Europeum

El País | Hungary's new conflicts with Brussels as Budapest takes over the rotating presidency of the EU Council

August 09, 2024

This year, the EU has not declared the regime in Belarus authoritarian. Hungary vetoed such a decision. Budapest has thus found a new element in this short EU tradition - a communiqué on the anniversary of the electoral fraud committed by Alexander Lukashenko in 2020 - to clash with Brussels. Kristína Chebáková, project manager at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the situation related to the Hungarian EU presidency for the Spanish daily El País.

Respekt | Brussels Boycotts Hungarian Presidency but Will Ultimately Tolerate It

August 01, 2024

Brussels is boycotting Hungary's presidency due to Viktor Orbán, who during his tour of Kyiv, Moscow, and Beijing claimed to be working for peace, even as his actions coincided with Russia's attack on a children's hospital in Kyiv. His mission was sharply criticized by European leaders, and the EU has distanced itself from his actions, with member states agreeing to boycott informal meetings in Hungary. Could Brussels take further measures? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, comments for Respekt magazine.

Deník N | Orbán Opens Doors to Russian Spies and Saboteurs in Czech Territory

August 01, 2024

Viktor Orbán has recently stirred controversy in the EU by allowing Russian and Belarusian citizens to enter Hungary without controls. This move, which simplifies their movement within the Schengen Area, has raised concerns about security threats and pressure on European states. What impact might Orbán's policy have on Europe's security, and how are EU institutions responding? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, discusses the situation for Deník N.

TN.cz | Rift between Hungary and Poland. Reason being Orbán's relationship with Putin

July 30, 2024

A diplomatic rift has erupted between Budapest and Warsaw over the different attitudes of the two countries towards Russia. First, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán branded Poland as the country with the most hypocritical policy in Europe, while the Poles hit back by pointing out the close relations Orbán maintains with Russian President Putin. The media are also talking about the possible end of the V4 group. EUROPEUM Institute researcher Vít Havelka spoke more about the dispute in an interview with TN.cz.

Hospodářské noviny | EU boycott of Orbán. Europe ignores Hungary for a trip to see Putin

July 17, 2024

Hungary may hold the EU presidency until the end of the year, but member state politicians plan to ignore meetings the country holds. This is in response to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's secret visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as an unscheduled call for a ceasefire issued to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Vít Havelka, a research fellow at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the boycott for Hospodářské noviny.

e15 | European politicians boycott Hungarian presidency. Will Orbán continue to provoke?

July 24, 2024

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán took over the EU Council presidency less than a month ago, but he has already managed to provoke the EU institutions and most member states with his unauthorized "peace" mission to Russia and China. During this mission, he presented himself as a representative of the European Union, despite having no authority to do so. European politicians have responded to this situation with initial retaliatory measures. How will Viktor Orbán proceed? What strategies and tactics might the Hungarian Prime Minister use during his presidency? Oszkár Roginer-Hofmeister, a research fellow at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on this for e15.

STVR | Boycott of the Hungarian Presidency in Council of the EU

July 23, 2024

Most European Union states have decided to boycott the Council meeting in Budapest. This decision is a reaction to Orbán's "peace mission", during which he met with Russian President Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and former US President Trump under the banner of the Hungarian presidency without any mandate from the EU. Will EU criticism slow Orbán down in his next steps? Can Hungary's presidency be revoked? Does EU foreign policy even need to be unified? The situation is commented on by Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute.

ČRo | The European Commission boycotts the Hungarian presidency due to Orban's unexpected visit to Russia

July 16, 2024

The European Commission has announced that, in light of developments since the beginning of the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union, it plans to boycott informal ministerial meetings and send only senior officials instead of commissioners. Viktor Orbán has come under criticism for his recent trip to Russia, which he described as a peace mission aimed at ending the war in Ukraine and which he did not consult with the leaders of other EU states. This move comments Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute for Czech Radio.

Czech Radio | Babiš will be seen as a pro-Russian politician due to his faction in the European Parliament

July 11, 2024

ANO movement leader Andrej Babiš recently co-founded a new group in the European Parliament with Viktor Orbán. Patriots for Europe, considered an extreme right-wing bloc, now include parties of Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders among others. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala labeled it as pro-Russian oriented. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented on Babiš's actions for Czech Radio.

Seznam Zprávy | Babiš' political group in the European Parliament is dominantly pro-Russian

July 10, 2024

The ANO movement has joined the new group Patriots for Europe, which it co-founded to promote national interests in Europe more effectively. Now it is third-largest in the European Parliament and includes, among others, the French National Rally of Marine Le Pen, and the Hungarian Fidesz of Viktor Orbán. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute talked in the podcast 5:59 of Seznam Zprávy how this affiliation could affect the perception of the Czech Republic abroad.