Europe’s fragile security, said Prime Minister Orbán on Sunday, as he thanked the Visegrád countries for their help defending the southern borders of Hungary from illegal migration. The PM was speaking at a celebration in Wesoła, Poland, marking the twentieth anniversary of the accession to NATO of Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic, and the fifteenth anniversary of Slovakia’s joining the alliance.

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    Sie haben das Recht zu wissen: einige in Brüssel denken, dass unsere nationalen Grenzen ein bedauerliches Hindernis für die Einwanderung darstellen

    Feb 28, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Haben Sie gemerkt, wie die Bürokraten von Brüssel von „Grenzverwaltung” statt „Grenzschutz” oder „Grenzverteidigung” sprechen? Dies ist kein Zufall. Das lässt einen grundsätzlichen Unterschied in unserem Ansatz zu Migration erkennen. Für die Vertreter der migrationsfreundlichen Lobby ist Einwanderung ein positives Ergebnis und die nationalen Grenzen sind die Hindernisse.

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    You have the right to know: some in Brussels think your national borders are an unfortunate obstacle to immigration

    Feb 28, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Have you noticed how the bureaucrats in Brussels talk about “border management” instead of saying “border protection” or “border defense”? It’s not a coincidence. It betrays a fundamental difference in how we approach migration. For those in the pro-migration lobby, immigration is a positive outcome and national borders are the obstacles.

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    Sie haben das Recht zu wissen: Brüssel und die endlose Geschichte der Migrantenquote

    Feb 27, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Am Montag hat die Europäische Kommission zu der an die ungarischen Bürger gerichtete Kommunikation der Regierung, wonach „jeder das Recht hat zu wissen was Brüssel vorhat” eine Stellung genommen. Die Reaktion der Kommission wurde online auf Ungarisch unter dem Titel „Fakten über die Migrationspolitik der EU” veröffentlicht und beinhaltet eine Illustration (wiederum in ungarischer Sprache), die sagt „Sie haben das Recht zu wissen, was Fakt und was Fiktion ist.”

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    You have the right to know: Brussels and the never-ending story of the migrant quota

    Feb 27, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    On Monday, the European Commission issued a response to the government’s communication to Hungarian citizens that “everyone has a right to know what Brussels is planning.” The Commission response was published online in Hungarian as “Facts about the EU’s migration policy” and features an illustration (again in Hungarian) that says “You also have a right to know what is fact and what is fiction.”

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    PM Orbán: Next week’s debate on Hungary in the European Parliament “will be a Soros-style session, election rally and campaign event”

    Jan 25, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    “When it comes to important issues, and we listen and pay attention to the people, we get their answers,” PM Orbán said in this morning’s interview on Kossuth Rádió. Besides the results of the latest national consultation, the prime minister touched upon the upcoming European Parliament’s debate on rule of law in Hungary and George Soros’s efforts to expand his influence in the European Commission.

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    Just how long have the pro-migration forces in Brussels been scheming about a migrant quota?

    Jan 14, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

    Some claim that the notion of a pro-migration lobby is nonsense, that Brussels came up with the migrant quota for the sake of Member States and in response to the crisis that erupted in 2015. This idea that there are forces at work in the background driving an agenda to enable migration to Europe rather than stop it – this idea, some say, is the stuff of conspiracy theories. If you’re one of those who still believe it’s nonsense, let me show you something interesting.

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    PM Orbán: ‘Our goal is that opponents of immigration become a majority in the institutions of the EU’

    Jan 10, 2019

    The upcoming European Parliamentary elections will be decisive, said Prime Minister Orbán at the government’s first press conference of the year in an opening statement before an extended and free-wheeling Q&A session with domestic and international press. As Hungary remains the only EU state that has asked its citizens directly about migration, these EP elections present an opportunity for the people of Europe to decide about the continent’s future.

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    PM Orbán on the double-standards of Brussels: ‘Democracy is stronger today in central Europe than in western Europe’

    Dec 07, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    “The Hungarian national economy has become a powerful and shock resistant economy, one that is able to provide jobs for the people,” Prime Minister Orbán said this morning, commenting on Q3 GDP growth topping 5 percent. In his regular radio interview, the PM talked about the reasons behind Hungary’s economic success, the ongoing national consultation and the affronts coming from Brussels.

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    Brace yourselves! The progressive elite of The New York Times editorial board is so woke about Hungary

    Dec 05, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    The editorial board of The New York Times, a veritable Wikipedia gold mine of names from America’s left-wing elite, has once again turned its indignant wrath on Hungary and Prime Minister Orbán. The editors and publishers who make up the board are hot and bothered about the prime minister’s “right-wing, nativist, nationalist politics.” They’re so woke.

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    Q&A on the latest developments in the case of former PM Nikola Gruevski’s asylum

    Nov 23, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    Hungarian authorities on Tuesday granted asylum to former Macedonian PM Nikola Gruevski. Since announcing his request last week, the government of Hungary has emphasized that the case is one of a purely legal nature, where international protocols on asylum and Hungary’s laws dictate procedure. Some questions have been raised about how the case came about, how Hungary followed the rules and how the decision was reached. Here are a few of those questions and the responses.

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    PM Orbán: Forbidding the people to talk about something will only backfire

    Nov 23, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    “The issue of the migrant debit cards came as a surprise even for weather-beaten veterans like me,” Prime Minister Orbán said this morning, adding that handing out anonymous debit cards to “people we don’t know” is a direct threat to the lives of Europeans. In his regular Friday morning radio interview, the PM talked about migration, Brexit, former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and relations with neighboring countries.

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    Here’s why family policy is important and how this national consultation seeks to make a difference

    Nov 23, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    Europe’s demographic decline comes as no surprise to anyone even superficially acquainted with current birthrates around the continent. Although some in western Europe have already decided that immigration offers the only way to make up for the loss, the Orbán Government pursues another solution -- make it easier for the nation’s own citizens to have bigger families – and in this national consultation, we’re asking citizens for their input on how to do that.

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    Q & A on former Macedonian PM Nikola Gruevski’s asylum request in Hungary

    Nov 16, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    The government of Hungary confirmed on Wednesday that the former prime minister of Macedonia, Nikola Gruevski, has submitted an asylum request to Hungarian authorities in Budapest and his request is under evaluation in the Immigration and Asylum Office in accordance with both Hungarian and international law. Since that announcement, a number of questions have been raised. Here are some of those questions and the responses.

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    National consultation on family policy to kick off soon

    Oct 31, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    National consultation has become a powerful tool in recent years to invite citizen participation in major decision-making processes between election cycles. Since 2010, the government has solicited citizen input on a number of high-profile policy choices including the new Fundamental Law, economic issues, social security, conditions affecting pensioners, and immigration. This time it’s about family protection and it gets underway in just a few days.

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    PM Orbán: Nation states gave Europe its strength

    Oct 23, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    “We would have never thought,” Prime Minister Orbán said, that 29 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, Europe – once again – has to face a massive challenge. This time, it’s not “an external military threat, American or Russian endeavors that put Europe’s future in jeopardy,” but it’s Europe itself. This is why “we have to vote for the future of patriotism and national pride,” the PM said.

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    Brussels just keeps turning out more pro-migration plans

    Oct 13, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    Brussels has just published its latest plans, and it’s a “collection of horror stories for the Hungarian people.” In his regular Friday morning radio interview Prime Minister Orbán touched on a number of topics, including Brussels’ intention to take away from member states their authority to protect the border, the global conflict between globalists and nationalists and the main driving force behind Hungarian foreign policy.

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    Q&A on Hungary’s plan to establish independent, administrative courts

    Oct 03, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    The government of Hungary is planning to establish independent, administrative courts that would have the authority to adjudicate disputes in matters of public administration. While independent administrative courts are common to many EU countries, the move to create these courts in Hungary has raised some of the usual questions about judicial reform and independence. This brief Q&A offers some answers.

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    Commissioner Avramopoulos speaking on migration doesn’t represent the whole of Europe

    Oct 01, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    Last week at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, an unelected public servant who is charged with representing our common EU standpoint, presented his own views as if they were the common, European policy. That’s a problem. “This man is our employee,” said Prime Minister Orbán. “It is his duty to represent us.”

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    No surrender: Hungarian borders must be protected by Hungarians

    Sep 21, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    PM Orbán has been saying it for years. Europe must make border security the top priority, before any discussion of quotas or anything of the kind. Now, as we heard in Salzburg this week, some are finally coming around to the stark reality that protecting Europe’s border is serious business. That’s generally a step in the right direction, but some of the proposals out there take things off track.

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    PM Orbán in Moscow: Hungary values its good relations with Russia

    Sep 19, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    “It is in Hungary’s national interest that cooperation between the two parts of Europe are as good as possible,” PM Orbán said following his meeting with President Putin, adding that Hungary-Russia connections play a special role in this relation. During his joint press conference with the Russian president, the prime minister talked about the expansion of the Paks nuclear plant, future natural gas shipments, economic relations between the two countries and the protection of the persecuted of Christians.

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    FM Szijjártó: Sargentini Report adopted through voting fraud

    Sep 12, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    News from today’s vote in the European Parliament report that the Sargentini Report proposing an Article 7 procedure against Hungary has passed with the necessary “two-thirds majority.” Passage, however, relied on voting fraud, a violation of clear voting procedures, and the Hungarian government is currently evaluating possible avenues for legal remedy, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said during this afternoon’s press conference in Budapest.

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    The debate over the Sargentini Report, Part 2: Are they really this desperate?

    Sep 08, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    As I wrote in Part 1, the European Parliament will convene in plenary next Tuesday to debate a resolution to trigger an Article 7 procedure against Hungary for alleged violations of the rule of law. Following the debate, it could be put to a vote on Wednesday. According to sources in the EP, liberals and leftists have become so desperate to push through the Sargentini Report that they would resort to an underhanded voting trick.

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    A stronger, more rigorous Stop Soros bill is now in front of the Parliament: here’s a look at the details

    May 31, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    On election day nearly two months ago, the voters of Hungary sent a clear message. They made it clear that they don’t want Hungary to become an immigrant country and that the country’s security comes first. To serve the will of the people and meet this obligation, the Orbán Government has put forth the Stop Soros legislative package. What’s in the new package? Let’s take a look at the details.

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    PM Orbán: Christian democracy defends us from migration, it helps protect our borders and support families

    May 25, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    “We can’t carry out the work of the next four years without inserting it into a long-term plan,” said Prime Minister Orbán this morning in his regular interview with Hungary’s public Kossuth Radio. The PM shared specific plans, touched upon the emptiness of liberal democracy, talked about an upcoming national consultation and explained how the Stop Soros package will bolster Hungary’s security.

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    The LIBE draft report on Hungary: a masterpiece collection of fake news

    May 07, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    Speaking at last Thursday’s session of the European Parliament’s LIBE committee, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó reiterated Hungary’s strong opposition to any pro-migration plan. The draft report – which would call for the nuclear option of an Article 7 procedure to be launched against Hungary – is “a collection of compounded lies” and takes a stance far removed from facts and reality, he said.

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    PM Orbán: A mandatory migrant quota is out of the question, external borders must be defended

    Mar 22, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    They’re not giving in, those who see quotas and pro-immigration policies as Europe’s answer to the migration crisis. We’ll see a “decisive showdown” in June, said Prime Minister Orbán this week, when the EU’s heads of state and government will gather in Brussels again. Immigration will feature as one of the overriding issues on the agenda.

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    PM Orbán addresses crowd of unprecedented numbers: “Our biggest battle is about to begin”

    Mar 15, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    “They want to take our country away. Not with the stroke of a pen like they did a hundred years ago in Trianon,” said Prime Minister Orbán in his March 15th address before a crowd estimated in the hundreds of thousands to commemorate the 170th anniversary of Hungary’s 1848 Revolution and War of Independence, “but that we voluntarily hand it over to others in the decades to come.”

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    Here’s what we mean when we talk about Orbanomics

    Mar 09, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    “I believe in simple things – work, homeland, families,” Prime Minister Orbán said earlier this week in his address to the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce. He then reiterated the four pillars that define Hungary’s economy policies: competitiveness, a workfare society, good demographics and identity-based politics. “All decisions made by this government could fit into these categories.”

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    PM Orbán in Welt am Sonntag: ‘We cannot help the world while destroying our own people’

    Jan 16, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    Syrians running for their lives have every right to enter the first safe state they reach, but the EU shouldn’t let them march through Europe. Schengen, one of the EU’s greatest achievements has to be protected because if we fail to defend our external borders then the internal ones will have to be closed again. Prime Minister Orbán in Welt am Sonntag on migration, Europe, Germany and the mutual lack of understanding between East and West.

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    Here’s why that report is an embarrassment to the US Senate

    Jan 14, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    This week’s shameful example of anti-Hungary bias and ignorance comes to us – I regret to report – from the hallowed halls of the United States Senate. On January 10th, the minority staff – I’ll come back to that in a moment – of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee published a report entitled, “Putin’s Asymmetric Assault on Democracy in Russia and Europe: Implications for U.S. National Security.”

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    PM Orbán in Bild: We didn’t want migrants, you did - now accept the consequences

    Jan 11, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    “We didn’t want migrants, you did,” Prime Minister Orbán said in an interview published this week in the German daily Bild, adding that Germany and Angela Merkel’s infamous Wilkommenskultur were at the forefront of support for immigration. Prime Minister Orbán, however, has pushed for a different approach, insisting that the borders of Europe must be protected to preserve the freedoms achieved within the EU and that illegal immigration has a direct impact on security.

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    Security and defense among top priorities makes Hungary one of the world’s safest countries

    Jan 05, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    In a Europe that has experienced acts of terrorism with increasing frequency in recent years, Hungary stands out as an island of security at the heart of the continent. The reasons are many, but important among them is the political will to keep it like that. In addition to the border fence securing an otherwise vulnerable stretch of the European Union’s southeastern border, the Orbán Government bolstered defense forces through the Zrinyi 2026 program.

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    People need work not welfare checks to escape poverty

    Jan 04, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

    When the Orbán Government entered office in 2010, the prime minister said that Hungary would offer employment over welfare checks. Critics quickly denounced it as inhumane. Seven years on, 741 thousand more Hungarians have jobs. Tens of thousands that suffered from long-term unemployment have rejoined the active labor force, reclaiming their dignity and self-respect, and it has helped many out of poverty.

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    The Soros media blitz to convince the world there is no such thing as a Soros plan

    Nov 23, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

    As I wrote last week, the European Parliament approved a regulation that would introduce a permanent and mandatory migrant quota system without an upper limit on the number of migrants to be admitted. What’s more, it says that the evaluation of asylum claims will no longer be carried out by the country of first entry, and all member states will have to accommodate migrants on an involuntary basis. Countries that don’t cooperate would be politically and financially penalized.

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    The European Parliament has decided to carry out the Soros plan

    Nov 17, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

    Hate to say we told you so, but that moment that Hungary has long been warning against has arrived. The European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) has approved a regulation that would introduce a mandatory migrant quota system without an upper limit on the number of migrants. If this regulation is enacted, the European Parliament has approved the permanent quota system and is carrying out the plan of billionaire financier George Soros, seemingly point by point.

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    When the Washington Post, and its anti-Hungary echo chamber, refuses to run my response

    Nov 13, 2017

    Echo chambers – the lack of different opinions on a certain issue – are threatening people’s right to information in the modern age. In today’s world of social media saturated with fake news and sensational, online media fighting for page views, the echo chamber effect is growing, and those media outlets that pride themselves on professional journalism have a special obligation to restore a little reason to the discourse.

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    The irrational Orbanophobia of Anne Applebaum

    Nov 08, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

    Under Soviet occupation, November 7 was a compulsory holiday in Hungary. Since the end of communism and the re-birth of a free Hungary, we remember the one hundred million victims of communism. In her recent piece in the Washington Post, Anne Applebaum uses November 7 as an opportunity to disparage democratic political parties and leaders – including Prime Minister Orbán – whom she dislikes, bizarrely comparing them to Bolsheviks.

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    Ethnic Hungarians: a nation in a united Europe

    Nov 02, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

    As a result of wars and the re-drawing of borders that have taken place in recent centuries, today’s borders in Europe rarely correspond to the physical location of the continent’s national groups. About one third of the 15 million-strong, ethnic Hungarian community, lives outside the borders of Hungary, mostly in the Carpathian Basin. These Hungarian communities, just as much as any other European national minorities, have the right to maintain their thousand year-old culture in the European Union.

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    Deadline on administrative rules extended: So why all that hyperventilating about CEU and academic freedom?

    Oct 27, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

    Last spring, media and opinion leaders all over the world pilloried Hungary for what they claimed was an attempt to ‘shutter the Soros-funded Central European University’ and ‘crack down on freedom of education,’ following the introduction of administrative requirements in the amended law on higher education. The new rules imposed an impossible deadline, they argued, that could not be met.

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    What do globalists and communist collaborators have in common? Orbánophobia

    Oct 26, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

    As a sometimes vocal critic of certain EU policies and a leading figure in the move to strengthen borders, limit immigration and oppose pro-migration forces, Prime Minister Orbán has become a target of some sharp criticism. That’s to be expected, but among Prime Minister Orbán’s detractors, there is a special group on the extreme end of the spectrum that harbor an irrational fear and contempt.

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    PM Orbán on the anniversary of the 1956 Revolution: “If we lose our freedom, if we lose our national independence, we will be lost, too”

    Oct 23, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

    October 23rd is a national holiday in Hungary, marking the anniversary of the beginning of the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight when our compatriots defied the Communist regime and stood up to Soviet military might. For decades, we were forbidden to celebrate it, to even talk about it, but today it’s among our most important national holidays.

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    Honoring the freedom and bravery of the 1956 Freedom Fighters

    Oct 23, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

    On October 23rd, Hungarians celebrate the brave women and men who stood up to Soviet communist oppression and fought for their freedom against one of the world’s biggest armies. After a few glorious days of victory, the 1956 Hungarian Revolution was eventually overpowered by overwhelming military force, but the freedom fight drove the first nail into the coffin of communist oppression in the world.

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    Letting the people have their say on the Soros Plan

    Sep 28, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

    On Wednesday, the government published the national consultation on the Soros plan, one of a series of national consultations in which the government turns to the people in the form of public surveys to ask their opinion on subjects important to their daily lives. This seventh national consultation addresses the Soros Plan to resettle one million migrants in Europe per year. The consultation’s fundamental question is: should Hungary become an immigrant country or not?

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    EUObserver wins ‘fake news’ award for reporting Hungary backing Catalan independence movement

    Sep 19, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

    Earlier this week, I took a question from a journalist about the referendum on the independence of Catalonia. The government of Hungary has not taken a position on that, and I gave a general answer emphasizing precisely that point – that it is a matter of the internal politics of Spain, adding that the will of the people should be respected within the bounds of the rules.

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    These Western leaders are beginning to sound like PM Orbán on migration

    Sep 05, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

    Recently, following his meeting with Irish PM Leo Varadkar Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau ‘sounded the alarm’ on the growing number of immigrants entering Canada. Although “Canada is an opening and welcoming society,” Prime Minister Trudeau said, “we are also a country of laws” and “there are rigorous immigration and customs rules that will be followed. Make no mistake”.