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News in Brief

PM Orbán says Europe is “in retreat”

Jul 09, 2020

During yesterday's "Europe Uncensored" online conference, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said the European Union needs a strategy for dealing with emerging problems.

News in Brief

Coronavirus Update: Hungary’s measures to contain the epidemic are among the most successful in Europe

Jun 08, 2020

The justice minister said Hungary has so far avoided a mass outbreak with thousands of fatalities.

News in Brief

Intensifying European defense cooperation is now more important than ever

Mar 06, 2020

Speaking at an informal meeting of EU counterparts in Zagreb on Thursday, Tibor Benkő highlighted the importance of European Union cooperation on illegal migration and hybrid warfare.

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Justice Minister says PM Orbán is a leader with a "vision for Europe"

Dec 05, 2019

Justice Minister Judit Varga said the prime minister, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, have a vision for the continent and can do their part in its realization.

News in Brief

PM Orbán honors 30th anniversary of Velvet Revolution

Nov 18, 2019

“We need simple human things: to live our own central European lives, to honor and protect our families, to enjoy our freedom, love our country and to be proud of our nation," the prime minister said.

Blog Prime Minister

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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Stoiber says Hungary's place is at the center of a reunited Europe

Nov 12, 2019

Former Bavarian state premier Edmund Stoiber said Bavaria and Hungary have traditionally enjoyed close economic and cultural ties.

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PM Orbán: Hungary and Europe must stay true to themselves

Oct 24, 2019

During the state commemoration of Hungary's anti-Soviet uprising of 1956, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said neither Europe nor Hungary could survive if they turned against themselves and went against everything “keeping them alive”.

News in Brief

PM Orbán calls for unity and cooperation between eastern and western EU member states

Oct 14, 2019

During a meeting between PM Orbán and President Macron in Paris on Friday, the Prime Minister called for unity and cooperation between the eastern and western member states of the European Union.

News in Brief

Hungary and Italian allies agree on protection of European borders

Sep 26, 2019

Katalin Novák said the Hungarian government could not accept the distribution quota for migrants, adding that “we do not agree with the distribution mechanism included in the Malta agreement and we will not support any form of mandatory settlement quota.”

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FM: The security of the European people is paramount

Sep 02, 2019

Commenting on the recent stabbings in Lyon, Péter Szijjártó stressed that migration must be kept outside of Europe’s borders.

Blog

Hungarians oppose immigration, want to preserve European Christian culture – and we have our reasons

Jul 26, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

We were called unorthodox. We were accused of being far-right. Then we became the dangerous, new populism before becoming the illiberal populists. Now, they’ve got a new one: it’s anti-Muslim populism in Hungary.

News in Brief

Minister Szíjjártó: Europe is built on strong nation states

May 24, 2019

“The Hungarian position is that Europe will only be strong, safe and competitive again if it consists of strong nation states,” said Péter Szíjjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

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House Speaker: European elites brand dissenters radical

May 07, 2019

László Kövér said it was a realistic expectation that anti-migration forces will have greater weight in the next European Parliament

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State Minister: The world's poor must be helped on site, not brought to Europe

Apr 26, 2019

"Hungary has a clear and unequivocal position regarding migration: it stands for the protection of national borders and opposes the forced migration supported by Brussels," Bence Rétvári said

Blog

Did you know? Anti-Semitism climbing in some parts of Europe, falling in Hungary

Apr 18, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

Countering the trend in many western European countries, where the number of anti-Semitic hate crimes is rising, the number of incidents dropped in Hungary in 2018.

News in Brief

Immigration remains the most important issue for Europe, says official

Apr 08, 2019

Hungarian voters have the chance to influence European decision-making if the program of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán gets the most support in the European Parliament elections

News in Brief

US agrees with Hungary’s stance on protecting Europe’s Judeo-Christian heritage

Mar 27, 2019

Levente Magyar said the US understood the value-based debates European politicians are having on the protection of the continent’s Judeo-Christian heritage

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PM Orbán: Immigration will be the defining issue of the next 15-20 years in Europe

Jan 11, 2019

The prime minister said Hungary can be proud that it was the first country to prove that migration can be stopped on land, and for a long time not even countries with maritime borders attempted to achieve such a feat

News in Brief

Hungary’s energy prices are among the lowest in Europe

Jan 04, 2019

Budapest had the lowest retail gas prices and the fourth lowest electricity prices among 29 countries researched at the end of last year

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Europe would be the best place in the world today but it is struggling with an identity crisis, says state secretary

Jul 26, 2018

Europe's crisis is boosted by a decline in birth rates and cultural self-surrender, says state secretary

News in Brief Prime Minister

PM Orbán is redefining democracy in Europe, says Stephen K. Bannon

Jun 07, 2018

Stephen K. Bannon, a former chief strategist to Donald Trump, has penned a rather detailed and compelling editorial for the The Spectator

Blog

On the values of the European Union

May 08, 2018 - Dr. Mária Schmidt

The unveiling of the statue of Karl Marx is clearly a salute to the Communist idea and practice. It’s a message of global political significance. If the leaders of the EU do not understand this, it’s a big problem. But if they do understand it, then the problem is even greater because in that case the conflict between us is insurmountable.

News in Brief

Hungary is focused on building alliances with its neighbors to create a strong and united Europe

Feb 02, 2018

János Lázár, the minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office, said the government's plan was already in full swing, evident by last week’s Visegrád Group summit in Budapest and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s official visit to Vienna earlier this week

News in Brief Prime Minister

PM Orbán says the EU must help refugees, but “we cannot help the world while destroying our own people”

Jan 15, 2018

PM Orbán said that Syrians fleeing for their lives have the right to enter the first safe state they arrive in, but the EU “let them march into Europe, and suspended all our laws to allow this”

News in Brief

Hungary's FM: “European security starts in Africa"

Nov 14, 2017

Hungary’s foreign minister has said that to eliminate the causes of migration, efforts must be made to stabilize Africa politically and economically

News in Brief

Hungary's chief security advisor says the negative effects of the migration process have become commonplace in Europe

Nov 09, 2017

The Hungarian government has been consistently enforcing its measures and laws aimed at assuring security in the interests of protecting Hungarian and European citizens

Blog Prime Minister

PM Orbán: ‘The question of the coming decades: Will Europe belong to Europeans?’

Jul 22, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

“Twenty-seven years ago, we believed our future is Europe,” said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the 28th Summer University and Student Camp in Baile Tusnad this morning. “Right now, we are Europe’s future.”

Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister

Helmut Kohl: Viktor Orbán’s interview following memorial service

Jul 05, 2017

1 July 2017, Strasbourg (Straßburg)

News in Brief Prime Minister

PM Orbán has called for a rebellion against Brussels bureaucrats and liberal media outlets

Mar 16, 2017

During his speech to celebrate Hungary's March 15 national holiday, PM Orbán called on the people to bring about a "deep but peaceful" transformation of Europe

Blog

Here’s how the liberal media manipulated the PM’s remarks and turned him into a racist overnight

Mar 02, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

For breaking the rules of political correctness and using the word “ethnic” without a trigger warning, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is under heavy attack from the liberal media. The attacks, however, quote him completely out of context and deliberately misinterpret the meaning.

Blog

The way we make Europe great again

Feb 04, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

In an evolving, multipolar world order, Europe cannot afford to waste its energy and resources on senseless pursuits. Europe has great potential, but it lacks self-confidence. It is passing through a period of weakness, and that weakness breeds insecurity and fear that poisons the soul of the European body politic.

News in Brief

PM Orbán: We can make Europe great again

Jan 27, 2017

The prime minister said Europe was focusing its strengths on the wrong goals, arguing that it had failed to achieve any of its plans and had become a “slave” to the “Utopian idea” of a “supranational” Europe. It's time for change.

News in Brief

Hungary says it would be 'foolish' to hand more power to EU when member states provide the solutions

Jan 05, 2017

“It would be foolish to transfer even more spheres of competence to Brussels, especially when it is apparent that is it the member states who are providing effective solutions to historic challenges," Minister Szijjártó said

News in Brief

Hungary to celebrate 500th anniversary of Reformation in Europe with 400 events

Dec 30, 2016

The program will include a commemorative session in Hungarian Parliament’s upper chamber, a rock version of Handel's oratorio Messiah, an art performance and much more

News in Brief

PM Orbán approves 150 million HUF donation to rebuild Christian church

Dec 24, 2016

“Europe’s future lies in recapturing its Christian roots which still constitute the most important community-building power that any town or country can have," PM Orbán said

News in Brief

Europe and Middle East must cooperate to fight terrorism

Dec 21, 2016

"Countries in Europe and in the Arab world must cooperate in efforts to fight terrorism and build security," Hungary's foreign minister has said

Blog

Frontex prepares for everything but border protection

Nov 21, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács

“These people aren’t involved in border protection,” said Prime Minister Orbán of the newly established Frontex unit proposed to the management board. Frontex, of course, is the EU agency that was set up to manage cooperation among national border guards and help secure the EU’s external border. The problem with the proposed, new unit is that it is for anything but guarding European borders and coastlines. Plus, it is ridiculously weak in numbers.

Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s speech at the conference “Saint Martin and Europe”

Nov 16, 2016

November 10, 2016, Budapest

News in Brief

Hungary is in Trump's corner

Nov 15, 2016

The election of Trump is “expressly good news for the world” since the views of the president-elect on the “export of democracy” are “favorable for the world," Hungary's foreign minister said

Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s press statement by the Bulgarian-Turkish border [full text in English]

Sep 15, 2016

September 14, 2016, Lesovo (Лесoвo)

News in Brief

Muslim conquest in Europe threatens Christianity

Sep 02, 2016

Judeo-Christian and Islamic religious systems can't be integrated because of the “vast contrast” between the two cultures

News in Brief

PM Orban: Referendum tsunami will hit the EU

Aug 19, 2016

Hungarian Prime Minister believes that the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland will follow Hungary's lead by voting against the EU's forced migration quotas

Prime Minister

“Are You Opposed to Peace?”

Jul 12, 2016 - Viktor Orbán

Europe owes much to the EU. Reference to historical truth, however, is not enough to ensure its survival. The Union can only be successful again if it restores citizens’ sense of security.

Blog

PM Orbán on Brexit: It happened because of Europe’s failure to resolve the migration crisis

Jun 29, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács

As hideous terror attacks at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport draw attention away from this week’s European Summit and politicians struggle to find the appropriate response to the outcome of the Brexit referendum, EU leadership seems to be grasping for direction.

Blog

Here’s the problem with the twisted story from Brussels about how Hungary segregates Roma kids

Jun 20, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács

Infringement procedures – a legal tool designed to make sure European laws are harmonized – arise from time to time for all EU members states. It’s just part of life in a union comprising 28 countries and one set of European acquis.

Blog

PM Orbán: Europe Needs a Stable Egypt

Jun 03, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács

Following his meeting with the “Sunni Pope,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán talked about Europe’s catastrophic interventions in the Islamic world, the need for a stable Egypt and a re-stabilized Libya in his regular radio interview this week. He also touched upon the Brexit referendum and the dangers of the evolving democratic deficit in today’s European Union.

News in Brief

Hungary hailed as eastern Europe's leading nation

May 27, 2016

Poland's once dominating image as eastern Europe's flagship economy is being eroded by a star performing Hungary

News in Brief

EU Ministers back Hungary’s migration proposal

May 26, 2016

“The conclusions of Monday’s meeting of the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council include every single Hungarian proposal,” Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said following the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

Blog

PM Orbán Demands Democratic EU, Exposes Soros-Clinton Ties and Political Agenda

May 20, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács

While elites will inevitably maneuver to shape politics in a democracy, it is up to the people to decide on a country’s direction, Prime Minister Orbán emphasized in his regular radio interview this morning. Every thirty years or so, Hungary finds itself in the spotlight on the stage of international politics, he said, but people should not allow themselves to be deterred by the blinding spotlights.

News in Brief Prime Minister

Who's really the boss of Europe? Prime Minister Orban performs impressively on EU power matrix

Apr 29, 2016

Hungary has ranked in the top 10 of Europe's most powerful nations

News in Brief

Hungary supports Serbia’s EU membership

Apr 14, 2016

At a meeting with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić in the norther Serbian town of Novi Sad on Wednesday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, when asked about Croatia’s attempts to hinder the opening of one of Serbia’s chapters of acquis, said that Hungary supports Serbia’s EU membership.

News in Brief

We expect the opposition to behave responsibly

Apr 12, 2016

In connection with talks on the anti-terrorism action plan, Antal Rogán, head of the cabinet office of the prime minister, explained that he has asked opposition parties not to underestimate the extent of the terrorist threat.

Blog

‘We don’t like to live off of other peoples’ money’

Apr 12, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács

Yes, the loan is paid off. Commenting last week on the good news, Prime Minister Orbán said that “Every Hungarian family has a good reason to open a good bottle of red wine tonight and drink to the health of the country because yesterday we succeeded in settling the old debt that the previous government took on in 2008."

Blog

They’ve changed their tune -- from Wilkommenskultur to Auf Wiedersehen

Apr 04, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács

In February, I posted a few examples of how certain leaders were beginning to sing a distinctly different tune on the growing migration challenge. The title of the post was “Migration and European Borders: That Moment When Other EU Leaders Sound Like Prime Minister Orbán.”

News in Brief

Minister Balog: ‘We are at war, but not with Islam’

Mar 31, 2016

In Budapest on Wednesday, at a conference commemorating the 100th anniversary of Islam’s recognition as a religion in Hungary, Minister of Human Capacities Zoltán Balog said that a dialogue is required with Islam, and it needs partners.

Prime Minister News in Brief

“We have avoided the greatest danger,” says PM Orbán After EU Summit

Mar 21, 2016

Concerning the agreement between the European Union and Turkey, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that Hungarian diplomacy has achieved its goals.

News in Brief

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán holds talks in Brussels with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko

Mar 17, 2016

Before a meeting of the European People’s Party in Brussels, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held talks with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.

News in Brief Prime Minister

Agreement Reached on Closure of Borders

Mar 08, 2016

The times are over when one can travel on the Western Balkan routes without controls. EU leaders have decided that the routes of people smugglers must be closed, which means that order must also be restored at the borders, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told journalists in Brussels after the summit of the leaders of the European Union and Turkey in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Prime Minister News in Brief

‘Direct Migrant Resettlement is Out of the Question,’ says PM Orbán

Mar 08, 2016

“Frontiers must be closed down,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had said at the beginning of the day, “in other words: the legal framework has to be restored. The Schengen agreement must be kept word-by-word, so no one can come through without registration and permission.”

News in Brief

The Number of Migrants is Increasing Despite Protective Measures

Mar 04, 2016

“The number of migrants arriving in Hungary is increasing despite the greatest possible protective measures”, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said on M1 Hungarian Television’s Thursday evening current affairs program

News in Brief

We Should Have Applied Restricting Measures Earlier on in Europe

Mar 01, 2016

On Saturday, Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister György Bakondi told public television channel M1 that European countries should have applied the restricting measures – which have been recently introduced by Macedonia – against migrants to which they are entitled to in terms of the Schengen regulations from the beginning on in order to protect the external borders.

News in Brief

Number of Illegal Migrants on Serbian-Hungarian Border on the Rise

Mar 01, 2016

The number of migrants who seek to cross the Serbian-Hungarian border illegally is on the rise: some 500 attempted to cross the border illegally in January, 650 up to 15 February, and in the last ten days 110 migrants have sought to enter Hungary illegally per day on average, György Bakondi said at his press conference held on Saturday in Budapest.

News in Brief

Had Europe Accepted the Hungarian Solution, This is Not Where We Would Be Now

Mar 01, 2016

“Had Europe accepted the Hungarian solution to the immigration crisis a year ago, this is not where we would be now”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó told Hungarian news agency MTI on Friday.

News in Brief

Hungary and UAE Agree on How to Best Solve Migration Crisis

Mar 01, 2016

Péter Szijjártó and the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates agreed that migration pressure on Europe and the migration crisis will not come to an end until peace is established in Syria, the fight against terrorism is successfully won and the European Union ends its policy of keeping its external borders open, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Hungarian news agency MTI on the first day of his trip to the Emirates.

Speeches and Remarks Prime Minister

PM Orbán in State of the Nation speech: 'Europe can and must be protected'

Feb 28, 2016

Standing fast to the conviction that the European Union’s failed migration policy must be opposed and that Europe, with its common values and common history, must be protected, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in his annual State of the Nation speech today, said, “Brussels must be stopped.”