In the Hungarian elections on 3 April, the Fidesz-KDNP alliance reached a two-thirds majority in parliament for the fourth time. The result clearly indicates that the System of National Cooperation (an autocratic structure abbreviated as NER in Hungarian) now already constitutes a specific period in Hungary’s history, like the Horthy system between the two world […]
Viktor Orban
At Hungary’s elections last Sunday the worst-case scenario came about. The Orbán regime not only survived but also received a two-thirds constitution-making supermajority again. This is a very bad news not only for Hungary, but also for the European Union since Viktor Orbán’s regime will continue its troublemaker role and will disrupt European integration both […]
The re-election of Viktor Orbán and Fidesz in the 2022 Hungarian elections was not a surprise, but the extent of their victory was. Appealing to society’s craving for security and stability in times of the war in Ukraine proved decisive, as did the united opposition’s failure to convince voters that they would be better off […]
16 February 2022: the European Court of Justice (ECJ) rules against Hungary’s and Poland’s position on the Rule of Law Conditionality regulation. For the first time, the Court live-streams its ruling. This is more than just a ruling: the very essence of our Union was challenged. If we want to preserve our sacred values, we […]
The Czech progressives have suffered a disastrous defeat in this weekend’s general elections. This raises concerns about the future of the centre-left in the country. While domestic causes have been the principal factors in the defeat, the role of regional and European dynamics in the election campaign are worth exploring too. The Czech centre-left has […]
To mark the start of the six-month EU Council presidency of Slovenia, a grandiose musical and ballet performance was arranged on Lake Bled. This reminded me of my own very first visit to Slovenia, which was also linked to music, though with a much more modest profile. As an unassuming clarinet player in the wind […]
Load more