Hungary

EU pushes Ukraine membership bid forward despite Hungary’s objections

The European Union on Thursday handed Ukraine a long list of reforms needed to join the bloc, determined to push the process forward despite the ongoing war and objections from…

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Hungary Urges Suspension of EU Funding to Ukraine Amid Corruption Allegations

Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Thursday said the European Union should stop sending money to the Ukrainian government after corruption reports. "There's a war mafia, a corrupt system working…

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Putin-Trump summit on hold after Russia rejects ceasefire

A planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was put on hold on Tuesday, as Moscow's rejection of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine cast a…

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Poland warns Russia’s Putin against crossing its airspace for Trump summit

Poland warned Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday against travelling through its airspace for a summit in Hungary with U.S. President Donald Trump, saying it could be forced to execute…

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Hungary found to have sent agents to spy on EU

A report published in the Belgian newspaper De Tijd on Thursday revealed that the Hungarian intelligence service has for years been using a secret spy network in the European Union…

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EU mulls tweaking rules to bypass Hungarian veto on Ukraine’s accession

The European Union is mulling new plans to tweak the rules of enlargement in a fresh attempt to bypass Hungary's persistent veto on Ukraine's membership bid. As of today, each…

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Lithuania presses EU to act on Ukraine as Hungary blocks accession

As tensions between Budapest and Kyiv flare again, hopes are fading that Hungary will lift its veto on the start of Ukraine’s European Union accession talks. Lithuania, however, is urging…

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Hungary ready to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks, foreign minister says

Hungary has offered to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine twice, and the offer still stands, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in a podcast broadcast on Facebook on…

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White House weighs Budapest for possible Trump, Putin, Zelenskyy summit

The White House is considering Budapest as the site of a potential summit between President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to a Trump…

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Russia has won war in Ukraine, Hungary’s Orban says

Russia has won the war in Ukraine, right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Tuesday ahead of a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir…

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Hungary ‘rapidly going in wrong direction’, EU lawmakers warn after visit

A delegation of European parliament lawmakers has warned that the situation in Hungary is “rapidly going in the wrong direction” due to the continuing deterioration of the rule of law…

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Hungary withdrawing from ICC as Israeli leader visits

Hungary's government has decided to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, it said on Thursday, shortly after Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, sought under an ICC arrest warrant, arrived in the…

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Violent human traffickers halted in Germany and Hungary

The German Criminal Inspectorate (Karlsruhe Kriminalinspektion) and the Hungarian National Bureau of Investigation THB Unit (Nemzeti Nyomozó Iroda Emberkereskedelem Elleni Osztály), supported by Europol, have dismantled a criminal network involved…

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Poland says Hungarian envoy not welcome at event at start of EU presidency

Poland decided not to invite Hungary's ambassador to an event on Friday launching Warsaw's EU presidency after Budapest gave asylum to a former deputy minister who is under investigation over…

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Hungarian reportedly spied on EU officials

Hungary’s intelligence agency spied on EU officials visiting the country, searching their hotel rooms and recording their phone conversations, according to a bombshell report. A joint investigation by Direkt36 and…

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Hungary to install air defence system near Ukraine border

Hungary is going to install an air defence system in the northeastern part of the country as the threat of an escalation of the Ukraine-Russia war is "greater than ever",…

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Viktor Orban claims EU installed ‘puppet government’ in Poland

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has suggested that Poland's government and its prime minister, Donald Tusk, were installed in power by the EU as part of a plot to remove…

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Hungary’s Orban accuses EU of trying to overthrow his government

Veteran nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused the European Union executive on Wednesday of trying to overthrow his cabinet and impose a "puppet government" on Hungary, likening his protest to…

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Ursula von der Leyen Challenges Hungary’s Ties with Russia and China

Hungary is putting European security at risk, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday in an unusually blunt speech blasting Budapest’s relationship with Russia and China. Speaking…

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Hungary PM Orban says Ukraine cannot win on the battlefield

Ukraine cannot win the war with Russia on the battlefield, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Tuesday, adding dialogue and a ceasefire were needed to save lives. Earlier, Hungary's…

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Central Europe flood deaths rise

Volunteers and emergency personnel raced to secure river banks and buildings in Poland and Hungary as flood waters that have wreaked havoc across central Europe began to rise in new…

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Budapest district narrowly votes to ban short-term rentals from 2026

Residents of Budapest's sixth district have narrowly voted to ban short-term rentals from 2026 in a decision which could have wider ramifications for the housing market in one of Europe's…

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Orbán cancels European Parliament speech due to flooding in Hungary

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán postponed a speech at the European Parliament on Wednesday due to flooding in Hungary. “Due to the extreme weather conditions and the ongoing floods in Hungary,…

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Hungary ready to sue EU executive over border protection costs, PM aide says

Hungary is ready to sue the European Commission to reimburse the costs of protecting the European Union's external border, which Budapest says has cost it some 2 billion euros ($2.20…

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Budapest district votes on banning short-term rentals

A Budapest district is holding a two-week referendum on a possible ban on short-term rentals, which would be the first of its kind in one of Europe's most popular tourist…

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Hungary’s white wine under threat

Hungary's hottest July on record has forced some of the country's winemakers to start harvesting grapes in early August, up to a month earlier than usual. Climate change is having…

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Hungary visa move stokes EU fears of Russian espionage

The European People's Party (EPP) has raised security concerns over a decision by Hungary to ease visa restrictions for Russian and Belarusian citizens, fearing it could fuel espionage in the…

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Hungary nominates Olivér Várhelyi for second term as EU commissioner

Viktor Orbán will surely have annoyed Ursula von der Leyen with his pick for the next European Commission. The Hungarian prime minister announced Monday that he wants Olivér Várhelyi to…

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Hungary to block EU funds for member states over spat with Ukraine

Hungary will block European Union refunds for member states that gave munitions to Ukraine until Kyiv allows the transit of oil from Russia's Lukoil through a pipeline over its territory,…

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Orban visits Kyiv for first time since war

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, an outspoken critic of Western military aid to Ukraine, paid a surprise visit to Kyiv on Tuesday for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Orban, who…

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Ukraine foils plot to overthrow the government

Ukrainian authorities said that a group attempted to mount "provocations" in Kyiv, occupy parliament and "remove from power" the current government, according to the SBU security service. Ukrainian authorities reported…

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Hungary takes EU presidency

Hungary's nationalist government launches its presidency of the European Union on Monday with a Trump-like call to "Make Europe Great Again" after EU lawmakers questioned whether it should be allowed…

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Italian woman held in Hungary for alleged assault released after being elected MEP

Italian anti-fascist activist Ilaria Salis was released from house arrest in Budapest after she was elected a member of the European Parliament at the weekend, her lawyer Gyorgy Magyar told…

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UPDATED: EU court orders Hungary to pay 200 mln euros fine over immigration policies

Hungary must pay a 200-million-euro ($216 million) fine for not implementing changes to its policy of handling migrants and asylum seekers at its border, the European Union's top court said…

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Belgian EU presidency urges governments to move toward muzzling Hungary

Belgium, current holder of the rotating Council of the EU presidency, is taking the extraordinary step of urging EU governments to consider moving ahead with the procedure to deprive Hungary…

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Lithuania raps Hungary over hold-ups in EU military aid to Ukraine

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis lashed out at Hungary on Monday for blocking European Union decisions on foreign affairs, including military aid for Ukraine, and said the bloc had to…

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EU gives Hungary two months to address concerns over ‘sovereignty’ law

The European Commission said on Thursday it had given Hungary two months to alleviate concerns over a law that imposes jail terms for groups that accept foreign funds for political…

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Hungary’s Orban ready to ‘occupy’ Brussels to bring EU change

BUDAPEST, March 15 (Reuters) - Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he was ready to march to Brussels and "occupy" the European Union's centre in order to "defend…

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MEPs to sue EU leaders for ‘horse-trading’ with funds to Hungary

The European Parliament will sue the European Union's executive for unblocking funds to Hungary while trying to persuade the country to drop its veto on aid to Ukraine last year,…

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Trump won’t give money to Ukraine if elected, says Hungary’s Orban

BUDAPEST, March 11 (Reuters) - Former U.S. leader Donald Trump will not give money to help Ukraine fight Russia if he wins the presidency again and that will hasten an…

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Hungary opposes Mark Rutte’s bid to run NATO

Hungary is against Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's taking the helm of NATO when the post is vacated later this year, the country's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said Tuesday. The…

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Eight arrested for sexual exploitation in Belgium and Hungary

Thee Belgian Local Police Oostende (Lokale Politie Oostende), the Belgian Federal Police (Federale Politie/Police Fédérale) and the Hungarian National Police (Nemzeti Nyomozó Iroda), supported by Europol and Eurojust, have targeted…

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Sweden clears final hurdle to join NATO as Hungary approves accession

Hungary's parliament approved Sweden's NATO accession on Monday, clearing the last hurdle before the historic step by the Nordic country whose neutrality lasted through two world wars and the simmering…

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UPDATED: Hungary will approve Sweden’s NATO bid on Monday, PM Orban says

Sweden to join NATO after Hungary ratification due Monday NATO membership will end long military non-alignment NATO accession spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine Finland already joined NATO last year…

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Hungary buys Swedish fighter jets, prepares to approve NATO bid

By Krisztina Than and Johan Ahlander BUDAPEST/STOCKHOLM, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Hungary said on Friday it had signed a deal to buy four Saab JAS Gripen fighter jets from Sweden,…

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Hungary nominates new president

Hungary’s ruling party nominated little-known judge Tamás Sulyok as the country’s new president, seeking to quiet a political crisis that saw the resignation of the previous head of state. Hungarian…

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Hungary to vote on Sweden’s NATO accession on Feb 26

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will travel to Budapest on Friday to meet his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban before Hungary's parliament takes a long-delayed vote on Sweden's bid for NATO…

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In unusual move, China offers to back Hungary in security matters

By Liz Lee and Ryan Woo BEIJING, Feb 19 (Reuters) - China offered to support long-time strategic partner Hungary on public security issues, going beyond trade and investment relations, during…

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Orban says Serbia should join EU before Ukraine

The EU “will lose” Serbia to China unless it lets the country join the bloc soon, and should do so before admitting Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in…

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EU tells Hungary its ‘sovereignty’ law violates EU law

Feb 7 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Wednesday said it had told Hungary that its law on "protecting national sovereignty", which the ruling Fidesz party said was necessary to…

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US envoy piles pressure on Orban to ratify Sweden’s NATO entry

The U.S. envoy to Budapest along with ambassadors from some other NATO allies including Denmark and Poland attended the Hungarian parliament on Monday in a surprise show of pressure on…

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Hungary under pressure to ratify Sweden’s NATO bid after EU deal

Hungary agreed on Thursday to EU aid package for Ukraine PM Orban said he "went to the wall" for Hungary Hungary is only NATO state yet to ratify Swedish accession…

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UPDATED: EU agrees $54 bln in new aid for Ukraine as Hungary falls in line

By Charlotte Van Campenhout, Andrew Gray and Andreas Rinke BRUSSELS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - European Union leaders unanimously agreed on Thursday to extend 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in new…

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Hungary open to using EU budget for Ukraine aid package, Orban’s adviser says

BUDAPEST, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Hungary signalled its readiness on Monday for a compromise allowing a proposed European Union aid package for Ukraine to be financed from the bloc's budget…

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Hungary parliament speaker sees ‘no urgency’ in voting on Sweden’s NATO accession

BUDAPEST, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Hungary's parliamentary speaker said on Thursday there was no urgency in approving Sweden's NATO membership bid after ratification by Turkey left only Budapest holding up…

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Hungary to limit visas for temporary workers from outside the EU

BUDAPEST, (Reuters) - Hungary will limit the number of visas issued to temporary workers from outside the European Union and also ban them from certain professions in a bid to…

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Ukraine aid: Hungary says it is far from agreement with EU

BUDAPEST, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Hungary is far from reaching an agreement with the European Union on aid for Ukraine, the Hungarian prime minister's chief of staff said on Thursday.…

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