About Hungary beta

I bet you didn’t know this about Finland

Our goal is simply to share some of these lesser-known facts that can help the independent spectator see the full picture

Unlike Weber, von der Leyen accepted our support and rose to victory

It’s clear that those thirteen Fidesz-KDNP votes were vital to her election

Hungary leads NATO’s Baltic Air Policing

Hungary, augmented by the United Kingdom and Spain, leads the 50th NATO Baltic Air Policing detachment.

Here’s to more investments and another bullish economic forecast

Interest in Hungarian contracts was at an all-time high

Hungary’s 2020 Budget: families, families and families

In addition to supporting families, the 2020 budget is also about protecting the economic results achieved so far and continuing tax reductions

PM Orbán: Migration will continue to define future political debates

Migration remains the main question for debate in European politics

Here’s what you need to know about the reform of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Here’s what’s happening and why.

United Nations

News in Brief

Foreign Minister shocked by UN official's defense of terrorist

May 02, 2019

In a letter to United Nations Special Rapporteur Fionnuala Ni Aolain, the foreign minister has expressed “astonishment and shock” over her “defense of a terrorist”

News in Brief

Foreign ministry condemns UN commissioner over Ahmed H comments

May 01, 2019

Fionnuala Ni Aolain criticized Hungarian laws and procedures, claiming that the country’s government “used Ahmed H in a slander campaign” while running the national consultation survey

Blog

Once again, no, we are not “starving” people in the transit zone

Apr 29, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

On Friday, The Guardian published an article claiming that the Hungarian government is withholding food from asylum seekers and moreover making it almost impossible to satisfy the requirements for getting shelter in the transit zone since “anyone who had arrived in Hungary from a safe country was automatically ineligible. Most people arrive from Serbia, which is considered safe."

News in Brief

FM: UN should work on settling refugees back home, not promoting migration

Apr 24, 2019

The foreign minister has said that the international community, including the United Nations and the European Union, should work on settling refugees back home, not promoting migration

News in Brief

Hungary to increase number of peacekeeping troops

Apr 01, 2019

Hungary remains committed to peacekeeping and anti-terrorism missions around the world and the headcount boost is partially designed to alleviate the United Nations' staff shortage in peacekeeping missions

News in Brief

FM: The UN global migration compact is about managing migration rather than stopping it

Mar 26, 2019

Speaking on public television on Tuesday, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the UN is acting as if there were no security risks involved with their migration plans

News in Brief

Chief Security Advisor: UN migration pact represents the greatest danger to Europe to date

Mar 20, 2019

The security advisor said that making the UN Global Compact for Migration mandatory represents the greatest danger to Europe to date

Blog

Hate to say we told you so: European Commission mulls adoption of the failed UN Global Compact for Migration

Mar 15, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács

An official European Commission document concludes that Brussels should adopt the text of the UN Global Compact for Migration. Once it does, EU member states would be obliged to comply. Never mind that nine out of the EU-28 oppose the GCM.

News in Brief

FM: If the UN does not give up its “completely biased” stance on migration, the danger to Europe will be “extremely serious”

Feb 26, 2019

Minister Szijjártó highlighted that the Islamic State terrorist organization had adopted a new strategy of returning its mercenaries to the countries they came from

News in Brief

FM: The continent must stand firm in keeping the Western Balkan migration route closed

Jan 18, 2019

Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said contrary to the claims of United Nations and European Union officials, migration pressure on Europe has increased in the recent period

News in Brief

FM: The UN migration pact has everything to facilitate migration but nothing to keep it in check

Jan 09, 2019

"The fact that 40 states did not vote on the migration pact is a clear indication that the attempts to make the document one of international reference lack credibility and are unacceptable," the foreign minister said

News in Brief

Hungary votes against United Nations’ Global Compact for Migration

Dec 20, 2018

The UN General Assembly approved the accord with 152 countries voting in favor, five against and 12 abstentions

News in Brief

FM: An increasing number of countries are expected to reject the UN’s Global Migration Compact

Dec 18, 2018

Péter Szijjártó told at a hearing of the Foreign Affairs Committee that there are at least 13 countries that will vote against the compact in the UN General Assembly on December 19th

Blog

The EU, the UN and the backers of illegal migration

Dec 18, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

Last week served up a reminder, in case anybody needed one, that these people are serious about legalizing illegal migration, contrary to the will of the people.

News in Brief

FM: Brussels and the United Nations clearly share the same goal of legalizing illegal migration

Dec 11, 2018

Hungary views illegal migrants as illegal migrants and not as refugees, and the Hungarian government will vote against the UN migration compact in New York, said the foreign minister

News in Brief

FM: The UN is making the same mistake with its Global Migration Compact as the EU made with mandatory migrant settlement quotas

Dec 07, 2018

Péter Szijjártó, Minister Of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the UN compact would cause even greater problems than the EU quotas because the latter only applied to Europe but the former would create disorder around the world

News in Brief

FM: Hungary will take a larger role in NATO missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo

Dec 06, 2018

Péter Szijjártó said Hungary will reassign most of its troops who are soon demobilizing from the United Nations Cyprus peacekeeping mission to Afghanistan and Kosovo

News in Brief

FM: Trump's UN speech brings "new complexion" to debate

Oct 01, 2018

Minister Szijjártó reiterated Hungary’s standpoint that adopting the comprehensive migration pact currently under discussion in the UN would be “the worst possible step” when it comes to tackling the challenge of migration

News in Brief

Hungary's FM: Europe is at threat from Africa's migrant crisis

Jun 05, 2018

If the UN's goals are realized then the make-up of Europe’s population will change radically in the upcoming few years, the foreign minister said

News in Brief Prime Minister

Hungary’s FM calls on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to resign

Feb 27, 2018

Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Zeid bin Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein should step down over comments he made about Hungary's prime minister

News in Brief

Hungary’s foreign minister has officially protested over the negotiations on the UN’s Compact for Migration

Feb 26, 2018

Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, made his feelings known in a letter to the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini

News in Brief Prime Minister

PM Orbán: The UN’s draft document on migration “looks like it was copied from the Soros Plan"

Feb 02, 2018

PM Orbán said the United Nations is an asset, “but we mustn’t allow it to formulate principles that go against Hungary’s interests… And the package currently being prepared does go against Hungarian interests"

Blog Prime Minister

PM Orbán: the UN’s migration package looks like it was copied from the Soros plan

Feb 02, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

An “alliance of common sense” is in the making, said Prime Minister Orbán, countries that ask where it would lead if we accept the right to migration as a fundamental human right and allow the UN to oversee international migration. Hungary will not participate in anything that runs counter to its security interests.

News in Brief

Hungary may quit the UN’s migration package unless “there is a positive shift, towards Hungary’s position”

Feb 01, 2018

Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the government has instructed him to review the first draft of the package, to be published on February 5th, and start the procedure to quit the talks if the document is “as pro-migration” as the 2016 declaration

News in Brief

United States pulls out of UN migration pact citing similar motives to PM Orbán in fight against illegal immigration

Dec 04, 2017

"Our decisions on immigration policies must always be made by Americans and Americans alone," the US ambassador to the UN said. "We will decide how best to control our borders and who will be allowed to enter our country"

News in Brief

President Áder suggests climate change proposals to United Nations

Sep 29, 2017

The president said expanding the international alliance fighting for climate protection would be a positive step

News in Brief

Hungary welcomes comprehensive reform of the UN

May 18, 2017

Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that Hungary supports the UN stepping up its role in the fight against terrorism and devoting greater attention to conflict prevention

News in Brief

Hungary rejects UN's 'foul and baseless accusations' surrounding new asylum rules

Mar 09, 2017

Hungary's foreign minister has rejected UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein’s criticism of Hungary’s newly-amended asylum rules

News in Brief

Hungary nominates itself as member of UN Human Rights Council

Sep 26, 2016

Hungary is a free country that is proud of its traditions, culture and Christianity, and which has struggled to achieve its freedom in the past

News in Brief

Hungary's Foreign Minister: from energy security to free trade agreements in whirlwind of bilaterals

Sep 22, 2016

Peter Szijjártó met with President Barack Obama and the first lady while meeting with leading diplomats from around the world to discuss economic issues

News in Brief

Hungary presents migrant crisis plan to United Nations

Sep 20, 2016

Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that Hungary’s position is that approaches to migration must be based on international law

News in Brief

UN blasts Hungary for keeping out migrants

May 13, 2016

Despite strong criticism from Brussels, the approach has gone down well in Hungary, a country with few immigrants and less problems

News in Brief

UN lifts confidential status of documents on Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet revolution

May 09, 2016

András Nagy will arrive in New York on May 16th to research and document the files